The Purpose of Pentecost

It may come as surprise to some Christians that the main purpose of the Day of Pentecost was not to make speaking in tongues available to believers. The experience was certainly part of the package, as is clearly seen in Acts chapter 2, but when Jesus taught his disciples about what was about to happen, only once did he mention speaking in a “new tongue” (Mark 16:17) and that was on the day of his Ascension. I speak in tongues, as do millions of Christians, and I encourage others to do so. But this experience is not the “be all and end all” of the Christian life.

Let’s look again at what Jesus said about the coming Day of Pentecost and see if he reveals its purpose. “For John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now” (Acts 1:5 ESV). The word “baptized” means to be covered wholly with a fluid, to be totally immersed in the subject, here with John it is water, and with spirit “not many days from now.” In Luke’s gospel he speaks of being “clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:49 ESV), completely covered with power. This is therefore stronger, more comprehensive than having the spirit for just a period of time for a particular task, as in the Old Testament. In John’s gospel we learn that “the Spirit of truth… dwells with you and will be in you,” that is, within the believer (John 14:17).

“Whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father” (John 14:12). It is difficult to believe this means greater in quality but certainly can mean greater in quantity. Instead of just a few people, thousands times thousands would be doing the same works as Jesus did.

Acts 10:38 sums up the ministry of Jesus: “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.” And at Pentecost God anointed the believers with the same spirit and power (Luke 24:49), so they could go about doing good and healing the sick, for they know God is with them.

“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth…” (John 14:16-17). “Another” here means another of the same kind, not different but similar. KJV uses the word “Comforter” and the Amplified Bible adds “Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby.” Is there an “Amen” anywhere? Whatever Jesus was to his disciples, the spirit is to us. “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you” (John 14:26). So we can add Teacher to the list!

“But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me“ (John 15:26). So the spirit within will help us to know Jesus more intimately — his attitudes, will, desires for our lives. The spirit helps us to be what Annie Johnson Flint wrote: “Christ has no hands but our hands to do His work today; He has no feet but our feet to lead men in His way; He has no tongue but our tongues to tell men how He died; He has no help but our help to bring them to His side.”

“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you” (John 16:13-15). The spirit is again our teacher, guiding us into all truth. In web terms, the spirit provides the answers to our questions like a FAQ page does. The spirit is like a GPS device, showing us the road to follow.

“But you will receive power when [not after] the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). The believers started to fulfill this statement on the Day of Pentecost, when the multitude of Jews from other nations heard “them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God” (Acts 2:11b). The Lord added 3,000 believers to the family of God in Acts chapter 2 and another 5,000 in Acts chapter 4, and millions since.

There are more verses I haven’t quoted, but you have enough to see the magnificence of God’s plan in sending the spirit on the Day of Pentecost to all believers. Let us rejoice together on the Day of Pentecost for this gift from our loving Father.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]