Pentecost – Acts 2: 1 – 21, John 20: 19 – 23

Imagine sitting in an upper room with your fellow disciples…waiting.

The events since the trauma of the Crucifixion still fresh on your mind. Jesus’s several appearances have confirmed the fact that their leader is still very alive and active. They’ve been instructed to go to Jerusalem and wait for Jesus to send the Holy Spirit to them, to be with them as their helper and counsellor. This is some fifty days after the Crucifixion, and will empower them to boldly spread the Gospel, uniting all believers, and marks the birth of the Christian Church.

Jesus promised that He would leave his helper to be with his followers forever, so as to reassure them, as they saw him leave to return to His Father at the Ascension.

The gift of the Holy Spirit was to the disciples, and through time to all of his followers today, received at our time of Baptism.

The rushing wind symbolises the invisible, life giving, and powerful presence of God which stirred up the early church.

The tongues of fire represents God’s holiness, and the purification of the disciples. It signifies that they were ignited with passion, and courage to preach.

The speaking in tongues is the fascinating gift…. Not only in other languages, but that everyone in Jerusalem, no matter what country they were from, could understand what was being said! God poured out His spirit upon all flesh. Sons and daughters prophesied. Young men would see visions, and old men, dream dreams. Even slaves both men and women, he poured His spirit upon, that they might prophesy.

God reverses the action He placed upon all people in Genesis 11v1-9. The people were building a tower to reach heaven. Their common language enabled them to make great progress, but none gave credit to God for equipping them. In his anger, God intervened and jumbled up language according to where people came from. No longer could people understand each other, and the Tower of Babel became symbolic of man’s false pride, and its consequences of failure.

At Pentecost God temporarily lifted His punishment so that once again, everyone understood each other, so that Gods power and authority could be revealed.

Symbolically this enabled the removal of language barriers, that all might hear, and believe. Thus began a universal mission.

The people from Nazareth were not thought to be very intelligent, but here they were, understood by all the visitors from other nations! Is AI to be the new Babel today?

Peter enlightens everyone that this Gods work, and not the effects of too much wine!

The Holy Spirit activates our inner gifts, and fruits of the spirit including love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. He equips us to be His representatives today. To be bold and courageous.

Take a few moments to consider what God has gifted you already, both with spiritual gifts, but also with individual talents and abilities. An ability or talent used to give glory to God by benefitting others. Sometimes we have more than one gift given and can take a lifetime to be revealed.

Let us pray that with the zest and fire from the Holy Spirit we may boldly witness to Gods constant and generous love.

Ingrid