Pentecost: The Arrival Of The Holy Spirit (Part 2) Series

PENTECOST: The Arrival Of The Holy Spirit

Part 2

Acts 2:1-4

In Acts Chapter 2 we are given the details surrounding the arrival of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. We are currently examining the events of Pentecost and how the arrival of the Holy Spirit transformed the believers and confounded the Jews. This chapter not only chronicles the arrival of the promised Holy Spirit, it also tells us about the birth of Christ’s Church. We are a part of that Church and it is important for us to know how the Church began. I would like to pick up where we left off and continue to consider the subject of “Pentecost: The Arrival Of The Holy Spirit”

- In verses 1-4 we saw that:

I. THE ARRIVAL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT TRANSFORMED THE BELIEVERS

The main characters in the first few verses of Chapter 2 were Believers. Many of these Believers were eyewitnesses of the resurrected Christ and all of them had faith in Jesus. Christ’s followers had been given a promise that they would be “baptized with the Holy Spirit”. After Jesus promised them that they would be baptized by the Holy Spirit, the Apostles left the Mount of Olives and returned to the upper room where they were staying. In that room, 120 faithful followers of Christ were gathered together in “one accord”. The members of the early church show us the importance of dwelling together in unity; because they were in one accord, they were prepared to receive the promise of the Holy Spirit. They were anticipating a great move of God. The arrival of the Spirit that had been predicted by the prophets and promised by Jesus was now a reality.

On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came upon the Believers who were gathered in Jerusalem. In verse 2, Luke says that this work of the Holy Spirit was like a “rushing mighty wind”. One of the consequences of this mighty rushing wind was that it garnered the attention of the multitude gathered in Jerusalem. As a result they came to where the followers of Christ were assembled to see what was happening. There is no way that they could have predicted what would follow.

- In the previous message we examined: The Preparations That The Believers Made Before The Spirit Arrived and The Sound That The Believers Heard When The Spirit Arrived; as we move further I would like to consider:

B. THE WONDERS THAT THE BELIEVERS SAW WHEN THE SPIRIT ARRIVED

v3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them.

When the Holy Spirit arrived “divided tongues of fire” sat upon each of the believers. This is not a reference to literal flames, but the best description that Luke could give in human terms is that it appeared “as fire”. In the Old Testament fire is often used to describe the presence of God. In Exodus 3, God appeared to Moses in a burning bush that was not consumed. During their journeys in the wilderness, God led His people with a pillar of fire by night. In Exodus 19:18 God descended before Israel in fire on Mt. Sinai. On Mt. Carmel, when Elijah had his confrontation with the prophets of Baal, God rained fire down from Heaven to consume his offering (1 Kings 18). In each of these instances, fire is a representation of God holiness, judgment and purity; Likewise these “tongues of fire” represent the holy presence of God. Furthermore, God’s power and presence would soon be apparent in the lives and words of His people as they proclaimed His mighty works.

In verse 11 some of the Jews were amazed to hear the followers of Christ declaring the “wonderful works of God” in their own language. God also used this appearance of divided tongues to illustrate the reality that He had sent His Holy Spirit upon each believer. In other words, this was an outwardly visible manifestation of the inward work that God had performed in the lives of His people.

- The followers of Christ heard powerful sound, they saw supernatural sights, and after the Spirit fell they possessed some amazing abilities. Notice:

C. THE ABILITY THAT THE BELIEVERS POSSESSED AFTER THE SPIRIT ARRIVED

v4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

The promise that Jesus had made to His followers before His ascension has now been fulfilled, the Holy Spirit filled every believer. This was not the origination of the Holy Spirit; the Holy Spirit was present and active in the world since the very beginning. The Holy Spirit is just as eternal as the Father and the Son, for they are three in one, but beginning at Pentecost the Holy Spirit now indwells God’s people. There are many instances in the Old Testament where the Holy Spirit was “with” God’s people, but we have the great privilege of knowing that He is “in” us.