The Holy Spirit At Pentecost

“How do you explain the giving of the Holy Spirit on the night of resurrection and the giving on Pentecost? What I mean is, why the two? …the significance of each. Hope I make sense. Ask the Teacher.”  

That was the question which came to me. This is the question that has been unfolded to the point where we are clear in our minds, to confess with personal surety that we know these truths. There are not two or three different Spirits, but one Spirit. He is the One, ever-present, ever-working Spirit.

In the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, the Holy Spirit is there, from beginning to end. Note, with interest, that at the beginning, in the first Book of the Bible, the Holy Spirit is as present and prominent as ever. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. Genesis 1: 1 – 2. Yes! The Spirit is there present in the beginning. We travel to the end of the given Books in the Bible and there, in the final chapter of the final Book, we have the same Spirit, as present, prominent and powerful as ever. The Spirit and the bride say, Come! And let him who hears say, Come! Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life. Revelations 22: 17.  O how we are reminded of Jesus and see Him plainly in the Spirit.

Earlier we were reminded of these Scripture verses. The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. Genesis 2: 7. Here, God is the Person who does the breathing into man.  And with that he breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’ If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven. John 20: 22 – 23. Jesus is the Person who does the breathing on His disciples. We all believe and receive that God’s breathing into man to put life into him, and the Resurrected Jesus, breathing on His disciples to put new life into them, all mean the giving of the same Spirit. What is the point? The point is that the life of the indwelling Spirit is breathed into humans to give them His life, not someone else’s life.

At Pentecost however, the Holy Spirit is the Promise of the Father, to come on the disciples, in order to give them power to be Jesus’ witnesses. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.  Acts 1: 8

This power, this Gift, can only come to them after Jesus leaves and returns to the Father in heaven.  It has been brought to my attention and given prominent place in my understanding, that unless Jesus returned, or left in the flesh, the Holy Spirit would not come upon them in power, to witness to the resurrection. What am I saying?   

We are shown this fact in John the Baptist and Jesus.

You will agree with me that this theme is rolling on and we are ready to keep receiving. In light of this, we want to carry it on in the week to come. We want to gather as much as we can receive, for our Lord, Teacher Jesus, is always willing, prepared and happy to give the Holy Spirit to all who ask. If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him! Luke 11: 13. Let us never give up in asking.

As you may have guessed, this most interestingly involved and needed work of the Holy Spirit, will be followed through into next week.