THE DESCENT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

ANOTHER PROMISE KEPT.

On Pentecost, 50 days after the Resurection, Jesus fulfilled His promise to His disciples by sending the Holy Spirit, or the Advocate (John 14:26). Before returning to His Father, Jesus told his followers that the Holy Spirit would guide them in truth and give them power from heaven.  The dramatic descent of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost brought about more than the disciples could have ever imagined. The Spirit enabled them to speak in languages that everyone could understand and  transformed their fears so they were able to proclaim God's salvation in Jesus Christ with courage, confidence, and zeal.

The descend of the Holy Spirt on Pentecost also brought about several interesting events in the history of the world:

1. Pentecost marks the day the Trinity was made fully known;

2. It makes the day the Reign of God was made available to all who believed in Jesus Christ;

3. The world entered into what is called the time of the Church or final days when God's Reign is, in part, here on earth.

Pentecost is considered the birthday of the Christian Church. Since Pentecost, the Holy Spirit has been guiding the Church in carrying out its mission to lead people to salvation through Jesus Christ for over 2,000 years. At Liturgy it is the Holy Spirit  who prepares those gathered to receive Christ, transforms the bread and wine into the Body and blood of  Jesus Christ, and transforms the community in the process.  It  is through the prompting of the Holy Spirit that the Church and its members are formed in a life of prayer. The Holy Spirit also guides the Church so that it can teach about faith and morals without error.

There are 9 gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:8-10).  We can see a distinct domain of His administration and distribution in 1 Cor.12:11.

LANGUAGE A BARRIER OR A BRIDGE?

The stroy of the tower of Babel (Genesis 1:28) is an ancient explanation of why the separation between people, symbolized by different languages, occurs. The people ignore God's command and they gather to buid a tower reaching to heaven, a sin of pride and arrogance. God confusses their language to foil their plan. It is not language but pride that separates us.

In the Acts capter 2, language serfes as a bridge. The Spirit serves to unify us, no matter what earthly language we spreak...

• < Prev
• Next >