Acts 3-What Does This Mean?

When the day of Pentecost 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. Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”

What does this mean?

Great question!

What’s striking about the question is that it wasn’t the disciples who asked… but those who were gathered in Jerusalem for Pentecost. Let me give you a little background about what is going on here.

We know this to be Pentecost. “Pente” meaning 5 - Pentecost gets it’s name because it marks five - 10 day periods since passover. But it wasn’t always known as Pentecost.

In the OT, this was the festival of SHAVUOTH… Weeks. Also called the Feast of Harvest, or day of First Fruits.

It was one of three pilgrimage festivals when people were to present themselves before the Lord with gifts and offerings. God ordained this harvest festival as a celebration of God’s provision.

Since this was a required festival, Jews had gathered from great distances, making it an appropriate time for God to move.

Around the time of Jesus, The feast also became a time to celebrate Moses bringing the Law at Mt Sinai which Exodus 19 describes as happening 3 months after the passover.

So, here we have Jerusalem filled with people from every nation to celebrate the God’s provision for them. Providing them all that was necessary for life, the food they eat and the Law that gives them their identity.

God chooses this moment make something special happen.

But what happened?

Immediately our minds are drawn to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God appeared. like the sound of a violent wind from heaven… tongues of fire resting on each person… enabling them to be understood in other languages.

This is one part of our walk with Christ that is so mysterious. We refer to it as speaking in tongues, but what is happening here is different from the spiritual gift of speaking in tongues that comes up later in Acts and Paul’s writings that we will talk about later.

But for clarity let me say. Paul, in 1 Corinthians 12-14 goes into great depth on this spiritual gift. He describes it as both a private prayer language, where someone would pray in an unknown language… only understandable to God.

Then he also describes this gift of “glossa” as an act of prophetical revelation where someone would speak in tongues and another person would interpret the message for the people. This one requires two people… a speaker and an interpreter.

Both of these refer to the speaker speaking in a glossa (a language) unknown to the speaker.

But here we have something different going on.

In this case, the disciples are speaking their own language, and the hearers, from all over the world, are hearing in their own - different - languages.

It’s a miracle in the interpretation.

When you think about it, if we had just walked up on this happening we would probably be tempted to have the same thoughts… Who are these people? How is this happening? WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

It’s as though… and it is… that the words they are speaking have been given a unique power to be cross the divide of language.

Think about that. When is the last time in scripture that we had people from every nation under God gathered together?

You have to go way back to Genesis 11 as the people of the world had one language and in an attempt to make a name for themselves, they began to build a tower to heaven. But God came down and confused their languages then scattered the people around the earth.

You see, back in Babel, the people were building something for their own glory, not for God… and God interrupted them.

But now, when the Disciples were testifying as to what God had done in Christ… making a name for God, not themselves… God overrides the curse.

Acts 1:7 NIV

He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.

Just like Jesus said in 1:7, this is a time of His own choosing, in His on way, according to His own plan, God draws them together and again interprets for them… for his own glory.

This is just the beginning… but how did it happen?

How did it happen?

Jesus told them… we read it a couple weeks ago in 1:7-8

Acts 1:7–8 NIV

He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 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.”

It happened because the Spirit of God came upon them. Jesus had promised this would happen as they obeyed him

Up until this point, God’s Spirit worked in and through people at designated times. God would come alongside people at particular times, but now things were different. This time the Holy Spirit was filling God’s people.

If I were a disciple at the time, I think it would have been very tempting to search after this filling… but that’s not what we see the disciples doing.

The disciples were WAITING on, not SEARCHING AFTER, the Spirit.

Instead we find them waiting. But they weren’t waiting like we often think of waiting.

- NETFLIX -

No. These disciples were actively waiting.

Waiting in the PROMISES of Jesus.

John 14:25–27 NIV

“All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Waiting in FAITH IN Jesus.

John 14:15–16 NIV

“If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—

Waiting in WEAKNESS, not CONFIDENCE.

Our inadequacy release God’s sufficiency.

God moves according to His PLAN, not the world’s EXPECTATION.

He always has… and the good news he always will.

Our inadequacy release God’s sufficiency.

“What does this mean” for us today?

Romans 8:22-27, 1 Corinthians 12-14,

Now that God has sent his Spirit… He’s here for all of us.

Every Christian is given the HOLY SPIRIT and GIFTS.

John 3:5 NIV

Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.

2 Corinthians 1:22 NIV

set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

1 Corinthians 12:7–11 NIV

Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

The Spirit will never work against the BIBLE He WROTE.

2 Timothy 3:16–17 NIV

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

We walk in the Spirit by REMAINING in Jesus.

John 15:4 NIV

Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

We receive the Spirit the MOMENT we are SAVED.

Ephesians 1:13–14 NIV

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

The filling of the Spirit is a CONTINUAL PROCESS.

Ephesians 5:18 NIV

Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit,