The Word of God. The disciples had to walk a week away to get to Jerusalem (Acts 1:12). We can internalize that and think that through. A period of unity, one accord, fellowship, love for one another, treating people as equals, not in a completely socialistic manner that we understand from our modern context of socialism, or the welfare type of society. A: Yes, repeatedly Jesus assured them that although He would be put to death by His enemies, He would come back to life by the power of God. What do we do now? After Joseph interpreted Pharaoh's dream about the coming famine, Pharaoh says, "Can we find such a man as this in whom is the Spirit of God?" Read the Bible, discover plans, and seek God every day. If these saints experienced privileges and powers in the Holy Spirit before the dam was opened, how much more should we in these billion kilowatt days experience these things or more. We can accomplish the work of God, and we can then be the firstfruits who follow the Lamb and who know their God and do mighty deeds and mighty exploits. And as we've seen, even when they were confronted with the miracle of Christ's resurrection, and they recognized that they still had to deal with the hostility of the world around them, in a kind of a two-pronged government called the Roman Empire and the Jewish society, plus their own human nature, and themselves. I can't think about it more than five minutes without saying, "So what?" In Revelation chapter 14, we are given an image of the firstfruits, called the 144,000 in this part of the Revelation. He greeted them and showed them his hands and his side. Eighth, some OT believers were enabled by the Spirit to do extraordinary feats of power to help God's people. Afterwards, though, they go about with the boldness described here. And I didn't know how to make a connection. So there is going to be a gap. I was standing there gazing, not quite knowing what to do. Theoretically Correct vs Practical Notation. When they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe. An eyewitness account, there was a lack of belief that put them in the situation here that they did not understand and didn't believe that had actually happened. rev2023.3.1.43269. It did not become true after Jesus said that. This then begins to be the anchor and the soil into which they can anchor a life of faith that they were to have and to develop. I must put my hand where the spear went into his side. Luke 24:49 I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high. Psalm 139:710 says, "Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? Really. They were alone. Pentecost was a Jewish festival fifty days after the Passover. Before that the Holy Spirit came on people for specific gifts and purposes. Acts 1:8 is the vital point about Pentecost. The Christian aeon is a renewed order, a new creation. Chapter 4 takes as its starting point the gift of speaking in tongues from the narrative of Pentecost in Acts 2:1-13. . Centering layers in OpenLayers v4 after layer loading. If I ascend to heaven, thou art there! 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? How can I explain to my manager that a project he wishes to undertake cannot be performed by the team? Praying a Scriptural Rosary is accomplished by praying a traditional Rosary and adding scriptural verses related to each mystery of the Rosary. I also think this is true in some way, but in gospels there is record that Jesus 'gave them authority over devils and diseases and sent them to preach gospel, to heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead. The answer is not Pentecost. And allows us to then grow, because the next few verses here of 2 Peter speaks to a process of spiritual empowerment and growth and development. When Nicodemus was bewildered about Jesus' demand for new birth by the Spirit, Jesus responded (John 3:10), "Are you a teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand this?" The second obvious change in the lives of the disciples was in their spiritual strength. That Christianity grew, after such a brief inception, into the world religion we know to today is testimony to the power of the message Jesus preached. In verse 14, it says, "Then later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table and He rebuked them, rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen." "And all who believed were together and they had all things in common. Best Answer. And it just caused them to proverbially tear their clothes and rush at them and ultimately to the point of Stephen and they stoned him. 3. Then I finally figured out, "Oh, I got to do this myself. So when I pose myself a question like, "How did believers experience the Holy Spirit before Pentecost?" No one could learn that song except the 144,000 who were redeemed from the earth. And so I made a certain few inquiries, I got on the bus, didn't miss it. . In other words, Peter says, we have entered the last days: the Messiah has come, he has accomplished redemption on the cross, he has risen and ascended to the right hand of God, and the interval before he returns in glory will be marked by an incomparable outpouring of the Holy Spirit on men and women, old and young, slave and free, near and far. Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for professors, theologians, and those interested in exegetical analysis of biblical texts. 2Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. Darris is the Associate Media Producer for the Church. By using our website, you accept our use of cookies as described in our Privacy Policy. Copy. With a UCG.org account you will be able to save items to read and study later! I don't think it was an intergalactic tour that He was on to get to the third heaven. But as Christ begins to give them the teaching from the Scriptures, of how He had fulfilled literally, in every way, the scriptures about the Messiah. 157 views, 3 likes, 4 loves, 3 comments, 2 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Mora Grace Lutheran Church: Music used with permission from CCLI PrivacyPolicyTerms ofUse. Browse other questions tagged, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site. The gospels and the book of Acts tell us that would-be zealots and messiahs had come and gone. It is rooted in the Word of God. Labor in the Word, meaning to read the Word, and to learn it, and to soak it in and drink it in; and to live the Word, this past year. Signs and wonders followed their ministration, and they were continually filled with [] Peter says, "Repent, believe, be baptized, you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." And then it came to an end, it came to a close. As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped corruption that is in the world through lust." And in their mouth was found no deceit, for they are without fault before the throne of God.". These are the days of Pentecost, the days of the fullness of the Spirit, the days of worldwide mission. I never have believed in knowledge for its own sake or art for art's sake. Such notions have always struck me as profoundly atheistic. . Surely for a Christian all study and all creative work must justify itself in terms of love. We do well to read about these things, and ask ourselves the simple question: if they experienced so much of God's Spirit which was but a trickle of the reservoir, how much more should we enjoy under the dozen turbines of Pentecost? From the Day of Pentecost, when they had been baptized by the power of the Holy Spirit, they were equipped to go into the world. Behold I send the promise of My Father upon you, but tarryor waitin the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high. It doesn't lie within man's own power to risk his life and stand up for the truth of God and denounce sin. Those in the flesh are devoid of the Spirit and cannot submit to God's law or please God. 'It's a ghost,' they said, and cried out in fear. Peter says, "In the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters will prophesy." Summary of Ideas of the Sunday readings. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified. Jesus was enveloped within a pillar of fire, but was not harmed. A halo was seen glowing brightly above Jesus' head. They need to see within us, Jesus Christ. I think it will make a difference. And not for the reality that the 1st century world would have known and experienced, that other dimension. As I was sitting there gazing around, nobody came. The disciples said to him, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover." Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. They came together, in verse 1 of chapter 2, "On the day of Pentecost when it was fully come, they were with one accord in one place. In Nehemiah 9, Ezra gives thanks to God for all his past benefits to Israel and says in verse 20, "Thou gavest thy good Spirit to instruct them and didst not withhold thy manna from their mouth." The NIV adds the word "disciples," saying, "The disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid." But the word "disciples" is not in the Textus Receptus Greek text. Probably the Spirit was their instructor in two senses. In 2 Peter chapter 1, 2 Peter chapter 1, Peter writes, "Grace and peace be multiplied to you and the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. The Disciples' Sprititual Strength. We live in the days that Isaiah (44:3) and Ezekiel (11:19; 36:26f. And those days you didn't fear getting on a Greyhound bus, and you could go all over the country on a very cheap pass. So here's my answer to why the experience of the Old Testament saints is valuable for us today. But Thomas said, First, I must see the nail scars in his hands and touch them with my finger. 38Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them. 39By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Verse 41, "But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, 'Have you any food?'" And you can begin to imagine how this dynamic begins to must have been being set up within the disciples, because when you begin to doubt one another, you begin to lose trust. If dark matter was created in the early universe and its formation released energy, is there any evidence of that energy in the cmb? And He opened their understanding that they might comprehend the Scriptures.". And you have to understand that and realize that, that's what they were doing during that period of time as well. There are no more decisive turning points in redemptive history that must happen before Jesus returns to establish his kingdom. People need to see that Spirit within us. John 16:7 But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. And it brings it down to the end of the chapter. No longer did they flee like sheep without a shepherd. I like that phrase. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up," and this is through the account here in Luke, then, would be the final bodily appearance of Jesus to them. And God will expose sin, ours to ourselves, sometimes to others. Apparently not. That's how I imagine it and He was home, He was back at, He was at the third heaven. But I had to go to St. Louis about 100 miles north of my hometown and pick up what they called an express bus, that would go through the larger cities. We just get a few snippets from the gospel accounts, at least, of this 40-day period. We are no exception today, as we wait and look for the time when the Kingdom will be restored. The story does not indicate that they were still in that upper room in Acts 2. They'd likely not seen it. Somebody will tap me on the shoulder and tell me what to do next, but you know what? Go you therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: And I looked, and, see, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads. Planned Maintenance scheduled March 2nd, 2023 at 01:00 AM UTC (March 1st, We've added a "Necessary cookies only" option to the cookie consent popup. Christ Is Risen - An Easter plan by Matt Maher, The Essential 100 Bible Challenge14The Cross Of Christ. Jentezen Franklin preached a sermon about scribes. Now, it was all beginning to come together. But on that morning as they gathered, made their preparations, put on their clothes, walked to the location where they all were gathered, and they were about 120 disciples as chapter 1 of Acts tells us, they no doubt had a lot on their mind. The goal is that the addition of scriptural verses will assist you in meditating on the Mysteries of the Rosary as you pray. And therein, lies a key to the understanding of what had taken place with these individuals here. The disciples were afraid of the Jewish leaders, and on the evening of that same Sunday they locked themselves in a room. . When thou sendest forth thy Spirit, they are created; and thou renewest the face of the ground.". Not completely unraveled, but the doubt and the disbelief has an impact. They had been told to be there, to wait in Jerusalem until that day. And I was going to go out to California, my first trip to California, visit my brother for about three weeks. The same Jesus who's been taken up will come in a like manner as you saw Him go into heaven." Even before the dam was completed and the reservoir was officially unleashed on the day of Pentecost, the OT saints downstream enjoyed stupendous benefits from the river of God's Spirit. I took a course in seminary on the Old Testament wisdom literature where we talked about Hebrew poetic parallelism and determinism and Heilesgeschichte ("salvation history") and I would generally raise my hand at the end of class and say, "So what?" Or: "The Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him and the ropes which were on his arms became as flax" (15:14). To risk his life and stand up for the time when the kingdom will be able to items! That period of time as well understanding of what had taken place these. Out to California, my First trip to California, visit my brother about... 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