“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.” Acts 1:8
The cooking is done, and the decorations are down. The plastic eggs and baskets are put away, the kids have finally come down from their sugar high, and the spirit of all things bunny and chick is long gone.
Ah, Easter is over.
The days after Easter can often feel dull and boring. There’s nothing to do, and seemingly nothing to look forward to. The disciples likely went through a similar experience just after Jesus’ death on the cross. They might have looked at each other and thought, “Now what do we do?”
Soon, however, the disciples discovered an empty tomb. But little did they know they were also about to meet someone special- the Holy Spirit.
Jesus’ Final Appearances
At the end of John, Jesus appears to the disciples on the same day of His resurrection.
“Then, the same day at evening…Jesus came and stood in the midst and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’ When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.” (John 20:19–20)
He continued to appear to them several more times for the next 40 days:
- On the road to Emmaus with two of the disciples (Luke 24:13–32)
- In the upper room, where Thomas put his finger in the Lord’s hands and side (John 20:26–29), and Jesus rebuked eleven of the disciples for their unbelief (Mark 16:14)
- In Galilee, where He cooked breakfast on the beach and appointed Peter as the head of the budding church (John 21)
- On the Mount of Olives, where He introduced the Holy Spirit to the world (Acts 2:1-4).
The last time the disciples saw Jesus was on the Day of Pentecost, fifty days after His resurrection. The day is special for two reasons: It was the day Jesus ascended (back) to heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father, and it is the day He gave us the Holy Spirit, which He had spoken about twice in the book of John.
“And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper that He may abide with you forever — the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him for He dwells in you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.” (John 14:16–18)
“But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.” John 15:26
Pentecost is perhaps the least acknowledged occasion in the Christian faith. Unlike in years past, most modern churches never mention it. Yet it is a vital component of the Christian faith that merits more attention.
Why Pentecost is Special
Genesis 1:1 explains to us about God the Father. The Christmas story and Easter tell us about Jesus, the Son. Similarly, Pentecost reflects the fulfilled promise of the Holy Spirit. The event dramatically changed the world and the way Christians live.
Before Pentecost, one could only experience the Holy Spirit’s power through Jesus’ physical presence. Since His ascension, we now experience His presence spiritually wherever we go, whatever we do, and in every situation. His Spirit is alive inside every believer, and that is powerful stuff.
The Holy Spirit plays a vital role in a believer’s life. He gives us power over temptation and sin and to overcome our challenges and find victory. His power allows us to find compassion and forgiveness for those we think are unworthy, discern right from wrong, and seek and choose goodness, righteousness, and justice (Matthew 6:43–48). It is because of Him that we can be obedient to God.
Think about the fruits of the Holy Spirit that prove our faith in Christ in Galatians 5:22– love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The Spirit gives us the power to do them all.
God gives us the power to do many good things, but our ability only comes through the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit and the Great Commission
Before Jesus’ ascension, He gave the disciples the Great Commission. Note that it is not the same as the Great Commandment.
The Great Commandment is to love God and love others as you love God (Matthew 22:36–40). The Great Commission is for us to spread the gospel throughout the world.
We find the Great Commission in both Luke 24:46-48 and Acts 1:8. Luke tells us,
“Then He said to them, ‘Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things.’”
Acts 1:8 says something similar but with a particular promise:
“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, to the end of the earth.”
Notice that the disciples could only begin successfully spreading the gospel after they received power from the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. We have the same mission today and to fulfill it through the power of the Holy Spirit. He is the lynchpin through which believers can confidently share their faith and draw others to Jesus.
Pentecost and Prophecy
Another critical aspect of Pentecost concerns Acts 1:6, where the disciples ask Jesus, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom of Israel?”
Ezekiel 36 and 39 prophesy that Jesus would re-establish His kingdom, but only after the Holy Spirit had come.
“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your God.” (Ez 36:26-28)
“And I will not hide My face from them anymore, for I shall have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel.” (Ez 39:29)
Other prophets similarly foretold the power of the Holy Spirit—Isaiah 44:3; 59:21, and Joel 2:28-29. These prophecies were ultimately fulfilled in Acts 2 on the Day of Pentecost.
Though the Spirit has been with us since that day over 2,000 years ago, we have yet to see Jesus’ second coming. But, because the Spirit has already arrived, we know that Jesus is coming again at some point. We have that assurance based on Scripture.
Dystopia
Consider now what the world would be like without the Holy Spirit.
If He is the one who gives us the power to be godly and righteous…if He’s the one who leads us and makes us wise…if He’s the one who helps us overcome our struggles (physical, mental, emotional, situational, etc.) and empowers us with compassion…what would the world be like if He was not here?
Think about that for a second.
Without the Day of Pentecost and the arrival of the Holy Spirit, the world would be in utter chaos. Anarchy, selfishness, cruelty, and other varieties of evil and more would be abjectly and culturally normal.
Yes, a Christian might still endure it all, but it would not be easy. Indeed, we would still have forgiveness of sin and the hope of heaven because of Jesus. But to share that forgiveness and compassion with others, to make good decisions and be loving and kind to our enemies as He commands (Mt 5:43-44; Lk 6:27-28) would be challenging, if not eventually a perpetual afterthought. Even worse, we would be teaching this to our children.
Essentially, we would regress to the days before Jesus came. Brother against brother, vengeance and retribution, widespread oppression and discrimination, loss of freedom, fear, panic, and a complete lack of grace and compassion for others.
Without the Holy Spirit, our lives would not be easy. It would be endlessly challenging, frustrating, and stressful as we deal with the world around us. Without Him, the world would be simply dystopian as Satan’s influence runs amok.
Believers should be very thankful for the Holy Spirit. He is our daily comforter, helper, guide, and counselor. He is our power against principalities (Eph 6:12), enabling us to love with a godly love and draw others to salvation.
The Spirit is Alive Inside Us
Jesus may have ascended to His throne, but His Spirit lingers in our hearts, daily sanctifying and leading us into all righteousness. Through His Spirit, He pours out His immense love and blessings to His children, proving His eternal faithfulness to keep His promise every day.
“And the LORD, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you. Do not fear nor be dismayed.” (Dt 31:8)
Easter may be over, but we can joyously look forward every year to celebrating Pentecost and Jesus’ overabundant gift of the Holy Spirit. And because of Him, we can make a difference for the kingdom of God.
This Pentecost, take a moment to appreciate the incredible gift of the Holy Spirit, and ask yourself, where would you be without Him?
