And they were astounded and amazed, saying, “Look, aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? How is that each of us can hear in our own native language? Acts 2:7-8 HCSB
I had the opportunity to travel across Europe when I was in college. My tour group traveled from England down to Italy and back to France. I heard many different languages as we visited the different countries. It is an unusual experience to be in a store where everyone is speaking a language that is not decipherable.
People from different countries had gathered in Jerusalem for the Festival of Harvest, so there were many different languages being spoken. The disciples were from Galilee and had a very distinct dialect, comparable to how we might perceive a person from New Jersey or England would speak today. It is amazing to see how God works to accomplish His will and spread the Gospel message. The Holy Spirit enabled the disciples to supernaturally speak in many different languages so the people who were visiting Jerusalem could understand how Jesus, the Son of God, came to earth, lived a perfect life, died on the cross for our sins, and then raised from the dead.
Challenge: Christianity is not limited to a certain race, color, nationality, or language. God is still in the business of speaking to people and helping them understand the simple message of the love and forgiveness of God.