The Day The Holy Spirit Came

Read: Acts 2:1-21

Acts 2:1–21 KJV 1900

1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. 5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. 6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. 7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? 8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? 9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, 10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God. 12 And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this? 13 Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine. 14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: 15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. 16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; 17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: 18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: 19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: 21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

The term “Pentecost” is a Greek word which is why you won’t find the word in the Old Testament. The word “Pentecost” means “50”

It comes from an Old Testament concept and feast as part of the Law. We find it instituted in Leviticus 23:15-21 and it is called Feast of Weeks

It is the second of the three great annual feasts of Israel

It was to be celebrated seven full weeks (or fifty days) from the beginning of the barley harvest.

Was also at times called, Feast of Harvests, Day of the First Fruits,

The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 2: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers D. The Feast of Weeks (23:15–22)

This feast was a dedication of the wheat harvest to the Lord. Special sacrifices were specified (vv.17–20).

All males were to appear at the tabernacle and there would be special celebrations and services.

This is what is going on in the text I read to you.

The day of Pentecost had come

It was here - it was officially Pentecost or feast of weeks.

Samuel Chadwick reminds us, “For fifty days the facts of the Gospel were complete, but no conversions were recorded.”

You come to the end of chapter 2 and you find three thousand souls are added to the church roster.

What was the reason?

Was it a particular Feast or ceremony? NO because Pentecost had actually lost its original meaning. After the Romans took over Israel, Pentecost became more a celebration of the giving of the Law at Sinai rather than thanking God for his blessings.

Was it because a group of 120 people had gathered in an upper room? No because people had gathered for this celebration for years and nothing like this had happened.

It was something new, something different, something unexpected, something that forever changed the salvation narrative

It was the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon a waiting, hungry, needy people.

The Holy Spirit still fills those who are waiting, hungry and needy.

I want to give a short study this morning - on Pneumatology - that is a fancy word but simply means the study of the person and work of the Holy Spirit.

I don’t think we fully realize the importance of the doctrine and work of the Holy Spirit

All that we understand and know about the Father and the Son, we understand through the illumining work of the Holy Spirit.

Whatever grasp we may have of God’s revelation is always enabled by the Holy Spirit

We are empowered to overcome the corrupting aspects of this world - having freedom from sin, the flesh, and the devil by the power of the Holy Spirit.

The only way we can really know and understand truth - is by the Holy Spirit’s guidance and leading into all truth.

Acts 2 is what Thomas Oden calls “The Pivot of Pneumatology: From ‘for Us’ to ‘in Us.”

The work of Christ is not done away with- but the focus shifts from the physical hands on work of the Son (Jesus) to the work of the Holy Spirit applying the benefits of the work of the Son.

John 14:17 KJV 1900

17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

“Christmas is the festival of God with us. Pentecost is the festival of God in us.”

Go through Palestine and you will find that the Christian Church has fastened on almost every important event in the Old and New Testaments and has commemorated them by the erection of a Christian shrine. But none has been erected in commemoration of its own birthday, Pentecost.

Did it seem to remote to commemorate? At any rate, whatever the cause, there is, in Christianity, a lost chord, and that lost chord haunts us.

Until we get it back our spiritual lives will be more wistful than winsome, more plaintive than passionate. That _lost chord is Pentecost.” (E. Stanley Jones, The Christ of Every Road, 47)

So they were gathered together in an upper room on the Day of Pentecost (Feast of Weeks) and they are all filled with the Holy Ghost.

Now that is an interesting term - but the Holy Ghost is the same as the Holy Spirit

We us the terms “Spirit” or “Ghost,” which is the old English word for “spirit,”

not because He is the only “Spirit” in the Godhead. “God is spirit” (John 4:24 asv).

Christ corrected His disciples for imagining Him to be a “spirit” (Luke 24:37-39).

The Holy Spirit carries this designation simply as One who does not have a visible body such as Jesus possessed.

Remember that God is seen in the Scriptures as a trinity

The Trinity is one God in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Several names are used in regard to the Holy Spirit:

Comforter/Paraclete: The term "Paraclete," used only in John's Gospel, encapsulates the Holy Spirit's role as a helper, counselor, and advocate alongside Christ. This title is masculine in Greek, leading to the frequent use of "he" as a pronoun for the Holy Spirit.

Spirit of Holiness: This designation highlights the Spirit's essential moral character, signifying its divine origin and role in creating holiness.

Spirit of Life: Emphasizes the Holy Spirit's association with vitality and opposes any formality or deadness in worship.

Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation: This title focuses on the Holy Spirit's ministry in inspiring the writing of the Bible.

Spirit of Adoption: This name highlights the Holy Spirit's role in adopting believers into the family of God.

Spirit of Fear: Although not explored in detail in the provided sources, this name suggests another facet of the Holy Spirit's work and impact on individuals.

Seven Spirits: Found in the book of Revelation, this name, according to one interpretation, refers to a sevenfold manifestation of the Holy Spirit, possibly highlighting his multifaceted nature.

