WEEK TWO:
TOPIC: THE COMING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (THE PENTECOST) ACTS 2:1-39
PENTECOST
Pentecost is the Jewish festival of Shavuot. It comes up 49days after the resurrection of Jesus on the Jewish Day of First fruits. It was the day the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles with miraculous effects.
THE COMING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
After the resurrection of Jesus, He appeared to the disciples for forty days and after which he ascended to heaven. He instructed the Apostles to wait in Jerusalem until they receive the Holy Spirit. Ten days after the ascension, was the Pentecost day.
The Apostles were all gathered in one place. Then suddenly, a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled the house where they were sitting. Tongues as of fire appeared and rested on each one of them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. When people heard this sound, they went to where the Apostles were gathered. They were bewildered when they heard the Apostles speaking their languages fluently. They were amazed and asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language?” They were all declaring the mighty works of God in different tongues. Some other people said they were drunk.
It was at that point Peter stood up and addressed the crowd. He said, Men of Judea and you who live in Jerusalem listen. These men are not drunk as you suppose. It is only the third hour of the day. But this is the fulfillment of the prophesy of Prophet Joel which states,
“And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out 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; yea, and on my menservants and my maidservants in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy. ….”
Then he said, Jesus of Nazareth was a man confirmed by God with mighty works, signs and wonders which God did through Him and which you all witnessed. But you delivered him up to be crucified and killed by lawless men even though it was predestined by God. God raised Him up loosing the pangs of death because it was impossible for Him to be held by death. This confirms what David said concerning Him.
‘I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; moreover my flesh will dwell in hope. For thou wilt not abandon my soul to Hades, nor let thy Holy One see corruption. Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou wilt make me full of gladness with thy presence.’
Many of you thought David was talking about himself but David died and his tomb, where he was buried, is there as a proof. He foresaw that one of his descendants whom God has set on the throne forever, who is Christ, would not be abandoned to rot in the grave nor His flesh see corruption. It is the same Jesus that was raised up and exalted at the right hand of God and since He has received the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured it out on us and this is what you are witnessing today.
David wouldn’t have spoken about himself when he said, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, till I make thy enemies a stool for thy feet.’ He talked about this same Jesus whom you crucified and God has made Him both Lord and Christ.
After Peter had finished his speech, the people asked him and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?” Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children and to all that are far off, every one whom the Lord our God calls to him.” After he had said these among other things, a lot of people believed and were baptized. Those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
THE ROLES PLAYED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE PROPAGATION OF THE GOSPEL
The Holy Spirit played crucial role in the propagation of the gospel and this can be enumerated as follows:
1. The Holy Spirit gave the Apostles wisdom to understand the scriptures and prophecies
2. The Holy Spirit gave the Apostles boldness to speak these words of truth, the gospel
3. The Holy Spirit convicted those who listened to the words, the gospel
4. The Holy Spirit gave hope and empowered those who believed and received the gospel
Unprecedented 