Jan 05, 2014
Acts 2:1-4
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Acts 2:1-4, “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.”
Set the Scene
The book of Acts opens with Jesus leaving His followers specific instructions before ascending to heaven.... in Acts 1 we read that “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....” Jesus then promised that each of them would “receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you....”
It’s important to point out that these men were not strangers to the Holy Spirit. Each of them had personally experienced the saving power of the indwelling Spirit when, in John 20:22 Jesus “breathed on them, and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” At this point we now find them waiting patiently in Jerusalem to experience a whole new promised aspect to their relationship with the Spirit of God.
Consider the implications of this reality....
Here we have a group of people who have been redeemed from sin by Christ’s work on the cross - regenerated by the indwelling Spirit - born again by grace through faith; and yet, it’s clear an essential, vital element of the Christian life was missing.... the power of the Holy Spirit! Understand: Though “rebirth” is a crucial first step to “life in Christ,” it is by no means the mechanism by which we can attain all that God has for us!
“Salvation” as a most glorious work indeed provides me newness of life, but I must have the Holy Spirit infuse me with power from on High if I am to live the new life I’ve been called too! Think of it this way.... Salvation might open my eyes to a whole new world, but without complete reliance upon the Spirit’s influence I would be powerless to experience it!
Though he gave his life to Jesus at an early age and began his ministry in the year 1855 great American Evangelist D.L. Moody recounts an interesting experience that occurred in the year 1871 that changed his life forever. Moody tells how two women used to attend his meetings and sit on the front row. He could see by the expression on their faces that they were praying. At the close of one of the services they approach him and told him, "We have been praying for you." "Why don't you pray for the people?" Moody would ask. "Because you need the power of the Spirit," they would say. "I need the power! Why," Moody would recall. "I thought I had power. I had the largest congregation in Chicago, and there were many conversions. I was in a sense satisfied. But right along those two godly women kept praying for me, and their earnest talk about anointing for special service set me to thinking. I asked them to come and talk with me, and they poured out their hearts in prayer that I might receive the filling of the Holy Spirit. There came a great hunger into my soul. I did not know what it was. I began to cry out as I never did before. I really felt that I did not want to live if I could not have this power for service."
Moody recounts the night his life changed when he was baptized with the Holy Spirit. "My heart was not in the work of begging," he said. "I could not appeal. I was crying all the time that God would fill me with His Spirit. Well, one day, in the city of New York -- oh, what a day! -- I cannot describe it, I seldom refer to it; it is almost too sacred an experience to name. Paul had an experience of which he never spoke for fourteen years. I can only say that God revealed Himself to me, and I had such an experience of His love that I had to ask Him to stay His hand. I went to preaching again. The sermons were not different; I did not present any new truths, and yet hundreds were converted. I would not now be placed back where I was before that blessed experience if you should give me all the world -- it would be as the small dust of the balance."
We find here in Acts 2 a powerful reality.... The life Jesus died for you to live requires more than being saved from sin, it necessitates you being filled, refilled, and filled again with the power of the Holy Spirit!
“When the Day of Pentecost had fully come....”
Since the “Day of Pentecost” marked the beginning of what was known as the “Feast of First Fruits” the second of the three mandatory Jewish feasts, Jerusalem was now filled with many of the same people that had been present for the “Feast of Passover.”
The “Feast of First Fruits” was a celebration that signified the completion of the wheat harvest and the faithful provisions of God for another year. Everyone was required to bring the first fruit of their harvest to give as an offering to the Lord.
In Leviticus 23 God instructed the “Day of Pentecost” to occur seven Sabbaths (49 days) following “Passover” plus one additional day (Pentecost came exactly 50 days after Passover). Note: This places the Day of Pentecost on a Sunday.
Since we know Jesus was crucified on the Passover - rose three days later early Sunday morning - then ministered for 40 days before ascending to heaven - we’re left with a period of 10 days by which these 120 disciples have been waiting for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Imagine their anticipation!
