The Holy Spirit: What Do We Really Know About Him?

Last week we talked about the two men on the road to Emmaus and how Jesus appeared to them and in so doing fulfilled a promise that was made before He was ever killed. The promise that He would be resurrected from the dead and then show Himself too many people afterwards.

On Easter Sunday we talked about the empty promises of God, the promises of the empty cross, the empty grave and the empty grave clothes. There is awesome power in these promises aren’t there?

Well, there’s yet another promise that we have all been given and the promise that I want to talk to all of us here today about is the promise that Jesus gave us concerning the Holy Spirit.

The day of Pentecost was an extraordinary day for the Church. In fact it was the Church’s birthday if you will. And it all started in Jerusalem after Jesus had ascended back into glory to be with His Father. The word “Pentecost” designates the 50th day after Passover, which was a Feast Day. Also known as the Feast of Weeks or Feast of Harvest. And here is what Luke wrote to us in Acts chapter 2 verses 1-21:

1 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.

5 Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 And when this sound occurred, the crowd came together, and was bewildered because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language. 7 They were amazed and astonished, saying,” Why, are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we each hear them in our own language to which we were born? 9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya around Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretans and Arabs—we hear them in our own tongues speaking of the mighty deeds of God.” 12 And they all continued in amazement and great perplexity, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13 But others were mocking and saying, “They are full of sweet wine.” 14 But Peter, taking his stand with the eleven, raised his voice and declared to them: “Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you and give heed to my words. 15 For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only the third hour of the day; 16 but this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel: 17 ‘AND IT SHALL BE IN THE LAST DAYS,’ God says,

‘THAT I WILL POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT ON ALL MANKIND;

AND YOUR SONS AND YOUR DAUGHTERS SHALL PROPHESY,

AND YOUR YOUNG MEN SHALL SEE VISIONS,

AND YOUR OLD MEN SHALL DREAM DREAMS;

18 EVEN ON MY BONDSLAVES, BOTH MEN AND WOMEN,

I WILL IN THOSE DAYS POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT

And they shall prophesy.

19 ‘AND I WILL GRANT WONDERS IN THE SKY ABOVE

AND SIGNS ON THE EARTH BELOW,

BLOOD, AND FIRE, AND VAPOR OF SMOKE.

20 ‘THE SUN WILL BE TURNED INTO DARKNESS

AND THE MOON INTO BLOOD,

BEFORE THE GREAT AND GLORIOUS DAY OF THE LORD SHALL COME.

21 ‘AND IT SHALL BE THAT EVERYONE WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.’

After reading this passage of Scripture, I want you to know that Joel prophesied the coming of the Holy Spirit to all mankind over 800 years before the Day of Pentecost actually occurred. And His prophesy was absolutely accurate and right on point.

Jesus told His disciples that when He was no longer with them physically that He would send the Holy Spirit of God to all people and that all who would believe on the name of Jesus would be saved and have the gift of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is sometimes the forgotten part of the Trinity of God. Most people talk about God the Father and Jesus the Son and Lord and Savior but we only mention the Holy Spirit every now and again and I believe that we as Christians sometimes do Him a great disservice by not holding Him just dear and giving Him just as much honor and recognition as we do to God and Jesus even though they are all equal in power and authority.