The Pentecost

The Christian gospel is not just a lovely story, although it is that, because it is the story of something very wonderful that God has done in history. He has sent His own Son into this world (John 3:16; 1 Timothy 1:15). At just the right time Jesus came, rose, and ascended and went back to the right-hand of God (Galatians 4:4-6). The other wonderful thing that God has done in history is this: He has sent the Holy Spirit to live within and to empower His own people, and the second chapter of Acts records this.

From Acts 2:1 we learn that it was a pre-determined event in the mind of God. The Holy Spirit was not poured out as the result of the prayer meeting held by the disciples. In Leviticus 23:15-16 we read of the feast of Pentecost, which was to take place fifty days after the Passover feast. The Lord Jesus ascended into heaven forty days after His resurrection, and then ten days after that came the Day of Pentecost. Notice in Acts 2:13-17 that Pentecost was the first fulfilment of Joel’’s prophecy which had been made 850 years previously (Joel 2:28-32).


In many of His sayings, the Lord Jesus anticipated the coming of the Holy Spirit (John 7:37-39; John 14:16-17). He promised that He would come to indwell all Christians, and at Pentecost that is exactly what happened - “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit” (verse 4). Since that day, immediately someone becomes a Christian the Holy Spirit takes up residence; this is the distinctive mark of a real Christian; Read through and compare Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 6:19.

If you look again at Acts 2:4 you will notice that they were “all filled" young and old, rich and poor, educated and illiterate, preachers and all were filled. This is God’’s plan and provision for every one of His children; this is to be the normal experience for Christians. Read Acts 4:31; 9:17 and 13:52.

*What Should I Know/Do?*

If you study the Lord’s pattern for Christian living and serving you will find that Christians are to be new people (2 Corinthians 5:17); they are to be love-filled (John 13:34-35); holy (1 Peter 1:15); courageous (Acts 4:13); willing to suffer (Acts 5:41); they are to witness with power (Acts 1:8); to take the gospel to the ends of the world (Matthew 28:19). But how is this possible? – Zechariah 4:6!

We get this clearly brought out in Acts 2:21. What an amazing thing it is that provision has been made by the Lord for “whoever believes in him” (John 3:16) to know the Lord Jesus Christ as the living Saviour and the Holy Spirit as the abiding, indwelling Comforter!

Lifting Prayers

Dear Lord, For the Spirit of Peace that calms our mind and stills our life, we give You thanks. For the Spirit of Love that touches hearts and reaches out, we give You thanks. For the Spirit of Joy that lifts our soul and gives us faith we give You thanks. For the Spirit of Power, that gift of grace for Your church, we give You thanks. We ask for Your forgiveness, Lord, when we forget the power that lies within, and trust instead upon our human strength. Remind us of that glorious day when Your Spirit transformed the lives of those who hid in fear, into men of power. Renew those hearts which have grown cold with flames of fire, as on that Pentecost, that this might be the church that You desire. Amen!