Once again Luke tells us “they were all with one accord in one place.”
Though we can conclude from the context established in Acts 1 that the same 120 people are gathered together, I think we make a mistake when we automatically assume they are still in the same upper room. 1. Luke only tells us they were “in one place.” Though he does say they were sitting in a “house” the Greek word he uses can refer to “the house of God.” 2. Secondly, it’s clear from what happens later in the chapter that the location would have been in a public local accessible to at least 3000 people.
The logical place seems to indicate they had not gathered in the same “Upper Room” we see in Acts 1, but more in likely somewhere in the Temple courts. Some scholars place the event occurring in an outer courtroom known as Solomon’s Portico which was located on the southern side of the Temple complex.
Though Luke doesn’t tell us what these 120 disciples are doing, it seems consistent to conclude that though the location might have changed they are still “continuing with one accord in prayer and supplication” waiting for the Holy Spirit when “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.”
Unpack the Text
“And suddenly” - Without warning the Holy Spirit makes an unexpected entrance.
Please observe there was nothing they did any differently than what they had been doing over the course of the last 10 days that somehow magically conjured up the outpouring of Spirit. The Spirit was the “gift of God.” The fact “they were sitting” serves to illustrate the unexpected nature of the moment.
Though unexpected, the entrance of the Holy Spirit was indeed dramatic. There is no doubt something was happening out of the ordinary because Luke tells us “there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house....”
Note: Luke subject of concern was principally this “sound coming from heaven.” He says the “sound” was like that of a “rushing mighty wind.” In the Greek the word “wind” can be literally translated “breath or breathing.” This word is significant because we also find it in other places translated in both Hebrew and Greek versions of Scripture as “spirit.” The sound of wind served to indicate the arrival of the Holy Spirit. Because this was a foundational typology presented in the OT (Genesis 1, Genesis 2, Ezekiel 37), those present recognized the significance of the moment.
To insure there was no mistaking this “wind” from the morning breeze, Luke tells us the “sound” was of a “rushing mighty wind” coming from “heaven.” “Rushing” is the Greek word “pherô” literally meaning “to move by bearing.” The word carries with it the “suggestion of force or speed.” “Mighty” is the Greek word “biaios” meaning “violent or forcible.” Luke tells us the “sound” was so overwhelming “it filled the whole house.” Imagine the feeling that comes with the sound of a tornado.
After describing what they heard, Luke then attempts to describe what they see.... “Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them.”
1. Since what they saw accompanied what they heard, we understand Luke is providing us a unique, physical depiction of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Note: Phrases like “Divided tongues” and “as of fire” are not to be taken literally, but are only included to serve as a limited description of what is being seen.
2. If you examine the original structure of the Greek sentence, the verse would be better translated, “There appeared to them tongues of fire dividing.” This indicates that whatever was seen couldn’t be defined, only described.
Following this deafening sound they saw a singular source of light “divide” in such a way that it appeared to look like many “tongues” protruding out before “sitting upon each one of them.” Each “tongue” we’re told was “as of fire.” Visually, each “tongue” possessed possibly a brightness of color. Behaviorally, each “tongue” might have flickered and danced similar to what would happen with “fire.”
It’s not an accident we find “fire” used in the description of the presence of the Holy Spirit. We find this type all throughout the OT: A pillar of fire leading the children of Israel through the wilderness, God appearing to Moses in the burning bush, God dispatching a chariot of fire to pick up Elijah, God sending fire from heaven to engulf a sacrifice to show His pleasure. The picture of “fire” is significant because it describes purification. This tells us the principle purpose of the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives is to produce the power to live a life of purity and holiness before God!
Most common depictions of this scene place this ora of dancing light resting on top of each of their heads, but notice that Luke doesn’t tell us this.... He simply says that this physical depiction of the Holy Spirit “sat upon each one of them.”
