Chapter 4 · Encounter 43 of 48
Power from on High
Prepare
Jesus told his followers to wait in Jerusalem for the promised gift of the Father. That promise arrives at the Festival of Pentecost.
As you read, notice the signs accompanying the Spirit's coming, how Peter explains what has happened, and who he says the promise is for.
Read Scripture
Open each passage here without leaving this Encounter.
Acts 2:1–4; 2:14–18; 2:37–39
Acts 2:1-4
The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost
1When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
Acts 2:14-18
Peter Addresses the Crowd
14Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! 16No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
17“ ‘In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
18Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy.
Acts 2:37-39
37When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
38Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
Ponder
- Wind, fire, and speech accompany the Spirit's coming at Pentecost in Acts 2:1–4. What do these signs suggest about God's presence and activity? How does this moment connect with what you've encountered about God's dwelling among Israel in the tabernacle and temple?
Acts 2:1-4
The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost
1When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
- Peter explains Pentecost by quoting from Joel's promise that God will pour out his Spirit upon all kinds of people (Joel 2:28-32). What does the breadth of this promise reveal about God's purposes? How might it challenge assumptions about who can receive his Spirit and participate in his work?
Joel 2:28-32
The Day of the Lord
28“And afterward,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your old men will dream dreams,
your young men will see visions.
29Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days.
30I will show wonders in the heavens
and on the earth,
blood and fire and billows of smoke.
31The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.
32And everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved;
for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem
there will be deliverance,
as the Lord has said,
even among the survivors
whom the Lord calls.
Look Again
Think back to Exodus 40 The Glory of the Lord 34Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 35Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 36In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; 37but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out—until the day it lifted. 38So the cloud of the Lord was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the Israelites during all their travels.Exodus 40:34-38
Now return to Acts 2:3–4 3They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.Acts 2:3-4
Notice the difference. God's presence is not being confined to another sacred structure. The Spirit is being poured out upon the gathered followers of Jesus. And notice, too, the end of Acts 2:39 39The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”Acts 2:39
What does this connection reveal about the kind of people God is forming as his dwelling place?
Practice
Take a few moments to consider what it means that God has given his Spirit to his people—including you, if you belong to Christ. You are not simply someone who admires God's work from a distance. He has invited you to participate in it.
Throughout your day, ask the Holy Spirit to make you attentive to his presence and willing to serve as a witness to Christ. Then look for one opportunity to speak or act in a way that makes something of Jesus's character known to another person.
Prayer
Thank God for pouring out his Spirit on all kinds of people, including you. Speak honestly about fears or doubts that make it difficult to approach him with confidence. Ask the Spirit to deepen your trust in the Father's love and to lead you faithfully in the Shepherd's ways.
Ask him to fill you afresh, to open your eyes to the ways he’s at work in others, and to make you part of a community that bears witness to him.