Creator, Father, King #252

Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?

WIND! FIRE! A SUPERNATURAL visitation! Astonishment!

About ten days after Jesus’ Ascension, the disciples and other believers were gathered in a room in Jerusalem, obeying the Savior’s earlier command (Acts 1:4-5). Suddenly, the sound of a mighty wind swept through the house, and what looked like flickering flames appeared above their heads. Amazingly, each person began speaking in a foreign language that had previously been unknown to them.

The large crowd of Jewish pilgrims in Jerusalem for the annual “Feast of Weeks” festival (also known as Pentecost) marveled at the sight. They couldn’t believe that common, relatively uneducated residents of Galilee could speak in different tongues that spanned the Roman Empire (Acts 2:5-13).

What did it all mean?

God had powerfully poured out his Holy Spirit on the new Christian community!

What’s It Mean?

The Holy Spirit plays a vital role in the life of every believer. Over the next three days, we’re going to take a closer look at the Spirit’s nature and ministry.

The Spirit’s outpouring at Pentecost had been long foretold. God had promised a special new Spirit-filled era in believers when he spoke through the prophet Joel (likely around the sixth century BC): “I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions. In those days, I will pour out my Spirit even on servants—men and women alike” (Joel 2:28-29). (Also see Ezekiel 36:26-27.)

The Holy Spirit—a member of the triune God—had always been active throughout the Old Testament, even back to Creation (Genesis 1:2). He had empowered God’s people for special purposes (e.g., Judges 14:19; 1 Samuel 11:6; 1 Samuel 16:13; 2 Chronicles 15:1).

Christ’s death, resurrection, and the Spirit’s indwelling at Pentecost all helped inaugurate the new covenant era between God and his chosen people (Jeremiah 31:31-34), where the Spirit came to dwell permanently in the hearts of God’s children (see today’s verse). Through his Spirit, God was making his home in his redeemed people. Amazing!

This was the miracle that the first Christians experienced at Pentecost two thousand years ago, and this is what all believers still benefit from today!

Now What?

Do a word search study on the Holy Spirit using an online Bible search engine such as BibleGateway.com to see his amazing ministry to all believers.

Did You Know?

On the day of Pentecost, the apostle Peter preached a sermon in Jerusalem, resulting in three thousand conversions (Acts 2:41) and the start of the early Christian church (verses 42-47).