2026 Easter Devotions
Monday, April 13
Acts 2:14a, 36-41
14a Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed [the crowd]: 36 “Therefore let the entire house of Israel know with certainty that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” 38 Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him.” 40 And he testified with many other arguments and exhorted them, saying, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added.
“… For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him. …”
It is easy to get exclusive regarding the gift of salvation offered through Jesus Christ. Some people want to limit the extent of God’s grace to a certain group of people – typically those who are like them. Others would have the gift of salvation only to a select few – typically those who belong to their brand of Christianity.
Of course, none of this is new. From the time of Jesus himself, those who were “in” always wanted to see some others as “out”. The Jewish Christians first did it by excluding the Gentile Christians. Romans versus Greeks, men versus women, slave versus free. Each group claimed the right and privilege of God’s salvation and sought to exclude the others.
Peter seems to make it clear here in Acts that God’s love and salvation are open to all – to you, your children, those who are far off, everyone whom the Lord God calls. In other words, while we human beings may want to exclude others, God seems content in opening the flood gates to all. Salvation is not a gift given only to a few. The grace of God extends to all people everywhere.
Prayer: Almighty God, thank you for the gracious gift of salvation given through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Open my heart and soul, not only to you, but to all whom you have called and included in your kingdom. Amen.