The outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost revealed a crucial truth about what happened in heaven and about how God the Father accepted Christ’s sacrifice for the sins of the world. The outpouring of the Spirit showed, too, that Christ’s work in heaven in our behalf, based on His sacrifice on earth, was now inaugurated. These astonishing events are more manifestations of the wonderful truth that heaven and earth are connected in ways that we just can’t fathom now.
“Christ’s ascension to heaven was the signal that His followers were to receive the promised blessing. . . . When Christ passed within the heavenly gates, He was enthroned amidst the adoration of the angels. As soon as this ceremony was completed, the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples in rich currents, and Christ was indeed glorified, even with the glory which He had with the Father from all eternity. The Pentecostal outpouring was Heaven’s communication that the Redeemer’s inauguration was accomplished. According to His promise He had sent the Holy Spirit from heaven to His followers as a token that He had, as priest and king, received all authority in heaven and on earth, and was the Anointed One over His people.”—Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles, pp. 38, 39.
Discussion Questions:
What of Pentecost can the church expect to experience in its life today? What is repeatable, and what is not?
Dwell more on the fact that Peter made the resurrection of Jesus such an important part of his Pentecost message. What made the resurrection even more astonishing is that whatever Jewish Messianic expectations had existed at the time, no one was expecting a Messiah to be resurrected from the dead. That was not on anyone’s spiritual radar; it was not what those awaiting the coming of the Messiah had anticipated. What lessons can we learn from this about how we need to know what the Bible teaches, as opposed to whatever the latest popular teachings are?
Acts 2:38 talked about the need of baptism. Does this mean that anyone who believed in Jesus but died before being baptised must, of necessity, be lost? Justify your answer.
