The Response of His Hearers (2:37-41).
‘Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?” '
What they had seen and heard had convinced many of them. Their hearts and consciences were pricked, and they appealed to the group of Apostles as to what they should do. (Matthias now had to stand with the other Apostles in seeking to lead them through to the truth).
We may readily trace the cause of the ‘cutting to the heart' (compare Psalms 109:16 LXX). First they had heard these Galileans declaring, each in their own native tongues, the wonderful words of God, something which had awakened within them the sense that God was here and was speaking personally to them. Then they had no doubt become aware of the manifestations of powerful wind and fire that had taken place revealing the awful sense of God's presence in these men. Then they had learned from Peter, while still deeply moved, how these things were a fulfilment of Scripture. Then they had been faced up to the Prophet Who had been among them, and had done such wonderful things, Whom many of them had appreciated and admired, and Whose death they regretted. Then they had been faced up to the nation's guilt for what they had done to Him, something which would still be a painful memory in many of their hearts. The death of Jesus would not have passed unnoticed and would not have been approved of by the truly devout. And finally they were faced up to the Scriptures concerning what God had said would happen to Him and an awareness that these wonderful things that had happened were because He had truly been raised from the dead and had been enthroned above, sending down the Holy Spirit Whose activity they were now observing and hearing. No wonder that under the Spirit's working they had recognised that somehow they had failed Him, and had failed to observe Who and What He was, and now wanted to make amends.