Pentecost
Acts 2:1-4.
When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place.
And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.
And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them.
And they were all with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Dear Holy Nation,
The most momentous occasion in the history of the church happened somewhat unexpectedly. The disciples were waiting, but they did not even know the nature of the event they were expecting, nor did they know when it would take place.
Gathered (v. 1).
It was the custom of the disciples to meet. As we saw earlier, they devoted themselves to prayer (1: 14). At this exact moment, they were probably listening to a homily, because they were seated. People normally stood to pray and sat to listen to a preacher. They were in their normal communal activity when they were visited with the earth-shaking encounter with the third person of the Trinity. The day of Pentecost was a feast of harvest fifty days after the Passover. This was ten days after Jesus had ascended into heaven. The disciples had been meeting for ten days with nothing special happening.
Gust (v. 2-3).
The outward occurrences were a demonstration of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit has no material form, but the wind was a demonstration of something one cannot see but which can shake and even bring down a building. The tongues as of fire were reminiscent of John the Baptist’s statement, “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Matthew 3:11). Fire also alludes to the presence of God (Exodus 3:2; 19:18). These outward signs were pointing to the more significant experience in the lives of the disciples.
Given (v. 4).
The disciples, most likely all the 120 who had been gathering at the Upper Room (1:15) were filled with the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is not visible, so the only way of telling that they had been filled was the utterance they were given. They spoke in tongues, which means languages. This has led some people to believe that the sign for one being filled with the Spirit is speaking in tongues. This is a tricky conclusion because Pentecost was the initial event. We do not expect a gust of wind or tongues of fire, so why tongues? As we will see, tongues did have a role in the communication of God’s message that day, but to conclude that they must be present every time the Spirit comes upon a person may be stretching it too far. All who put their faith in Jesus are given the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13). That is the beginning. Have you received the Holy Spirit? To be able to answer in the affirmative, you first need to be able to also answer the question, Have you received Jesus as Saviour? in the affirmative.
Your Loving Pastor Chris.