1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. 5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: "Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs--we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!" 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, "What does this mean?" 13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, "They have had too much wine. "
"They're drunk!"
So this is what the Good News of Jesus actually looks like when it is activated by Spirit-filled disciples? I think we can all agree this is a pretty superficial explanation. Which, of course, is nearly always the case when we're faced with situations we don't understand. We lose all sense of perspective....
But we have to admit...it was pretty amazing stuff. The real story is that God declared Himself with a natural power rarely seen. Wind and fire and miraculous speech. I tried to learn Norwegian. I was a miserable failure. I should have let the Holy Spirit teach me.
He could have sent his Holy Spirit in a more subtle manner. Why didn't he? As my dad used to say in speech class, "the attention step is crucial. If you don't capture your audience there...you don't get them". Which was probably the point of God doing it this way. Either way, the power of the holy Spirit would have been there, but this way it was undeniable.
So this event is all about equating the holy Spirit with absolute power. Raw, natural power. The wind obeys. Fire obeys. Is there anything the Holy Spirit can't do?
Want to see it again? I do...or at least something similar. When the Holy Spirit manifests itself its both exciting and confusing. Like a sanctified Woodstock!
Live boldly out there today...
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