“I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭24‬:‭49‬-‭53‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The story wasn’t finished. It had just begun.  

What a promise! Jesus’ final words to His disciples! Without this assurance, their mission would be a failure before they started. Guaranteed! 

Had they not proved, despite their years of intimate association with Jesus, that all He was…all He taught them…all He had done in their presence…could never rub off on them! Not even the joy that surged through them at that moment, would be able to sustain them…empower them…in the days to come. They must face the same torrent of abuse and rejection from their own people and the Roman world as their Master had faced…and overcome.  They must carry a message to the world that would be ridiculed and rejected or…embraced with joy and hope.  

What Jesus promised them at that moment was the same divine Presence and Energy that had sustained and empowered Him throughout His earthly life. He had endured and triumphed in the first test in the wilderness…alone…in His weakest physical moment…against His sworn, implacable enemy…and beaten him through the greatest power on earth…the Holy Spirit…who had come upon Him  and equipped Him with the Word…”It is written!”

Jesus was the Word! He lived the Word. He walked in the Word. He  taught the Word. He fought with the Word. He overcame all opposition by the Word, empowered by the Spirit who authored the Word. There was no greater promise…no greater guarantee…for these weak and vulnerable men, than that the Spirit would clothe them with unassailable authority and power to carry out their mandate and overcome against all odds…through the power of the Word. 

The disciples followed their Master’s instructions. They returned to Jerusalem, fully convinced of the promise. They spent their days in the temple, God’s ”house of prayer”, in fervent worship, joyful praise, and eager expectation.

The sequel…

Jesus said,”Wait!”…so they waited…one day…two days…three days…seven days…nine days…! How much longer? Ten days…and with it came the Feast of Pentecost…the ingathering of the harvest…and then it happened!

“Pentecost”, the last of the spring feasts of Israel, had “fully come”, the moment when the high priest poured water through “leavened bread”. 

What did this symbolise?

“Passover” was the picture of sacrifice…the atonement for sin…Jesus, the Passover Lamb. “Unleavened bread” symbolised the removal of sin…the blood of Jesus. “First fruits” heralded the promise of the harvest…Jesus, the first fruits of the resurrection. “Pentecost” celebrated the full harvest…resurrection to new life of all who believe…the Holy Spirit poured through imperfect people…

When the day of Pentecost had “fully come”, when the high priest had performed the final ritual of the water poured through leavened bread…

 “When the day of Pentecost (fully…Greek sumplereo – meaning “to swamp” or “ fill up” )came , they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬-‭4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The Holy Spirit fell…“sumplereo”…. He ”swamped…filled up” all who were waiting for Him. The final spring feast, fulfilling all of Messiah’s mission to earth, was  accomplished…and the result was electrifying.  

Pandemonium broke out! Every single person from all over the known world, who had gathered in  Jerusalem for the feast, heard the message of God’s glory pouring from the lips of those who had been swamped by the wind and fire of the Spirit. 

What had just happened? Were these men drunk? Not likely! Not this early in the morning! Something much bigger than liquor had overwhelmed them. The watching crowd had never seen anything like this before.  

The disciples looked at Peter, nudged Peter…Peter the motormouth…Peter the coward…Peter the self-appointed spokesman…Peter stood up and began to speak! Not in a strange language but in the familiar tones of a Galilean, what came from his mouth was new…inspired…wisdom and truth from the holy book he now understood. By supernatural revelation and the overpowering Presence of the Holy Spirit, Peter’s words made sense of the chaotic scene. 

“This is God! This is prophecy at work! This is Eden undone! God has arrived to complete His plan. The Holy Spirit has returned to all mankind to live in and restore! Everything broken will be fixed…everyone sick will be healed. New life for all who believe in Jesus, our long-awaited Messiah!”

Then came the indictment! “You rejected Him! You condemned Him! You killed Him!” Peter’s words cut like a surgeon’s scalpel…right to the heart. 

“But God…” Divine intervention changed everything. 

“The message is for you…you who condemned Him…you who killed Him! This was God’s plan all along. Take heart. There is mercy. Come back to God’s way. You can all have a share in the blessing promised to Abraham!”

And they come…three thousand on one day! Jesus promised to build His church…the foundation laid…and the building began. 

The end of part 1.