Sunday, July 8
In obedience to Jesus’ command, the believers waited in Jerusalem for the promise of the Spirit, and they waited amid fervent prayer, sincere repentance, and praise. When the day came, they “were all together in one place” (Acts 2:1, ESV), probably the same large upper room of Acts 1. Soon, however, they would move to a more public area (Acts 2:6-13).
Read Acts 2:1-3. What supernatural elements accompanied the outpouring of the Spirit?
The scene was intense. There was first a sudden noise from heaven like the roaring of a violent windstorm that filled the entire place, and then what looked like flames of fire appeared and rested upon those there.
In Scripture, wind and fire are frequently associated with a “theophany” or a divine manifestation (for example, Exodus 3:2, 19:18, Deuteronomy 4:15). In addition, wind and fire may also be used to represent the Spirit of God (John 3:8, Matthew 3:11). In the case of Pentecost, whatever the precise meaning of such phenomena, they were signs introducing a unique moment in the history of salvation, the promised outpouring of the Spirit.
The Spirit had always been at work. Its influence on God’s people in the Old Testament times was often revealed in a notable way, but never in its fullness. “During the patriarchal age the influence of the Holy Spirit had often been revealed in a marked manner, but never in its fullness. Now, in obedience to the word of the Saviour, the disciples offered their supplications for this gift, and in heaven Christ added His intercession. He claimed the gift of the Spirit, that He might pour it upon His people.”—Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles, p. 37.
John the Baptist foretold the baptism with the Spirit by the coming Messiah (Luke 3:16; compare with Acts 11:16), and Jesus Himself referred to it several times (Luke 24:49, Acts 1:8). This outpouring would be His first intercessory act before God (John 14:16, 26; 15:26). At Pentecost, the promise was fulfilled.
Although the baptism with the Spirit at Pentecost was a unique event related to Jesus’ victory on the cross and exaltation in heaven, being filled with the Spirit is an experience to be continuously repeated in the believers’ lives (Acts 4:8, 31; 11:24; 13:9, 52; Ephesians 5:18).
What evidence do you have of the Spirit’s working in your life?
