Acts 2: 1-21; John 15:26-27, 16:4b-15
Today is the feast of Pentecost when we remember and celebrate the giving of the Holy Spirit to the church. Also called the Feast of Weeks, it is one of the three major annual pilgrimage feasts that the Israelites observed in remembrance of God's gracious deliverance, celebrated 50 days after Passover. Jewish pilgrims from many nations travelled to Jerusalem to celebrate this important feast. The feast had a historical significance as it commemorated the giving of the law to Moses on Mt. Sinai. It also had an agricultural significance as it celebrated the grain harvest, part of which was offered to God in thanksgiving.
As we come to think about the reading from Acts, there are a couple of things we need to bear in mind. Firstly, we note Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit upon his disciples, and secondly, he told them to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit (Luke 24:36-49; Acts 1:1-5).
There is a great deal in this passage from Acts 2. In the short time we have together, I’ve got two headings to help us think about our reading. They are: The Event & The Explanation
The Event
So, let’s look at what the text says happened. Luke (writer of Acts) states the disciples were all together in one place when the day of Pentecost came. Suddenly, the Spirit of God came upon them. Three signs accompanied the coming of the Spirit. Firstly, they heard a sound like the blowing of a violent wind which filled the whole house. Secondly, they saw what looked like tongues of fire which separated and came to rest on each of them. And thirdly, all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit enabled them.
Of course, the Holy Spirit has been active before Pentecost. We meet the Spirit in Genesis 1 in the work of creation. He is active throughout the Old Testament and also in the life and ministry of Jesus. What’s different now is that the Holy Spirit will dwell in people and not just come on them, and His presence would be permanent.
Coming back to our reading in Acts 2, Luke says a multi-national crowd of Jewish people had gathered outside the house where they heard the disciples praising God in their own languages. They were amazed because the disciples were known to be Galileans with a reputation for being uncultured and unable to pronounce words correctly. But here they are declaring God’s wonders in the native language of those assembled. These God-fearing Jews, hear God’s praises being declared in their own native language, and they want to know what it all means.
However, there are some present who make fun of the disciples saying they’ve had too much wine to drink!
We will hear Peter’s explanation in just a moment.
But I don’t want us to miss Luke’s emphasis on the cosmopolitan character of the crowd. Bible commentators see this as a dramatic reversal of the “curse of Babel” (Genesis 11:1-9). At Babel human languages were confused and people were scattered, unable to understand each other because they sought self-praise instead of praising God.
But at Pentecost in Jerusalem, the language barrier is supernaturally removed. That was God at work. People hear God’s praises in their own language and understand it. This was an unmistakeable demonstration of the multi-racial, multi-national and multi-lingual nature of the kingdom of Christ. This is important because in verse 41 we read that about 3000 respond to Peter’s message and are baptised. These new believers return to their nations as witnesses of Jesus, taking the gospel to the ends of the earth.
Now that we’ve considered the event, we turn our attention to the explanation given by Peter.
The Explanation
A couple of observations first. Peter and the disciples after being filled with the Holy Spirit, move from the enclosed place they were in, to the public square where the crowd has gathered, questioning what this event means. What a contrast to moments before and to the other post resurrection accounts when they were all hidden behind locked doors for fear of the Jewish leaders! The Holy Spirit dispels fear and leads God’s people out into proclamation of the gospel.
Note also the change in Peter. Once an impulsive, rash, fearful, disciple who even denied knowing Jesus, is now filled with the Spirit and with great boldness explains what’s just happened to the gathered crowd. His confidence comes from the Holy Spirit.
Peter addresses the crowd in the everyday Aramaic they understood. He speaks with authority to his Jewish audience, “listen carefully to what I say”. To the mockers in the crowd he says, “these people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning!”. One can almost hear the irony in his tone of voice.
And then he proceeds to explain that this is what the prophet Joel prophesied about. Basically, Peter is saying this is the same Holy Spirit that Joel wrote about. He is here now! The Spirit has been poured out for everyone, irrespective of their outward status. The Holy Spirit is available to anyone who is ready to receive God’s gracious gift through Jesus - young and old, men and women, slave and free, people from across the world. “I will pour out” is a picture of a heavy downpour, not a passing shower! It illustrates and speaks of God’s generosity. The Holy Spirit is given without limit, freely available to all who will put their trust in Jesus as Lord and Saviour. God’s presence is now available to all who believe in him.
This must have sounded absolutely incredible to the Jewish crowd because they thought God’s Spirit was only given to a few select people (Num. 11:28-29). But here they could see the disciples – both men and women – enjoying the blessing of the Holy Spirit!
In the rest of Acts 2, Peter’s continues to explain how the Old Testament prophesies had been fulfilled in Jesus; how Jesus is the Messiah and how the risen Christ can change their lives.
This was the dawning of a new age, where the Holy Spirit would enable Jesus’ followers to share the good news of salvation so that anyone who called on the name of the Lord will be saved.
So, we’ve thought about the event – the Holy Spirit being poured out at Pentecost, and the explanation given by Peter about what’s just happened and how it all points to God’s saving purposes in Christ Jesus in fulfilment of old testament prophesies.
But what does it all mean for us today? What does this passage have to say to us individually and as a church community? Let me suggest a few things:
Firstly, the Holy Spirit is given to all who confess Jesus as Lord and Saviour. In 1 Corinthians 6:9 Pauls says our body is a temple for the Holy Spirit who lives in us. Wow! That’s something to ponder. The creator God of the whole universe, the triune God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – now dwells in us!
Sometimes we might be more aware of a sense of the Spirit; at other times less so. And sometimes, we just need to humbly ask God to fill us afresh. Why? Because we leak! By which I mean other things get in the way of God’s Spirit working in us. At these times we need to turn back to the Source – ask God to open the tap fully and fill us again with his life-giving Spirit.
Secondly, the Holy Spirit reveals God’s truth to us. He guides us, teaches us, instructs us and enables us to live for Christ.
He affirms our status as God’s beloved children, testifying to our hearts that we are sons and daughters of the living God. He helps us when we don’t know how to pray or what to pray for. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth. And God’s truth sets us free from all the lies that surround us.
Thirdly, the Holy Spirit testifies to Jesus’ saving purposes. He enables and helps Jesus’ disciples to share His good news. We are called to be witnesses of Jesus saving work in our lives. And as we do that, the Holy Spirit opens people’s hearts to respond to the good news of Jesus. The Holy Spirit gives us the courage and conviction to do this work, just like Peter in this passage. In verse 41 we read about 3000 people became new believers after listening to Peter’s powerful, Spirit-filled message.
God can use each one of us even today to draw others into his family.
Are you thirsty for more of God’s Spirit? Do you long for God to move in power once again? I certainly do. Let us pray and seek His face once again.
Send down your Spirit on us again O Lord.
Fill us up and send us out so that we might testify to the good news of your Son Jesus
in the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Freddie Strong