“Thank You, Lord Jesus, that You take us, in all our frailties and weaknesses, and You attest Your glory through us, through signs. Lord, You are doing this so that the nations will be reached with the Gospel. Your wisdom and Your ways are wonderful. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.”
Act 2:5-7 And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. (6) And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. (7) Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Look, are not all these who speak Galileans?” This audience that was gathered there considered themselves noble and of the upper crust of the Jewish society. Whereas, people from Galilee were of much lower social standing in comparison to those from Jerusalem and Judea. Galilee was not just geographically far from Jerusalem; it was considered spiritually and politically far, too. Galilee was the most pagan of the Jewish provinces, located as it was at the northernmost tier of Palestine. This distance from Jerusalem was not only geographic; Galileans were considered by Judaeans, to sit rather loosely to the law and to be less biblically pure than those in or near Jerusalem.
Considering this background, we will appreciate the manner in which that question was asked, “Look, are not all these who speak Galileans?” Now, we can understand how people from Jerusalem, considered Jesus. He was the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee. To the Jews from Jerusalem, Jesus was of a lower standing, compared to them. Matthew 21:11 So the multitudes said, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.” The Jews were sure that there can be no prophet from Galilee. John 7:52 They answered and said to him, “Are you also from Galilee? Search and look, for no prophet has arisen out of Galilee.” This is what we hear from Nathanael. John 1:45-46 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” (46) And Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” What Nathanael was saying was a socio-cultural reality. “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”
This is how God has chosen us and called us to be His church. We are the ordinary people of the world. The world does not consider His church to be of the top echelons of society. Yet, God attests Himself through His church, through signs and wonders. God is reaching the nations through us. I Corinthians 1:26-31 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. (27) But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; (28) and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, (29) that no flesh should glory in His presence. (30) But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— (31) that, as it is written, He who glorifies let him glory in the Lord. When we stand before the world and testify, we give all the glory to God. He has taken the simple people of the world to confound the so-called wise. God is attesting Himself through His church, through miracles, signs, and wonders, to bring the nations to His presence. We can say, as His church, “We glory in the Lord.”
II Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We, as His church, must always be conscious that we are earthen vessels, frail and fragile, but the powerful work of God is being attested through us. We, therefore, move out powerfully, knowing that this work of being His witnesses to the nations of the world, is of God. He is attesting Himself through us, through signs and wonders. II Corinthians 12:9-10 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (10) Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
The world is speaking derogatorily against His church but we can be bold because the excellence of the power is of God and not of us. I Corinthians 1:23-24 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, (24) but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. II Corinthians 13:4 For though He was crucified in weakness, yet He lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, but we shall live with Him by the power of God toward you. We go out with this clarity, to be His witnesses. Ephesians 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
“Our identity is, “We are strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.”