Pentecost Changed EverythingSample

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The Promise

Before you can truly grasp how monumental the outpouring of the Holy Spirit during Pentecost was, you must understand that it did not come out of nowhere. For hundreds of years, it had been foretold that one day, the course of humanity would change completely through the outpouring of God’s Spirit.

Joel 2:28-29
"And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions. And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days."

It was a promise. Jesus knew that, of course. But how did He prepare His disciples for it? Let’s imagine what it must have been like for them.

The room felt colder than usual. The oil lamps flickered, casting shadows on the walls, but no one spoke. Jesus had just said that He would be leaving, but would not leave them as orphans.

John 14:16-18
"And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you."

For the disciples, this was difficult to understand. Why was Jesus saying He was going away? He was their Master, their Friend, their Messiah. What could be better than walking with Jesus? But Jesus gave them this promise, not long before His crucifixion:

John 16:7
"Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you."

After His resurrection, Jesus gave the disciples a command: wait in Jerusalem for the Father’s promise.

Acts 1:4-5
"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; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.'"

In verse 8, Jesus explains the purpose of the Holy Spirit’s power:

"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."

As soon as Jesus said this, He ascended into heaven. The disciples must have been shocked at this sight! After shaking off their astonishment, they did exactly what Jesus told them to do. They began to pray and wait for the Holy Spirit... and He came!

Tomorrow, we will read about this amazing happening!

Reflection:
The Bible refers to the Holy Spirit as the parakletos — a Greek word meaning ‘comforter, helper, encourager’. What does this mean to you?