The Promise Poured Out on the Jews
Jesus spoke of the Spirit that believers were to receive after he had been glorified and taken up to Heaven. (Jn 7:39) The resurrection, glorification and ascension of Jesus confirmed that God considered Christ worthy to be the redeemer of mankind. (Lk 24:44-53; Jn 16:5-15) This opened the door for us to enter into a renewed and deeper relationship with God. This would take place by his spirit that would come and dwell within us. (Eph 2:19-22)
Acts 1:4, 5, 8 Being assembled together with them, he (Jesus) charged them, “Don’t depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which you heard from me. 5 For John indeed baptized in water, but you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. You will be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth.” WEB
- Moses was told by God to go up Mount Sinai and wait there to receive the tablets of stone. He waited there six days and on the seventh day God spoke to him and gave him the tables of stone with the law and commands. (Ex 24:12, 15-16)
The disciples were told to wait for the promise of the Father that they would receive on the day of Pentecost seven days from then. This was a time of transition, a movement from the old covenant to the new covenant. The time of serving God by the letter of the law written on stone under Moses was coming to an end. Our new relationship with God would be founded in Christ in the Spirit.
2 Cor 3:2-6 You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men; 3 being revealed that you are a letter of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tablets of stone, but in tablets that are hearts of flesh. 4 Such confidence we have through Christ toward God; 5 not that we are sufficient of ourselves, to account anything as from ourselves; but our sufficiency is from God; 6 who also made us sufficient as servants of a new covenant; not of the letter, but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. WEB (Rom 8:1-9; Gal 3:1-5; 1 John 3:23-24)
Acts 2:1-39
1 Now when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all with one accord in one place.
Pentecost, that is the fiftieth day (from a Greek word meaning fiftieth), or Harvest Feast, or Feast of Weeks, may be regarded as a supplement to the Passover. It lasted for but one day. From the sixteenth of Nisan seven weeks were reckoned inclusively, and the next or fiftieth day was the day of Pentecost, which fell on the sixth of Sivan (about the end of May). Ex 23:16; 34:22; Lev 23:15,22; Num 28:1. The Pentecost was the Jewish harvest-home, and the people were especially exhorted to rejoice before Jehovah with their families, their servants, the Levite within their gates, the stranger, the fatherless and the widow in the place chosen by God for his name, as they brought a free-will offering of their hand to Jehovah their God. Deut 16:10,11. Pentecost is the only one of the three great feasts which is not mentioned as the memorial of events in the history of the Jews; but such a significance has been found in the fact that the law was given from Sinai on the fiftieth day after the deliverance from Egypt. Compare Ex 12 and 19. In the exodus the people were offered to God as living first fruits; at Sinai their consecration to him as a nation was completed. The typical significance of the Pentecost is made clear from the events of the day recorded in the Acts of the Apostles. Acts 2. Just as the appearance of God on Sinai was the birthday of the Jewish nation, so was the Pentecost the birthday of the Christian Church. Smith’s Bible Dictionary
2 Suddenly there came from the sky a sound like the rushing of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
- Sky or heaven.
- Having the sound of wind without wind was not a normal happening and would bring greater attention to what was taking place.
3 Tongues like fire appeared and were distributed to them, and one sat on each of them.
- Each one individually received of this manifestation. It was an indicator of what was about to happen.
4 They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other languages, as the Spirit gave them the ability to speak.
- Each one was filled with the Holy Spirit.
- Each one began to speak in another language.
- Each one did it as the Spirit gave them the ability.
5 Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under the sky. 6 When this sound was heard, the multitude came together, and were bewildered, because everyone heard them speaking in his own language. 7 They were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Behold, aren’t all these who speak Galileans? 8 How do we hear, everyone in our own native language?
- What brought the crowd together was the sound that they heard.
- This sound most likely refers to the sound of them all praising God in other languages (verse 6, 11).
- What they were all amazed and marveled about was that everyone heard in their own native language.
9 Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and people from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, 10 Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, the parts of Libya around Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretans and Arabians: we hear them speaking in our languages the mighty works of God!”
