The Promise Fulfilled

Intro

I remember the days and weeks leading up to the birth of Silas. Many times people would ask me if I was ready to be a dad, if I was ready for him to be born. My answer was always, “I’m as ready as I can be, but I have never been a dad before and my wife has never given birth.” I could prepare, read, listen, to as many people as possible, but nothing could prepare me for this new experience that was coming. It was the same for Liz. Though she had babysat many children through the years, though she had held countless babies, nothing could prepare her for having a child of her own. We knew the day was coming, but it was a completely new experience for us both. As we come to today’s text, we are going to read about a completely new experience in the history of the world, the coming of the Holy Spirit as was promised by God. Though the disciples knew the day was coming, they did not know what it would be like.

Acts 2:1 ESV

1 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place.

The day of Pentecost is seven full weeks from the day after the Sabbath of Passover. If we do the math, Pentecost is fifty days after Passover. The Jews have celebrated Pentecost like this since the first Passover, where the angel of death visited Egypt and killed every firstborn male in every house but passed over the houses that had the blood of lambs on the door posts. As a result of this plague, Pharaoh released Israel from slavery, God had redeemed His people. To commemorate their redemption and to thank God for His past and future provision, on the day of Pentecost, the Feast of Weeks, Israel would offer their firstfruits to God.

Just seven weeks prior to this day, the last Passover had been celebrated as the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ was offered once for all on the cross. No longer would the Passover need to be celebrated as a new covenant started with the blood of Christ.

This is also the last Pentecost to take place, as there is a new covenant. And this Passover is unlike any that has ever come before. There is no precedent for these men and women to look back to. This is the first in history.

The Disciples receive the promised Holy Spirit

Acts 2:2–3 ESV

2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them.

As they are sitting together, something strange, otherworldly takes place. There is something like a rushing wind, divided as of fire, that comes into the room. The like and the as are to be both noted here, as it is not that an actual wind has come into the room with them, but something that resembles wind has come in. Luke is using the language he knows to describe the coming down of heaven. This wind did not originate here on earth, but it came from heaven. In these two verses we are seeing the heavenly and earthly realms meet. Luke does his best to relay to us what is happening by telling us that something like wind has come into the room, stirring things up, causing things to shake and rattle like a strong wind would do to a house. The Greek word used for wind is the same used for Spirit and breath. Wind and breath are often used to describe the Spirit in both the Old and New Testaments. The room is filled with this wind, showing us that the Spirit of God has come in His fullness. As the tongues of fire rest on each person in the room, we are reminded of several Old Testament instances where the presence of God is represented by fire. God appears to Moses in the burning bush. Later, God leads the people of Israel by a pillar of fire. Here, we see that God’s presence is in the room with these people and resting upon each individual.

Acts 2:4 ESV

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

Luke tells us that each was filled with the Holy Spirit. Throughout the rest of the book of Acts, we will read of other occasions where people are filled with the Holy Spirit, each for different purposes within each context. In this context, we understand that the people in this room are not being regenerated now, as each has already believed in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Here, we are to understand that the Spirit is filling them in regards to the promise of Jesus, that they will receive power to be His witness. This filling of the Spirit is for service to Christ, to do the work that God has called them to.

We know that they are filled for service because immediately after they are filled, the Spirit gives them utterance in other tongues. These tongues in this instance are to be understood as known languages and not heavenly languages, like that of angels. Just as they are filled with the Spirit for the purpose of witness, they are given utterance of tongues for the purpose of witness.

The disciples are empowered to witness

Acts 2:5–8 ESV

5 Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. 7 And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language?

Because this took place on the day of Pentecost, the time of one of the three major feasts of Israel, the population of Jerusalem would have been doubled or tripled because of all the Jews who made the pilgrimage to celebrate. Luke tells us that there are Jews in Jerusalem from every nation under heaven. If we remember, Jesus said that the disciples would be His witness in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. The ends of the earth is represented right here in Jerusalem at the coming of the Holy Spirit. The fulfillment is taking place at the beginning, people from every nation in the known world are hearing the gospel in their own language. Not only are Jesus words being fulfilled, but also God’s promise to Abraham, that through him every nation on earth would be blessed. The greatest blessing any person can receive is the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Jews who are hearing this proclamation are amazed, not only because they hear their own language, but because it is Galileans who are speaking in their native tongue. This amazing to them because people from a known region in Israel who primarily speak Aramaic and Greek are speaking in a multitude of languages and dialects. How can this be that they are speaking so many different languages of countries from all over the world? The Spirit of God is uniting people from all over the world as only He can. Many years earlier, when mankind grew prideful, they sought to make themselves like God. So God, seeing the danger of this pride, confused the languages of the people of earth, so that they separated into groups and nations. As a result of this confusion, many wars, conflicts, and strifes have broke out as people do not understand one another. With the confusion of languages, different cultures and ethnicities came about, further dividing people as they talked, looked, and lived differently. Now, the Spirit of God is uniting people of different cultures, different looks, different languages through this one gospel of Jesus Christ.

Acts 2:9–11 ESV

9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, 11 both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.”

