fear

Acts 2:43

"And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles."

When reading the account of Pentecost and the explosive growth of the NEWLY formed Christian church, "FEAR" is not a word we anticipate seeing. But, here it is. We are going to use this word to consider the situation. Jerusalem is fresh off the very first Easter. Which included the Jewish observance of Passover. On this occasion, it turned into the arrest and execution of Jesus. The impact of this on the Disciples cannot be overstated. And that turned into Jesus's resurrection. Which we have no frame of reference for comparison. It was mind-blowing for everyone involved. That was followed by the time the Disciples had with the resurrected Jesus before His ascension to heaven.

Some of the Jewish pilgrims in town for the Jewish festivals would be blessed to experience some of these events. If they missed anything, they no doubt heard all about it. The talk of the town would be all this and more. The devout Jews making the pilgrimage would have known all the prophecies about the Messiah by heart. So, when they hear Peter preach the Holy Ghost-inspired sermon on Pentecost, they were fertile soil for the seed of FAITH to blossom! By the time the 3,000 are baptized, the church increases 25 times its size instantaneously! The people experiencing all this are in sensory overload. They have not had time to make sense of what has occurred. They are fueled by excitement and adrenaline. Just considering some of the potential scenarios that could develop from here is enough to warrant "FEAR." 

The miracles and signs served to verify the message of the New Testament apostles and confirm their authority to write Scripture with help from the Holy Ghost along the way.