While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came down on all those who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were amazed because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles (Acts 10:44-45)
One of the most amazing things that we see in the book of Acts is the inclusion of the Gentiles as members of the body of Christ. The church, following the ascension of Jesus, was primarily Jewish. We can take Gentile inclusion for granted, but for the early church in Acts, this realization was mind-blowing. In Acts 10:44, it says that “circumcised believers who had come with Peter were amazed because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles.” This was amazing for the early church, but Gentile inclusion was not a new idea that God conjured up after Jesus’ life. This was the plan that he hinted at way back in Genesis.
In Genesis 12:1-3, God promised to bless Abraham, to make him into a great nation, and also said that through Abraham, all the peoples of the world would be blessed. From Abraham came the twelve tribes of Israel, and later down the line came Jesus Christ. Jesus was crucified for the sins of the world, but following his death and resurrection, he ascended into heaven and sent his Holy Spirit to his people. His people weren’t just physical descendants of Abraham, but Gentiles were also included. So, the great nation that came from Abraham had been expanded to include not just physical descendants, but those who are spiritual descendants of Abraham, namely those who have come to believe in the Promised Messiah, Jesus Christ.
If God can break down the wall of separation between himself and sinners like you and me, then surely, he could break down the wall of separation that exists between Jew and Gentile. We see from Acts that he absolutely does. If God can break down the wall of separation that exists between Jew and Gentile, then surely he can break down the wall of separation that exists between genders, cultures, and anything else that would seek to bring division among the people of God. It’s nothing new. It’s been God’s plan from the beginning.