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PENTECOST AND THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE COMING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

by bruno sebrechts  
4/14/2021 / Bible Studies


“He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things” (Eph 4:10).

Isaiah had called God's people to prepare the way of the Lord, and he had promised an outpouring of the Spirit (Isa 44:3). For centuries, God’s people were waiting for this special presence to arrive. At Pentecost, that promise was fulfilled.

Jesus’ resurrection confirmed his right to the Davidic throne (Ps 2:7; Acts 13:33). From David we remember that he attained the throne by battle and in stages. Isaiah prophesied that death would be destroyed (Isa 25:8). The beginning of the announced glorious new creation (Isa 65:17) is seen in the resurrected Christ and the outpouring of the Spirit.

A Humble Path through a World still in Darkness

Just as salvation has been secured through the abject humility of Christ’s death, the resurrected Christ continues his saving work through very ordinary, fallible people who are empowered by the Holy Spirit. In contrast to worldly methods, Christ stays in the background, neither intervening nor forcing belief on an unbelieving world (John 14:22, Heb 2:8b), only revealing himself to those who welcome him.

After Pentecost, the physical, political, and formal religious world remained unchanged or maybe even more hostile.[1] But united through the cross, the believers found hope, power, and new life in the abiding Holy Spirit. In the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, Jesus shared his full victory with the believers in a personal and prophetic way. They received an inner new life with the prospect of full restoration after death or at Christ’s return.[2] Persecutions were real, but even more was their experience of the resurrected Christ by the Holy Spirit, and the assurance of God’s final victory, even as they went through suffering and death.

His kingdom is like a fishing net thrown into the sea, seemingly hidden but already at work out of sight (Matt 13:47).

The final victory is in sight

At Pentecost, Jesus’ authority acquired a new dimension, for the forces of darkness were exposed and “realigned” (see 1 Pet 3:22). This means that the final victory of God is in sight,[3] and the church can already share in this victory: "He put all things in subjection under his feet and gave him to be head over all things for the assembly, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all" (Eph 1:22–23).

Pentecost was the public confirmation of the glorious enthronement of Jesus as Savior, King, and Lord (Acts 2:33–36). Although in general terms he has always been the almighty King (Ps 103:19), Pentecost confirms his exalted position regarding the redemption of the world and the appointment of a redeemed creation as his inheritance (Heb 2:9–18).

The outpouring of the Holy Spirit marks the beginning of the blessings of the new covenant,[4] and is consistent with the principle of progressive, ongoing salvation.[5] The Holy Spirit cleanses and renews the believer (Titus 3:5), yet the command to be filled by the Holy Spirit faces an ongoing challenge (Eph 5:18; 2 Cor 3:18).

Pentecost is about more than announcing that Christ’s kingdom is at hand; it confirms that the Savior-King had effectively taken his place on the throne to continue his redemptive work in and through his children.

The exaltation of the Victor was accompanied by a visible outpouring of the Holy Spirit on his people.[6] The believers enter the sphere of Christ’s new kingdom, no longer dominated by the spirit of this world, but assisted by the heavenly "advocate" (John 14:16–17). Pentecost confirmed the available redemption and marked the beginning of the church as the body of Christ. After his exaltation, Jesus intended his victory to be reflected in his people. He poured out his Spirit as a pledge of our inheritance. Paul describes the gift of the Spirit as a “down-payment” and a “firstfruit” (2 Cor 1:22; 5:5; Eph 1:14; Rom 8:23).

The Process of Putting All Enemies Under the Feet of Christ

During Jesus’ earthly ministry, when he raised a "horn of salvation" (Luke 1:69) [7], a symbol of strength to expel enemies, his authoritative words and acts were groundbreaking. The signs of his coming kingdom were signs of hope to even the weakest and most tormented of people. Yet Pentecost, the feast of the harvest, meant harvesting the benefits of Christ’s sufferings and resurrection.

When Peter explained to the crowd what was happening, he referred to Psalm 110: "The Lord said to my Lord, 'Sit by my right hand, until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet'" (Acts 2:34–35). The Gospels reveal the signs of the kingdom, but at Pentecost, Peter talked about Christ on the throne and about his enemies being gradually placed under his feet,[8] totally stripped of any authority. But because God prefers not to intervene by violence in human affairs, there are currently two mechanisms at work: the influence of the dark forces, which may still expand their scope, and the decline of these forces, which has started (2 Thess 2:7–8; Luke 20:18).