If up to this point Luke has been describing the presence of the Holy Spirit, I believe he is now providing us a physical depiction of a spiritual activity. The Greek word “sat” is “kathizô” meaning “to confer a kingdom on one.” Then we find the Greek word “epi” meaning to come “upon.” What immediately followed.... “they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.” The phrase “sat upon” literally indicated the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise that they’d “receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you” was occurring.
It’s significant that the Holy Spirit came upon “each of them....”
In John 16:7 Jesus made an incredible and in some ways unbelievable comment, “I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.”
Q: What “advantage” do we find in the presence of the Holy Spirit that we wouldn’t have in the bodily presence of Jesus?
I mean they are both equal members of the triune Godhead. Both are equally sovereign, wise, holy, powerful.... etc. How then is it that the presence of the Holy Spirit is to our better advantage than the bodily presence of Jesus Christ?
A: Unlike Jesus, the Holy Spirit is omnipresent and can indwell every believer. One source of light able to divided and fill each of them!
The Bible tells us that when Jesus came to earth to dawn human flesh He willingly laid aside some of His divine attributes. For example while on earth, Jesus couldn’t be in all places at all times. He was limited to His physical dwelling.
It also seems that the glorified Jesus is still in a limited state. We’re told Jesus ascended from earth to heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father. Then the angels prophesied that He would be returning from heaven back to earth to establish a future kingdom.... not exactly the activities of the omnipresent!
The question then arises.... What did Jesus mean in Matthew 18 when He said, “For where two or three are gathered in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” Is Jesus in our midst this morning? Yes, He is! But understand.... He’s in our midst not because He’s come to us, but because we’ve taken time to come before Him.
Hebrews 4:16, “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
If Jesus remained on earth the limitations of His ability to help us would be obvious. He knew His job would be more effective in the halls of heaven, and thus it would be to our advantage to have a “Helper” who can aid each of us by coming upon all to provide internal power to live the life God has called us to live!
These 4 words “upon each of them” are unique to the tale of God’s plan for humanity!
In the OT we find a few instances where the Holy Spirit was poured out on the nation of Israel as a whole. On the rarest of occasions we find the Spirit of God coming upon specific individuals (prophets, priests, judges, and kings). But in this instance, for the first time in history, the Holy Spirit comes upon “each of them” individually! Each and every disciple of Jesus Christ experienced in their own life this unique outpouring of the Spirit of God!
Though it’s true the spiritual experience of the “Baptism of the Holy Spirit” is available for every believer (we know this because the Spirit will be poured out again on believers in the book of Acts).... it is also true this physical manifestation accompanying this spiritual activity was unique only to this moment of history (we never see this happen again).
I think there are three reasons why this is the case:
1. Uncharted waters require dramatic measures.
As we discussed a few weeks ago, it was important for Jesus to physically ascend to heaven in a dramatic way so that His disciples knew He had really left earth. This not only reinforced His departure, but also served to heighten their expectation for the coming of the Holy Spirit. Jesus had been when “I depart, I will send the Holy Spirit to you.” If ascending in a dramatic fashion served this purpose, it seems only reasonable for Jesus to send the Holy Spirit with a dramatic, physical demonstration for the same purposes of authenticity. There was no doubt the Spirit had been sent! Note: Though the Spirit would be poured out in their lives again, the physical demonstration was no longer needed for them to recognized the spiritual activity.
2. Higher peaks require loftier understanding.
It is not an accident Acts 2 opens “when the Day of Pentecost had fully come....” This phrase indicated more than that “the Day of Pentecost had finally arrived.” The phrase presents the idea that “when the Day of Pentecost had finally come to the point where it would fully represent everything is was supposed to.”
In John 5:39 Jesus said, “You search the Scriptures.... these are they which testify of Me.” He also said in Matthew 5:17, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.” Everything in the OT (from the Levitical Law to the sacrificial procedures) had an ultimate fulfillment in the person and ministry of Jesus Christ. The typological pictures presented are numerous with the Jewish feasts being no exception.
