And let's look at it beginning in verse 36, this is after His resurrection, "As they said these things," this is the two that He had appeared to on the road to Emmaus, "Jesus himself stood in the midst of them and said to them, 'Peace to you.' Jesus' followers were all together when a sound like the blowing of a mighty wind came from heaven and filled the place where they were staying. By inference, this second volume is the account of all that Jesus continued to do and to teach, through His apostles. Luke chapter 24. I've got to find out where that next bus leaves, and what time." "And all who believed were together and they had all things in common. And we must live knowing that way. The apostles were all Galileans (see Acts 1:11; 2:7; see also Matthew 26:73), so they could not stay in their own homes. That's the famous road to Emmaus experienced from the book of Luke, "and they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either." What I would like to underscore is the role of the Holy Spirit in our Lords giving of the Great Commission. Two things we can summarize to show what was the key to bring about this scene that we see here at the end of chapter 2 in Acts. A photo of the proverbial 90-pound weakling was followed by the after of an awesome, muscle-flexing Charles Atlas physique. For if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you, but if I go, I will send him to you. But isnt Pentecost and the coming of the Holy Spirit really a matter of authority, a legitimate matter of authority? Prior to His death, the disciples were constantly with Jesus. I like that phrase. 19 This became known to all who lived in Jerusalem, so that in their own language they called that field Hakeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) 20 For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his house become deserted, and let there be no one to live in it, and Let another take his position of responsibility. 21 Thus one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time the Lord Jesus associated with us, 22 beginning from his baptism by John until the day he was taken up from usone of these must become a witness of his resurrection together with us. 23 So they proposed two candidates: Joseph called Barsabbas (also called Justus) and Matthias. You know, before we ever get to that rushing wind that came in, it's good to think about this question, because it has a direct application to you and I today. And so they didn't really think about that, and yet all of a sudden it came upon them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and . Peter says, "Repent, believe, be baptized, you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." Somebody will tap me on the shoulder and tell me what to do next, but you know what? And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind and it filled the whole house where they were sitting, and it appeared to them, divided tongues as of fire. 8 Last of all, as though to one born at the wrong time, he appeared to me also. Second, we learn that the Great Commission, which our Lord commanded His apostles, was given through the Holy Spirit (1:2). It's the fourth of the spring feasts that marked the end of the barley harvest and the start of the wheat harvest (usually around June). And one set 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." They had a very life is now, living in the present mindset that this was all going to happen in their lifetime, which is something that pertains to every group of people from that time forward, that looking for the appearance of the Kingdom, the return of Christ. All the gods of doubtand I say gods with a little g, because doubt, and guilt, and fear can really separate us from Godthe gods of doubt, and fear, and unbelief have all been shredded by Jesus Christ. But that was a life lesson that I had to learn. As the writer to the Hebrews constantly emphasized, the New Covenant is vastly superior to the Old. The empty tomb and the absence of a body is further evidence of our Lords resurrection, and to this the Holy Spirit will bear witness. Who wouldnt want to look like that? To seek this knowledge is to go outside the boundaries of their authority.4. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age (Matthew 28:18-20, emphasis mine). Though the emperor, a man named Tiberius, had been holed up on an island called Capri or Capri for a number of years in absentia, the empire was running quite well on its own. The Roman Empire was not anything to fool around with. 14 And because they saw the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say against this (Acts 4:13-14). 3 To the same apostles also, after his suffering, he presented himself alive with many convincing proofs. He understood that, and again, He is just laying it out that they were troubled and there was doubt. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They also point out that Lukes account depicts this selection in a favorable light, and that nothing negative is said about the action taken here. In Ephesians 2, Paul contrasts the Gentiles in their unbelief with the Gentiles as saints, now a part of the church. That is how the mission of the Church is done and that is how then that vision of a community, of a Church, of a people who are rooted in the Word of God, who actually do care for one another, is accomplished; by no other means, by no other means. They had not been a part of anything like that before. They were looking for power from on high. The Great Commission was not only given to the apostles; it was given to the church. It is the day, 40 days after the Resurrection, when Jesus returns to his Father. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in the breaking of bread and in prayers. It is regarded as the birthday of the Christian church. (2 Corinthians 3:4-11). ACTS 2 NIV - The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost - Bible Gateway What Is the Meaning of Pentecost? What Happened at Pentecost? When you read what Peter said about these prophecies from Joel and the Psalmstrust me, folks, Peter's sermon would not have passed doctrinal review by the Jewish doctrinal committee of that day. The ministry of the Holy Spirit does not commence in Acts, it continues in Acts. 4 While he was with them, he declared, Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait there for what my Father promised, which you heard about from me. The Jewish authoritiesthe Sanhedrin, the Scribes, the Pharisees, the Sadduceesthat authority was intact in Jerusalem, running the temple, running the religious side of the culture and the social life of Judea under the Roman cap, and it too was a very, very powerful force you didn't run up against. They'd likely not seen it. Our Lord saw to it that these witnesses had more than enough evidence of His resurrection, and added to this was the witness of the Spirit to the resurrection: 7 But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I am going away. The Word of God. This is the dimension that was given on Pentecost, and what this day is all about for those of us who are the firstfruits. 