- It was not only amazing that they could hear them speaking in their own language but that they could also understand what was being said in spite of all the noise of all the different languages being spoken at once.
- It is possible that they were all hearing in their own language even though their language was not being spoken.
- This miraculous event was not without purpose but was done that all could both see and hear of the mighty works of God.
12 They were all amazed, and were perplexed, saying one to another, “What does this mean?” 13 Others, mocking, said, “They are filled with new wine.”
- There were those that wanted to understand what this was all about and there were those that mocked that which they did not understand.
- These men are full of new wine, [gleukous] rather, ‘sweet wine;’ that is, not “new wine,” but wine preserved in its original state (which was done by various processes), and which was very intoxicating. Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary
14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and spoke out to them, “You men of Judea, and all you who dwell at Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to my words.
- The miracle of everyone hearing in their native language was not done because there was a language barrier for there was a common language spoken in Jerusalem that all understood. That is why Peter could stand up and tell them to listen to his words.
- The sound like a rushing mighty wind, the tongues like fire and the languages being spoken were all sign to draw attention to the fact that God was pouring out his promised holy spirit.
Peter who had denied Christ not many days before now stood boldly after receiving the promised Holy Spirit. He was now a powerful witness of the plan of God that was brought forth in Christ Jesus.
15 For these aren’t drunken, as you suppose, seeing it is only the third hour of the day. (9:00 AM)
- Before Peter had shrunk back in fear but now he addressed the crowd and mockers without reservation.
16 But this is what has been spoken through the prophet Joel: 17 ‘It will be in the last days, says God, That I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh. Your sons and your daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions. Your old men will dream dreams. 18 Yes, and on my servants and on my handmaidens in those days, I will pour out my Spirit, and they will prophesy. 19 I will show wonders in the sky above, And signs on the earth beneath; Blood, and fire, and billows of smoke. 20 The sun will be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the great and glorious day of the Lord comes.
- This was the beginning of the fulfillment of the prophecy of Joel. God would continue to pour out his promise to those that would believe and seek him.
Peter continues to clearly speak forth the message of God.
21 It will be, that whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ 22 “Men of Israel, hear these words! Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved by God to you by mighty works and wonders and signs which God did by him in the midst of you, even as you yourselves know, 23 him, being delivered up by the determined counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by the hand of lawless men, crucified and killed; 24 whom God raised up, having freed him from the agony of death, because it was not possible that he should be held by it. 25 For David says concerning him, ‘I saw the Lord always before my face, For he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved. 26 Therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced. Moreover my flesh also will dwell in hope; 27 Because you will not leave my soul in Hades, Neither will you allow your Holy One to see decay. 28 You made known to me the ways of life. You will make me full of gladness with your presence.’ 29 “Brothers, I may tell you freely of the patriarch David, that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, he would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, 31 he foreseeing this spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that neither was his soul left in Hades, nor did his flesh see decay. 32 This Jesus God raised up, to which we all are witnesses. (Acts 1:22) (1 Cor 15:6)
33 Being therefore exalted by the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this, which you now see and hear.
- There was physical evidence that could be both seen and heard that proved God was doing a new work in his people by pouring out his spirit upon them.
The power of Peter’s words, the signs and wonders that were manifest brought conviction to the hearts of people that were present.
34 For David didn’t ascend into the heavens, but he says himself, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit by my right hand, 35 Until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”‘ 36 “Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” 37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized, everyone of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
- Like Peter we need to be able to give an answer to those that ask.
Here we see three different aspects of our relationship with God.
- The repentant heart that opens the door to our relationship with God.
- Our relationship with Christ seen in baptism that brings us into fellowship with God.
- And our relationship that we have with God by having his spirit dwelling in us.
39 For to you is the promise, and to your children, and to all who are far off, even as many as the Lord our God will call to himself.”
The promise is to all generations that are willing to come to God. To those that desire to enter into a deeper and more meaningful relationship with him. It is the promise spoken of by Joel. It is the promise made by the mouth of Jesus and it is the promise made by God that he will come and dwell in his people.
The Gift of the Holy Spirit – Part 4