As a Christian, it is so important to understand what happened in Acts chapter 2; this chapter holds the key to living in the power and authority of the Holy Spirit, which was made available to us by our Lord Jesus Christ. Our Savior Jesus is alive; He lives to actively give us everything we need to live an abundant life. Jesus says in John 10:10, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” Trusting in Jesus is not some empty ritual or religious superstition; trusting in Jesus is a genuine response based on the relationship between God and man. Show More
The Apostle Peter says in 2 Peter 1:2, “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” One of those promises mentioned above is the promise of a Helper whom Jesus describes in John’s Gospel (John 14:16, 14:26, 15:26, and 16:7).
Being a Christian means that we believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior, and it also means that we try to live up to the teachings of Jesus Christ. In Romans 12:2, we get a glimpse of what Jesus wants His believers to experience, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God,” Romans 12:2. Being conformed means to follow or copy a pattern of behavior, whereas being transformed means that there is a change on the inside that leads to an entirely new way of seeing and living life. What happened on Pentecost in Acts 2 is the fulfillment of the promise of divine help to live the Christ-centered life in victory.
The difference between the Jewish Pentecost and Christian Pentecost.
Why did the Lord choose the Day of Pentecost to pour out His Holy Spirit? Before we can answer this question, we have to recognize that there is a difference between the Jewish Pentecost and the Christian Pentecost.
Jewish Pentecost or Shavuot
The word Pentecost is a Greek word that means fiftieth, and in Hebrew, the word is “Shavuot,” which also means fiftieth. This holiday, also called the “Festival of Weeks,” celebrates the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai as well as the grain harvest for the summer. In biblical times, Shavuot was one of three pilgrimage festivals in which all the Jewish men would go to Jerusalem and bring their first fruits as offerings to God. Shavuot comes 50 days after Passover.
Pentecost or Shavuot explains why there were so many people in Jerusalem from all over Israel and beyond its borders. I believe that the Lord chose this time to pour out His Holy Spirit on as many who would believe and that there would be witnesses to carry the message of what they experienced, saw and heard in Jerusalem that day.
Christian Pentecost or the Outpouring
The first Pentecost came 50 days after Jesus’ resurrection (Easter) when as Christians, we know that Jesus rose from the dead. Jesus told His followers to go to Jerusalem and wait for the promise of the Father, which we now understand as the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
Three important things happened on this first day of our Pentecost.
- The Church is established with a mission. The word Church in the original Greek is “Ekklesia,” which means “called out ones.” Called out of the world into the Kingdom of God.
- The Church is given its mission, the Great Commission, which is given by Jesus at the end of each of the four Gospels and then again in Acts 1:8, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
- Jesus ascended into Heaven in Acts 1:9, “Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.”
- When Jesus ascended into Heaven, He sent the Holy Spirit to descend from Heaven, the Promise of the Father. Jesus went up, and the Holy Spirit came down to empower the Believers. Acts 1:4, “And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; 5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” Notice the phrase Jesus used, “You shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
As Believers, the Holy Spirit comes to live in us when we are Born-again. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is another experience when we surrender to the leading of the Holy Spirit and, by faith, exercise the Gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Acts Chapter 2
Now it is time to look at Acts chapter two. “1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from Heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
Verse one, the 120 were in the upper room waiting, anticipating what the Lord had promised. They were not sure how the Lord would work or show up; however, they were expecting. So many think they have to understand what God will do before they believe, yet the opposite is true. True faith means that you believe even when you don’t know how God will work it out. What has helped me to understand faith is to remember that God’s ways are not the way of humankind and that His thoughts are higher than ours. Isaiah 55:8, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. 9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.”
Verse two, “the sound of a mighty rushing wind filled the whole house.” The word wind here can also be translated as “breath,” similar to the word wind in John 3:7, “Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Jesus is describing the Holy Spirit.
Verse three, “there appeared to them divided tongues of fire, and one sat upon each of them.” Recall the prophesy of John the Baptist in Matthew 3:11, “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”The Holy Spirit and fire!
Verse four, “and they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” The word “filled” in this verse can easily be translated as “influenced by.” As they were influenced by the Holy Spirit, they began to speak in other tongues. What we discover if we read on is that there were people from all over the known world who could understand what they were saying. Those who were speaking probably did not understand, with their natural minds, what they were saying, but other listeners did. I’ve been to many countries where people speaking in their native languages did not make sense to me; it often would sound like babbling.
Speaking in tongues is the language of the Spirit. John 4:23, “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” We can worship and pray with our understanding, but a more powerful way is to learn how to pray in the spirit. When you pray with your understanding, you are limited by the human mind or intellect. However, when you pray in the spirit, all obstacles are removed. The Apostle Paul says in Romans 8: 26, “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”
The Lord has given us the ability to pray in the spirit as we allow the Holy Spirit to guide our prayers and our actions. Remember, the Holy Spirit was given to us as a helper to live the Christian life and to embolden us to fulfill the call of God on our lives. It is a lonely Christian and weak Believer who denies the work of the Spirit in their lives.
Praying in tongues is a gift of Jesus and is meant to encourage us to build up our confidence and faith in the Lord and what He can accomplish in and through us. Jude 1:20 tells us to “maintain our life with God by praying in the Spirit. “But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit.”
Event or Experience?
The Baptism of the Holy is an experience that is available to every born-again Believer and is available today. “Jesus is the same yesterday today and forever,” and Jesus is the baptizer of the Holy Spirit. How can anyone deny a gift from the one who saved us and sealed us with His Spirit?
I know that there are some who say that what happened on that Pentecost day was simply an “event.” An event that happened once because the Apostles needed supernatural anointing at the start of the Christian Church. However, there were at least 120 in the upper room who received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and countless others as we continue to read the book of Acts and the Epistles or letters to the Church.
Finally, let me close with a verse from Peter’s first sermon that he preached after being baptized in the Holy Spirit found in Acts 2:38, “Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you is baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” Let me repeat verse 39,” For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” We are the “afar off”; the Bible and history show countless times how important the Baptism of the Holy Spirit with speaking in tongues was and continues to be today.
If you have not received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit by speaking in tongues, don’t hesitate to ask the Lord Jesus to fill you with today. Your Father in Heaven knows how to give good gifts to His children. Jesus said as much in Luke 11:13, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” All you need to do is ask.
In closing, Jesus said in John 7:38, “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” 39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” Jesus has ascended on Pentecost day and has been glorified, so ask and receive!