The Promise of the Father: This designation, taken from Jesus' promise to his disciples, emphasizes the Spirit as a gift from God, fulfilling a divine promise.

A couple of important truths we need to establish as we move forward:

The Holy Spirit is A Person

the Holy Spirit is a person, not an impersonal force or feeling.

There are many instances in the Bible where the Holy Spirit is referred to with masculine pronouns like "he" or "him", even though the Greek word for "spirit" is neuter.

Jesus said the Holy Spirit would be "another comforter" like himself, implying that the Holy Spirit shares Jesus' personhood.

The Bible also gives personal attributes and actions to the Holy Spirit, such as speaking, grieving, teaching, and guiding, supports the idea of personhood.

Theologians cautions against reducing the Holy Spirit to an impersonal force that can be manipulated or used, as this diminishes the understanding of the Holy Spirit as a person.

reducing the Holy Spirit to an impersonal force opens the door to manipulating or misusing the Holy Spirit, which should be avoided.

The Holy Spirit is God

The Bible refers to the Holy Spirit as God in at least four ways

The Holy Spirit is referred to with the names of God:

The Holy Spirit is referred to as "God" or "Lord" (Acts 5:3–4),

"God’s Spirit" (1 Cor. 3:16),

"Lord" (1 Cor. 12:4–6),

and "eternal Spirit" (Heb. 9:14).

The Holy Spirit is described as having the attributes of God:

such as life (Rom. 8:2),

truth (John 16:13),

love (Rom. 15:30),

holiness (Eph. 4:30),

eternality (Heb. 9:14),

omnipresence (Ps. 139:7),

and omniscience (1 Cor. 2:11).

The Holy Spirit performs the work of God:

The divine works of the Holy Spirit include

the act of Creation (Gen. 1:2; Job 33:4; Ps. 104:30),

the acts of redemption (Isa. 63:10–11; Eph. 4:30; 1 Cor. 12:13),

the performance of miracles (Gal. 3:2–5; Heb. 2:4),

and the bestowal of supernatural gifts (Acts 2:4; 1 Cor. 12:11).

The Holy Spirit dwells in the new temple of Christ's Church: Temples are holy places where God dwells. In the Old Testament, God dwelt in the temple at Jerusalem; but in the New Testament, God dwells in Christians, his church (Eph. 2:19–22). (Geisler, N. L. (2003). Systematic theology, volume two: God, creation. Bethany House Publishers.)

This Person, This Part of the Godhead, This Holy Spirit came in power and outpouring to that little group in the upper room during this great feast.

Notice the effects of this moment

Sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind that filled all the house (Miraculous sound)

I like what Clarence Jordan writes, “The Spirit of God is a mighty, rushing wind – wind in a hurry. And wind in a hurry is a hurricane, smashing through the whole house, not filling just the pulpit, but also the pews. Filling the whole house. There’s something about wind that goes into every nook and cranny.”

Appearance of cloven tongues like as of fire that sat on each of them (Miraculous sight)

They were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues (Miraculous speech)

Some scholars call this the reversal of the Babel Curse - where God confounded the speech of man - now he is making it so they can understand.

Our texts shows us:

I. The Promise Fulfilled (Acts 1:4-8, 2:1-4)

Jesus promised the Holy Spirit, the "promise of the Father," to empower His disciples for their mission.

The disciples waited in Jerusalem as instructed, demonstrating obedience and anticipation.

On the day of Pentecost, the Spirit arrived with dramatic signs: a rushing wind and tongues of fire.

II. The Power of Prophecy (Acts 2:16-21)

Peter identifies the event as the fulfillment of Joel's prophecy about the outpouring of the Spirit.

This connection highlights the continuity of God's plan throughout history.

The prophecy speaks of sons and daughters prophesying, young men seeing visions, and old men dreaming dreams, indicating the Spirit's work across generations and demographics.

III. The Proclamation of Salvation (Acts 2:21)

Peter concludes by emphasizing the universal availability of salvation: "And it shall be that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."

This proclamation reveals the Spirit's primary role: to draw people to God through the message of Jesus Christ.

The arrival of the Spirit marks the inauguration of a new era, one in which God's power is accessible to all who believe, regardless of their background.

The Hymn writer put it this way

1 O spread the tidings 'round Wherever man is found, Wherever human hearts and human woes abound; Let every Christian tongue proclaim the joyful sound: The Comforter has come!

Refrain: The Comforter has come, the Comforter has come! The Holy Ghost from heaven, the Father's promise given; O spread the tidings 'round wherever man is found: The Comforter has come!

2 The long, long night is past, the morning breaks at last, And hushed the dreadful wail and fury of the blast, As o'er the golden hills the day advances fast! The Comforter has come! [Refrain]

3 Lo, the great King of kings with healing in His wings, To every captive soul a full deliverance brings; And through the vacant cells the song of triumph rings; The Comforter has come! [Refrain]

4 O boundless Love divine! how shall this tongue of mine To wondering mortals tell the matchless grace divine: That I, a child of hell, should in His image shine! The Comforter has come! [Refrain]