13 When they had entered Jerusalem, they went to the upstairs room where they were staying. There was doubt. Shavuot, also called Pentecost, in full ag Shavuot, ("Festival of the Weeks"), second of the three Pilgrim Festivals of the Jewish religious calendar. Like others, I have pointed to Paul as the most likely candidate for Judas replacement. And it is Christ in us that is that hope of glory. Before long (Acts 5:3-4), the Holy Spirit will be identified as God. I would like to look at Acts 1 in three segments: Verses 1-11 From Christs Resurrection to His Return, Verses 15-26 Filling the Vacancy left by Judas. That's a little-understood part of what was taking place. Ascension and Pentecost - The liturgical year - BBC Bitesize The apostles sought greater knowledge. Christ in you, the hope of glory. The mystery of this paragraph is to explain why Luke went to so much effort (and space) to describe an event which appears to have little impact on the events that follow Pentecost. 6We can easily deduce this since Pentecost was 50 days after Passover. Before Pentecost | Draughting Theology Then follows a marvelous after photo, which displays a beautiful person, so different from the before photo. They must not attempt to carry out the Great Commission without Pentecostal power. And there wasn't a Jew in Jerusalem, not a rabbi, not a priest who'd ever understood Joel or the Psalms in that way, nor would they have ever dreamed of applying it to what had happened just weeks earlier, with the arrest, crucifixion, and death of this Man called Jesus of Nazareth. It's an interesting way that they did. Why, then, does Luke include these verses? About 10 days earlier, Christ had finally ascended for the final time and they were left alone. Originally, Pentecost was a Jewish holiday held 50 days after Passover. What they needed was power, power to proclaim the gospel so that men would believe and be saved. Pentecost, also called Whitsunday, (Pentecost from Greek pentecost, "50th day"), major festival in the Christian church, celebrated on the Sunday that falls on the 50th day of Easter. The church acknowledged the leading of the Spirit and laid their hands on these men, and then sent them off. And we can have the power to believe that, and to grow together and develop together as a bride of Christ, and accomplish His work and His purpose and His will. We should also observe that among this group were the brothers of our Lord (Acts 1:14). Our sins will find us out. Acts 1 is the before section of this great book. Read more. And they did, and thousands were added to the Church that day. Every minister's dream, to give one sermon and thousands of people get baptized and join the Church in one day, every minister's fantasy. At the end of John, you remember, John says, there were so many other things that He did in his life and no doubt probably part of that 40-day period that it would take volumes to teach it, and to record it during this period. Saints Community Church - Instagram Why does Luke spend as much time (12 verses) describing this one event as he does depicting the 40 days of our Lords appearances on the earth (11 verses)? The Holy Spirit would internally indict sinners regarding the righteousness of Christ because He cannot be seen any longer. I believe that when the Spirit came upon the apostles, they received the authority they needed to carry out the Great Commission. Because Ruth saw in Naomi, God, an example that she wanted to be a part of. First, I note the wording of the first part of verse 13: When they had entered Jerusalem, they went to the upstairs roomwhere they were staying(Acts 1:13a, emphasis mine). We see this confirmed in Acts 5: And we are witnesses of these events, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him (Acts 5:32). Because Pentecost is the day on which the Apostles and the Blessed Virgin Mary received the gifts of the Holy Spirit, we tend to think of it as an exclusively Christian feast.But like many Christian feasts, including Easter, Pentecost has its roots in Jewish religious tradition.The Jewish Pentecost fell on the 50th day after Passover, and it celebrated the giving of . And they chose Matthias by casting lots. Mark chapter 16, verse 9, now, "When He rose early on the first day of the week," speaking of Christ's resurrection. That is what we shall seek to discover in our study. It wasn't there and so a lot had happened in that 50-day period that brought them to that morning of Pentecost. I began this lesson by suggesting that it is an example of a before and after presentation. Pentecost was the occasion which God chose to bestow this power on His apostles. It is. There they encountered the proconsul, Sergius Paulus. 2 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. And then going on here, in verse 44, "He said to them, 'These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses, and the prophets, and the Psalms concerning Me.' And yet some doubted. [Darris McNeely] On the morning of Pentecost 31 AD, what do you think was going through the minds of the assembled disciples in Jerusalem? The Holy Spirit designated Barnabas and Saul. During those 40 days, He provided them with many convincing proofs that He had indeed risen from the dead. 28 Watch out for yourselves and for all the flockof which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God that he obtained with the blood of his own Son (Acts 20:28, emphasis mine). Why did the apostles speak of the coming of the kingdom of God as its being restored? They understood their problem, in verse 38, "He said to them, 'Why are you troubled and why do doubts arise in your hearts?'" I believe that among the many things we see in these early verses, we find that the Holy Spirits ministry in Acts a dominant theme in this book is linked to His ministry through the person of our Lord. And to live with the reality that there is a God who judges, who sees, and who knows. The church, the body of Christ, began on the Day of Pentecost by the work of the Holy Spirit. BBC 2014 The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. The Feast of the Ascension ranks with Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost in the universality of its observance among Christians. Now it has become popular to carry this theme over to homes, where pitiful or plain houses are transformed into palatial homes. They didn't know. "He appeared first to Mary Magdalene out of whom He had cast seven demons. Thank you Mr. McNeely , for making Christ more real.