Pentecost - What happened?

Bonus! If you'd rather listen/watch today's discussion, you can click here to listen/watch on Youtube. 

This week we have a chance to look back and remember Pentecost. What happened at Pentecost?

The Holy Spirit's Arrival was Forceful, Powerful, and Overwhelming

Pentecost was originally a time of celebrating the first fruits of crops. It was celebrated by Jews as a festival of worship and feasting. During the first century, Jews from all around the Roman empire would travel back to Jerusalem for this time of celebration and ceremony. It was at this gathering that we are told the first Christian church in Jerusalem experienced the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. 

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. (Acts 2:1-4)

The group of believers that was together was no more than 120 people (Acts 1:15). This group experienced something that they had not previously experienced in their lives. This sudden rush upon them from heaven was nothing less than the outpouring of the Spirit of God onto his people. Jesus had promised the disciples prior to his crucifixion that the "advocate" would come after Jesus had departed from them (John 14:26; 15:26). 

But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. (John 14:26)

When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father--the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father--he will testify about me. (John 15:26)

Jesus' departure occurred in the ascension, as Jesus was taken up into his rightful place at the right hand of God the Father. After his departure, the group of gathered believers experienced the arrival of the "Advocate". Frequently the Advocate is called the Holy Ghost, Holy Spirit, or Spirit of God. This arrival of the Advocate happened during the time of the Jewish celebration of Pentecost. This wasn't a "private" spiritual experience. This wasn't an event that went unnoticed. The sudden arrival of God's Spirit was a transformational reality that changed the lives of those present. 

Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” (Acts 2:5-11)

We read about this crowd that came together in response to God's Spirit poured out. The Holy Ghost's arrival on the scene was hardly subtle. It was noticeable, it was amazing, it was bewildering. While the second person of the Trinity's arrival was humble and lowly in the little town of Bethlehem, the third person of the Trinity's arrival was forceful, powerful, and overwhelming. The disciples speaking in different languages was a strange thing for the crowd to witness. They could tell, maybe by accent, maybe from previous encounters, maybe from their clothing, that the believers speaking were from Galilee. The disciples were unlearned, uneducated, and undecorated. These were fishermen of impoverished upbringing. Yet here they were speaking in at least 16 different languages! 

Some thought this strange occurrence might be explained by alcohol:

Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?” Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.” (Acts 2:12-13)

If you could share with me a time that you witnessed a drunk suddenly become able to speak coherently in various languages, please do send me an email or Facebook message! I would love to know of such a thing. The Apostle Peter responded, along with the rest of the disciples whom had witnessed Jesus life, death, and resurrection and gave clarity as to what was happening:

Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: “‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. (Acts 2:14-17)

Peter's response is both hilarious and moving. It's hilarious in it's simplicity and practicality. There are a few observations here. First, by pointing out the time of day (mid-morning) it's as if Peter were to say "Do you know any drunks who are up this early?". Second, Peter gives clear instruction that what is happening was promised in the times of the prophets. Thirdly, notice that the coming of the Holy Spirit provides clarity in the midst of confusion. While there are human guesses and human assumptions and human explanations of what is going on, none of them are reasonable or true! The disciples were not drunk, being drunk doesn't magically give the power to speak in various understandable or discernable languages. The explanation that was reasonable and true was found in the fulfilled promises of God through his prophets and through his Son Jesus. This was the explanation that Peter gave.

Peter continued to speak and his speech is recorded in Acts 2:14-36. In his speech Peter quotes or alludes to passages from Joel, Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Psalms. Peter lays the responsibility for the death of Jesus squarely upon the crowd gathered. Peter proclaimed that the crucified Jesus was also the exalted Lord, messiah of God.  The crowd responded. In the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, during a celebration of the first fruits of the harvest, God himself brought forward the first fruits of the first church in Jerusalem:

When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. (Acts 2:37-41)

In Pentecost there are many lessons which we could learn. Today I want to give you three things to remember and celebrate regarding Pentecost. 

First, the miraculous outpouring of the Holy Spirit poured out was not a subtle, impersonal, private religious experience. The Holy Spirit's arrival on the scene was sudden, forceful, powerful, and transformational. People had gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate a religious festival, God then unleashed his Spirit and transformed many of the people. The workings of ceremony, tradition, celebration, and routine, are NOT to be confused with the workings of God. Where God is at work, he redirects the life courses of human life. The Holy Spirit is sometimes declared to be a subtle, hinting, behind-the-scenes agent of the Trinity. Yet in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit we witness people proclaiming boldly the truth of Jesus, the fulfillment of the Scriptures, and conviction among those who hear. The Holy Spirit is not the tooth fairy, leaving little blessings behind that are barely noticeable or tangible only in the most pitiful sense. The Holy Spirit's arrival on the scene is overwhelming, a wonder, and transformative.

Second, human beings being used by the Holy Spirit make very different observations and give very different explanations than human beings apart from the Holy Spirit. The crowd's explanation for the strange phenomenon was alcohol. They didn't have clarity to rightly view what God was doing. The Holy Spirit is the one who brings clarity into unclear situations! The clarity of the Holy Spirit gave understanding not only for the immediate moment, but also for a host of previous promises from God through his prophets. The Holy Spirit is the one whom Christians rely on to understand the Word of God. The crowd that had gathered were "God-fearing Jews" (Acts 2:5). These were not people who were unlearned in the things of God. They were "God-fearing". They had heard of who God was, and had familiarity with his wonderous faithfulness to his people. Yet without the Holy Spirit, they could not understand the fulfillment of God's Word. The same is true for us today! We may have familiarity with God's Word, but we don't have clarity in God's Word apart from the Holy Spirit. It is a gift of the Holy Spirit to make clear the Word of God. 

Third, I want you to be OK with experiencing conviction when you listen to the Word of God! Notice how the crowd responded to Peter's words "they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37). The crowd had just been told the Lord of Glory was put to death by them weeks earlier. The crowd had been accused, and were convinced of the truth of it. When we are defensive, we are not convinced that we've done what we've been accused of. When we get defensive we don't see our own need to respond. When we are convicted of something (or cut to the heart as Acts puts it) we make it a priority to respond to the situation. It's a good thing, a Godly thing to read the Word of God, or hear it preached, and then be cut to the heart! It's not a pleasant thing, it's not a pleasurable thing, but it is a work of God! To hear God's Word and then be moved to wonder "What shall we do?" is nothing less than a work of the Holy Spirit in applying the Word of God to the life of God's people. 

This week as you are able, while you commute, while you walk, while you bake, consider, think, meditate on, consider thoughtfully:

1. The powerful outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
2. The clarity of God's Word brought through the Holy Spirit.
3. The conviction of conscience by the Holy Spirit.