We noted in our study through Mark that the “Feast of Passover” established in God’s supernatural deliverance of His people from the bondage of Egypt found its ultimate fulfillment in the sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross. Now we see that the “Day of Pentecost” and the “Feast of First Fruits” found their ultimate fulfillment in the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the first followers of Jesus.
This is why the Spirit came in such fashion. So much OT imagery accompanying His arrival was designed to communicate a much deeper lesson! It’s amazing, but though at this point in their history the Jews had celebrated Pentecost over 1500 times.... each time was nothing more than a test run for the main event! Everything associated with Pentecost would now find its true fulfillment on this day when God poured out the Holy Spirit on His church!
It’s interesting that in the procedures laid out in Leviticus 23 God tells them to do something completely unique and in some ways contradictory to everything else in the Law. He says, “You shall bring from your dwellings two wave loaves of two-tenths of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour; they shall be baked with leaven. They are the firstfruits to the Lord.”
In the celebration of the Day of Pentecost God specifically commanded His people to bring two loaves of bread to be waived before the Lord, but note the loaves were said to be “baked with leaven” making the offering totally unique! Not only would the Jewish people be part of God’s first fruits, but as we’ll see in Acts 10 the Gentiles would also be welcomed into the fold.
I also want to point out something else significant about the “Day of Pentecost.” According to Jewish traditions, it was taught that this was the day the Law had been given to Moses. The end result of this day is interesting....
Exodus 32:25-28, “Now when Moses saw that the people were unrestrained.... he stood in the entrance of the camp, and said, “Whoever is on the Lord’s side - come to me!” And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him. And he said to them, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘Let every man put his sword on his side, and go.... throughout the camp, and let every man kill his brother, every man his companion, and every man his neighbor.’” So the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And about three thousand men of the people fell that day.”
Now skip ahead to the end result of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.... Acts 2:41, “Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.”
Romans 7:5-6 stated aptly, “For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death. But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.”
3. Never miss the forest through the trees.
Though the coming of the Spirit brought with it a physical demonstration, we see a greater physical demonstration yielded from the lives the Spirit had been poured out upon (a demonstration universal in scope). Luke tells us that following the filling of the Holy Spirit they “began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
Though next week we’ll deal with the topic of “tongues” don’t miss the obvious point.... the filling of the Holy Spirit was made evidenced by the outward manifestation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Power was present in their lives because this power yielded tangible results (gifts and fruit) from their lives.
Though “speaking in tongues” is one of these gifts, the Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 these gifts aren’t limited to tongues.... “There are diversities of gifts.... But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, to another faith, gifts of healings, the working of miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.”
Galatians 5, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”
From these 4 verses: What do you need to experience the filling of the Holy Spirit?
1. You need to be a Christian.
We have a phrase we use within Christianity that I find to be confusing.... we invite people to be saved by telling them to “ask Jesus into your heart.” We’ll even lead them in prayer, “Lord, please come into my heart and save me from my sins.”
It’s interesting, but you will never find this invitation presented in Scripture for two basic reasons: (1). It’s impossible for Jesus to come into your heart and live there. (2). Salvation isn’t “asking” God for anything, rather it’s making a conscious decision to “accept” everything Jesus has done for me, forsake all else, and follow Him.
Mark 8, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.”
Acts 16:31, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.”
John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
What immediately follows is regeneration through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
John 3, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.... unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”
Romans 8, “You are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit, he is not His....”
2. You need to set the conditions.
2 Corinthians 6, “For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? For you are the temple of the living God.... Therefore “Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.” “I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters....” Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”
We often overlook this single reality concerning the Holy Spirit.... He is the “Holy” Spirit! I’ve heard it said, “Power is minimized when purity is compromised!” Please understand God’s glory and the Holy Spirit’s power is most manifested through a life seeking to be pure and righteous before Him. For many of us “repentance of sin” is the first step for a greater filling of the Spirit of God!
3. Ask in faith for a fresh filling.
Matthew 7:7-11, “If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”