Pentecost: A New Emphasis

Christ’s ministry while walking the earth was accompanied by signs and wonders; but since Pentecost, the conquering power of the Spirit receives the greatest emphasis. Although the Spirit’s work is also accompanied by supernatural signs, the gifts and fruits of the Spirit, with all its variety, became the new norm (Heb 2:4; Eph 4:8).

To grasp the value and the relativity of signs, let’s imagine that you employ a cleaning lady and invite a vacuum cleaner salesman to demonstrate his product to her. Knowing where dust usually accumulates, the salesman is able to impress easily. Months later, you find that the cleaning lady hardly vacuums and the house is no cleaner. If she simply repeats the salesman's stunt from time to time to impress you, would you be satisfied?

The salesman’s demonstration could be compared to the miraculous signs before Pentecost—signs pointing to God's in-breaking kingdom—and the cleaning woman to the mission of the church to reveal God’s character through the humble aspects of Christian service. Although miraculous signs and divine character do not compete, excitement about miracles alone is not a reliable indicator of genuine spiritual life.

The birth of the church is accompanied by an emphasis on the deep inner renewal by the Holy Spirit. There is a significant difference between Jesus’ command to his disciples early in his ministry and the one he gave them after his resurrection. The first command was: "As you go, preach, saying, “The kingdom of Heaven is at hand! Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, and cast out demons.’" (Matt 10:7-8). And later: "“Go into all the world, and preach the Gospel to the whole creation. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; … They will cast out demons; … they will lay hands on the sick" (Mark 16:15–19). Personal salvation is not something entirely new, but it is very central to this second command. Baptism is also introduced as a symbol of transition from an old to a new life. Signs and miracles, including the casting out of evil spirits, are no longer primarily a sign of the coming kingdom, but rather a confirmation from heaven of their preaching, which is focused on grace and personal transformation (Mark 16:20; Acts 14:3).

When Peter preached at Pentecost, to repent and be baptized was the core of his call. His approach would not consist of walking through the town, casting out evil spirits at random, or in announcing that God's kingdom was at hand. Soon later Peter was involved in miraculous healings and deliverances, yet the emphasis remained on the central message that Jesus died and rose again, and the call to repentance. This shift in emphasis was a logical consequence of the crucifixion and resurrection (e.g., John 16:12). [9] From then on, the message was explicitly associated with repentance, baptism, putting off the old life, and becoming a part of a new community. These themes were already present in the Gospels in a bud- or blossom-like form, but then they started to fully bloom.

We see a shift from the typical signs announcing the kingdom in the Gospels, to particular facts concerning our salvation. Changing water into wine, the multiplication of the loaves, walking on water—all these demonstrated the power of Christ to usher in a whole new world. We do not find such miracles in the book of Acts.

The Devil Remains an Active Adversary

Just as our being filled with the Holy Spirit doesn’t happen outside our will but requires our receptiveness (Eph 5:18), so also our cooperation is required in realizing victory over our spiritual enemies (1 Pet 5:9; 1 John 2:14).

Because the victory of Christ over Satan and his demons doesn’t mean that these forces are now powerless in themselves, the spiritual battle is never to be regarded as just an illusion. The complete victory over Satan and the humiliation of his kingdom is a multi-stage event.[10] We see similarities with military victories, which are achieved through preparation, correct strategic steps, battles, perseverance, final victory, and the development of new structures.

The victory of Christ is often compared to the Second World War’s D-Day and VE-Day. When the Allied forces landed in Normandy on D-Day, the decisive battle was fought to turn the tide of the war. However, more battles had to take place before the war actually came to an end (“VE-Day”). Just so, the decisive spiritual battle was fought at the cross. But the final victory will come at the end of history.

Jesus combats Satan in successive stages:

  • During his earthly life: in the wilderness, through his preaching, in the signs of the kingdom, and on the cross as the “legal” part of salvation.
  • Ever since Pentecost: progressive salvation in and through the life of the believers.
  • In the future: the final reckoning.

The Last Days

We now live in the interval between the cross/Pentecost and that final reckoning. In biblical terms, we live in the last days. We are no longer subordinate to Satan, but this does not mean that he is no longer a serious opponent. God gave us a victorious position in Christ, but we still need to fight, just as David had to endure many struggles before his reign would extend over all Israel, despite the fact that Samuel had anointed him to be king when he was just a boy. Until Satan and his angels are judged and separated, our struggle with them continues, and the intensity of the fight will increase rather than decrease (John 9:4).[11]

But Jesus' words concerning the Holy Spirit comfort  us. He  made the promise based upon the Holy Spirit's coming to us and living in us: "I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you" (John 14:18).

The Spirit wants to live in us and fill our hearts unto "all the fullness of God" (Eph. 3:16-19). The Spirit is always there - always in us - to do God's work. We are never alone!

Let's embrace and live in these truths!

 

[1] “For nearly three centuries, of course with varying intensity, the name of Jesus of Nazareth and his followers was a name of shame, hateful and despised. Not only among the Roman idolaters was ‘the Name’ spoken against with intense bitterness (see the expressions used by men like Tacitus, Suetonius, and Pliny), but also among his own nation, the Jews, was Jesus known as ‘the Deceiver,’ ‘that Man,’ ‘the Hung.’ These were common expressions used in the great rabbinical schools which flourished in the early days of Christianity.” H. D. Spence and J. S. Exell, eds., 'Pulpit Commentary' (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1958 reprint), Luke 2:34.

[2] “An unbreakable bond or unity exists between Christ and Christians in the experience of resurrection. This bond has two components—one that has already taken place, at the beginning of Christian life when the sinner is united to Christ by faith, and one that is still future, at Christ’s return.… At the core of their beings, they are already raised.” Richard B. Gaffin Jr., “Resurrection and Redemption: How Eschatology and the Gospel Relate,” 'Modern Reformation', Vol. 8.1, 1999, 23–26.

[3] “By the cross he triumphed in the sphere of justice over all powers that are hostile to God. But in the state of exaltation, consequently, he has also been given the divine right, the divine appointment, the royal power and prerogatives to carry out the work of re-creation in full, to conquer all his enemies, to save all those who have been given him, and to perfect the entire kingdom of God.” Herman Bavinck, 'Reformed Dogmatics: Sin and Salvation in Christ', vol. 3 (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2006), 474.

[4] “The Old Testament Pentecost celebrated the actual use of the completed grain harvest. The Israelites officially began to cook and eat of the grain that they had been harvesting for more than a month and a half. They were now officially and personally benefitting from the provisions. Similarly, the New Testament Pentecost celebrated the actual functioning of all the benefits that Christ had prepared during the past month and a half.... All of these great provisions became operational.” Pettegrew, 'The New Covenant Ministry of the Holy Spirit', 89.

[5] “For Paul, the present bestowal of the Spirit on believers is a sign of the coming of the end and the means by which believers are being conformed to the life of salvation.... The motif of progress in salvation can be traced endlessly in Scripture.” Green, 'Salvation', 131–32.

[6] See Ps 133:2: “It is as beautiful as olive oil poured on Aaron's head and running down his beard and the collar of his robe.” This anointing is an Old Testament counterpart of the bestowal of the Holy Spirit on the body of believers. It is shared alike by Jesus the High Priest (the head) and the entire membership of his priestly body.

[7] A horn (its blast) was used to start a battle (Josh 6:5), and a horn was a symbol of the power of God's salvation (horns of the altar), but also a symbol of general powers (Ps 75:4–10), power to gain victory over the enemies (1 Sam 2:10).

[8] “The point of Ps 110:1 is not merely achievement of a sovereign position of rule; rather, the focus is on the beginning achievement of that rule: ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.’ Ps 110:2 expands further on this inaugurated rule: ‘Rule in the midst of your enemies.’... This Psalm strikingly shows that the ‘already and not yet’ eschatology was prophesied in the OT itself.” G. K. Beale, 'A New Testament Biblical Theology', 286.

[9] Jesus announced additional instructions (also John 14:26).

[10] Naugle calls Christ’s victory an “opening victory” over sin, death, and Satan. “We are still living under the residual influence of sin, death, and Satan, even though Christ has defeated these enemies and broken their powers. There is an overlapping of the ages—this age and the age to come” David K. Naugle, 'Reordered Love, Reordered Lives: Learning the Deep Meaning of Happiness' (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2008), 179.

[11] “The nearer the returning Christ comes to this eon the more the opposing forces mass their strength and the more energetically the Adversary mobilizes his last reserves, until the demonic excesses reach their climax and Christ returns and the new aeon of God begins.” Thielicke, 'Man in God’s world', 195; “We are not to think of the present age as a period of time between two periods of Holy War, but as an intensification, a heightening of that warfare. And then a further heightening will take place at the consummation.” Tremper Longman III, “The Divine Warrior: The New Testament Use of an Old Testament Motif.“ 'Biblical Theological Articles' 9/14. Online: http://www.beginningwithMoses.org.

Bruno Sebrechts is a counselor and Bible teacher with over twenty-five years of pastoral experience. He saw God at work, especially in the healing/deliverance of the most damaged believers. His writings are the result of his extensive experience and continuous study. See www.LightInOurDarkness.net

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