The day the SPIRIT came:

The events of the day of Pentecost were extraordinary!
The story is told in full in Acts chapter 2. Following his resurrection, the Lord Jesus devoted 40 days to proving that he was truly alive and teaching the apostles about the kingdom of God. He instructed them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait for the gift promised by the Father. They were to be baptised with the Holy Spirit before beginning preaching the gospel to ‘the ends of the earth’. Then Jesus was ‘taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight’ (Ascension Day). Angels assured them that the same Jesus ‘will come back’ in the same way as they had seen him go into heaven.

The day of Pentecost found the apostles and others waiting for the Spirit’s coming. Suddenly, there was a sound like the blowing of a mighty wind that filled the entire house. Then there was something to see, fire that appeared then divided to settle on each person, and they were filled with the Holy Spirit, resulting in the speaking of languages they had not learned. Evidently this language was not gibberish, but foreign languages which nationals from five different language groups could understand. Those who spoke were ‘declaring the wonders of God’ .

The coming of the Spirit at Pentecost was a once-and -for-all experience – like Christmas, Good Friday and Easter Day. The Spirit came to equip the apostles and believers for the commission Jesus had given them. His abiding presence would empower, guide and strengthen them in their task.
These amazing signs of the Spirit’s coming had significance. They were clearly necessary. Not only was it essential that the apostles should know that the promised Spirit had come, but being ‘Spirit’ (the word is the same as ‘breath’ and ‘wind’) he is unseen. The signs also symbolised three things about the Spirit and his work among them: his power (wind), his purity (fire) and his purpose in coming (tongues) - to glorify God.

Without the indwelling Spirit, the Church would be lifeless – a corpse! Without the indwelling Spirit the Christian life would be impossible – faithless, powerless, prayerless, fruitless, giftless, and graceless. Thankfully the Spirit has been given to enable the Church to be a living witness to Christ, a loving family for all God’s people, and a place where believers are nurtured in Bible truth. Thankfully too, every Christian is indwelt by the Spirit, and specifically gifted to contribute to the ministry of the local church.

Power, purity and praise are the characteristics of the Spirit and of his work in the Church and the individual Christian. We cannot do without him. He gives us new life, he leads us to repentance, he brings us to Christ in faith, he indwells us to make us more like Jesus. The apostle Paul describes him as ‘a seal guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession – to the praise of his glory’.
(Ephesians 1:13-14).
What more could we ask - or need - to be faithful disciples of Jesus Christ?