After his resurrection, Jesus says to his disciples:
''Do not leave Jerusalem, but remain there waiting for the promise of the Father, about which you have heard from me, to be fulfilled.'' (Acts 1:4)
They had to wait in Jerusalem and not return to their native Galilee. And surely the latter was obvious!? Why not leave Jerusalem? Waiting for the coming of the Holy Spirit.
It will happen in a few days, Jesus says in Acts 1:5. Did He know this would be on the Feast of Pentecost? What will happen then? That too is clearly stated by Jesus:
'But when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will receive power and bear witness to me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, to the ends of the earth. (Acts 1:8).
And then comes the day of Pentecost. Acts 2:1-4.
When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together. Suddenly there sounded from heaven a sound as of a violent gust of wind, which completely filled the house where they were. A kind of flames appeared to them, spreading out like tongues of fire and settling on each of them, and all were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak loudly in foreign languages, as prompted by the Spirit.
And then Peter comes forward and says: What is happening here now was announced by the prophet Joel (Acts 2:16).
The Pentecostal event was not a one-time event but keeps repeating itself. It happens again in Samaria when Peter and John come there (Acts 8) and again in the house of Cornelius in Caesarea, a Roman centurion, a chief over a hundred (Acts 10).
What have we seen so far?
First, that at key moments in Jesus' life and ministry, the Holy Spirit plays a leading role. This is at his birth, his baptism, his ministry on earth and his replacement after his ascension. The latter is also called his return in the Spirit.
Second, we see that Jesus taught his disciples that these main moments will also have a place in their lives.
There is an analogy between the master and his students.
Author: Gijs van den Brink
From: Study Bible Magazine