Each part of the known world is represented in these countries. The West, the East, The North, and the South. All are present in Jerusalem and all are hearing the mighty works of God proclaimed in their own language. The gift of tongues is the work of the Spirit of God for the glory of God. He gives it to this specific group for the specific purpose of communicating with the people present in Jerusalem. While all the Jews and proselytes who were visiting for the festival would have known Greek and Aramaic, God displays His power by giving the disciples the ability to speak in the native languages of those people. This grabbed their attention and amazed them as nothing like this had ever happened in the history of the world.

These mighty works of God that the disciples were speaking of are what Jesus was teaching them about the kingdom of God for the forty days He was on earth after His resurrection. If we think back to the end of Luke, Jesus explains the Scriptures and how they are all pointing to Him. He opens the minds of the disciples to understand how all of the Law and Prophets were talking about Him. When the Law of Moses is given, Moses warns the people of curses that will come because of disobedience, but also of the Lord, Yahweh, would circumcise the hearts of the people so that they would love and obey God. Later, threw the prophet Jeremiah, though Israel had been disobedient, God promises to write His law on their hearts and to forgive their sins. Ezekiel also prophecies of a time when God will give His people a new heart and a new spirit within them. Isaiah prophecies that they shall declare God’s glory to all the nations of the earth. Jesus explains to the disciples that it is through His death and resurrection that sins are forgiven. And at His death, the age of the Spirit would begin, and people through the work of the Spirit in them would be given a new heart to love God and obey Him. Now that the disciples have this new understanding of Scripture and received the Holy Spirit, they are proclaiming it to people from every nation. God’s promise to Israel is being fulfilled as the Spirit of God has come and is empowering them to share the good news of Jesus with every nation.

The people respond to the power of the Spirit

Acts 2:12–13 ESV

12 And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13 But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”

Luke tells us that all who heard were amazed at what was happening. They could not believe that these Jews from Galilee were speaking in their language. They did not understand how it was possible. All they knew is that men who should not know all these languages were speaking in them and sharing with them the mighty works of God.

Luke records two responses to the work of the God through the Holy Spirit. The first is one of awe and wonder. While Luke does not tell us that these people believed and were saved in this moment of awe, we do see that they have a childlike amazement at what is happening. They are not quickly dismissing what they are hearing, but are marveling at this incredible event. It would seem that their curiosity is peaked, and they want to know more as they ask how it can be and what it might mean. They are inquisitive, seeking to get more answers. They understand that what the disciples are proclaiming are the works of God, but why are they speaking in different languages? This is not a normal synagogue sermon, but something new. So these people respond by seeking more answers, wanting to understand the meaning of this miracle, this act of God.

The second response is one of unbelief and rationalization. They can’t believe that something new is happening, so they come up with the most rational explanation possible. These people must be drunk, and because of this drunkeness they are speaking in other languages. Now, we know that this a poor explanation as drunk people do not learn new languages all of the sudden in which they can speak clearly to declare the works of God. At best, drunks are happy and funny, though their speech is often slurred and hard to understand.

We see that there is not neutral position when it comes to the gospel of Jesus Christ. How have we responded to the gospel of Jesus Christ? Have we responded in repentance and faith? Have we turned from our sin to God who alone can save us? Or have we sought to rationalize this church thing? Do we try to explain away the works of God as coincidence? I can tell you that God has been acting in my life from the beginning. A few years ago, I decided to attend Word of Life Bible Institute in Florida. A girl named Liz did the same. We ended up getting married and this Kentucky boy moved to Buffalo. This young married couple decided to try Emmanuel Church. Now we go here. Now I get the opportunity to preach once a month and be discipled and trained by the pastors here. Just a couple months ago, Kayla, the pastors wife delivered our son. Now we can try to rationalize all this, or we can sit in awe of how God works. Each little decision we make is a part of God’s sovereign plan for His glory. Though we may not experience the gift of tongues, or prophecy or healing, the Spirit of God is in each of who believe, empowering us to do the work Jesus called us to. I’m sure each one of you can look back on your life and point your finger to things in which God is using in ways you could not have imagined. I didn’t think I would ever live in Buffalo, but God knew well before I went to Florida. God redeems and He provides. On the last Passover He redeemed sinners by dying in their place. On the last Pentecost, a celebration of God’s provision, He provided the Holy Spirit to carry out His mission. This message of the gospel is not neutral. We are not called to believe and stand on the sidelines. We are either with God, or were not. So my call to you today is to surrender to the work of the Spirit in your lives. We are living in a world that is full of sin and brokenness. We are surrounded by people who are hurt in so many ways. The answer, the blessing that people need most is the gospel. They need to know that they have a sin problem. They need to know that there is nothing they can do about their sin problem. They need to know that the holy Creator of the universe will call each person to account for their lives, and that those who are found guilty will be judged. They need to know that Jesus Christ, God the Son became a man who lived perfectly on this earth never sinning. That He died on the cross, taking on the punishment that we deserved for our sin. That He rose again form the grave to new life. They need to know that they can receive the Holy Spirit by faith in Jesus who will help us to understand Scripture, to live obedient to God, and who is a seal upon us reminding us that one day we will be in heaven with God. The people around us need to know this, and God has you right where you are, just like he has me here, for a specific purpose. So go to your jobs, to your schools, to your stores, and glorify the Lord. Live with hope and joy because Jesus is alive forever and we will be too! Live a life on mission for Jesus!