The outpouring of the Holy Spirit will be viewed under three headings, (1) the outward manifestations of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, (2) the inward manifestations of the Holy Spirit, (3) the wider features of the early church.
The Exalted Christ pours out the Holy Spirit on His Disciples 1. The Outward Manifestations of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost “When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:1-4). The feast of Pentecost was the name given to the celebration of the Feast of Weeks because it occurred 50 days after Passover. It was a one-day festival in which special sacrifices were offered and originally it was a harvest (first-fruits) festival (Ex.23:16; 34:22; Lev.23:15-21). This event on Pentecost began in a house where the disciples were assembled together (v1), just as the Passover originally took place in the context of each home in Israel. We are struck by the suddenness and the magnitude of this first outpouring of the Holy Spirit as He falls simultaneously upon about 120 disciples who are filled with the Holy Spirit and speak in foreign “tongues” - what follows are the outcomes of being baptized in the Holy Spirit which enables His disciples to live together in loving fellowship and to engage in God’s mission. We need to take account of two things – firstly, God had prepared for this momentous happening from the moment our first parents rebelled against Him in the Garden of Eden and that those preparations took on a new urgency when Father sent Jesus to earth to accomplish His plan of salvation when the eternal Son of God was conceived in the womb of the virgin Mary and took on human flesh. The accomplishment of God’s purpose to save us took place at the cross where Jesus died, three days later He rose triumphantly, forty days later He returned to Father and 10 days later we arrive at today – the Day of Pentecost, the occasion of Jesus Christ pouring out the Holy Spirit on 120 disciples who were gathered together, waiting for God to fulfil the word He had spoken to them just before He left them, “He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now” (Acts 1:4-5). The second important factor that we need to consider takes us back again to God’s actions –to see what happened when Jesus got back to heaven! – and for this information we must engage with Peter’s Pentecost sermon, which was his way of explaining to the vast crowd which had gathered together what was going on. There is no greater sermon in the entire Bible than Peter’s Pentecost message which is focused entirely on JESUS CHRIST – His humanity, ministry, death, entombment,
New Life Radio – Talk No 34
Derrick Harrison
02/06/2021