Acts 2:1-13 The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost

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?” Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”

Jesus earlier told the disciples not to leave Jerusalem for 50 days after His ascension.  Jesus was sending the Helper, the Holy Spirit, not only to be with them but in them.  This is what He means when He says I am sending you power.  So the word "Pentecost" means fiftieth as in the fiftieth day which is also the birth day of the church were people did not need to be Jews to be saved.  As a matter of fact is made salvation in belief in Christ alone.  This is why Jesus said no man comes to the Father except through me.  And here the opposite of the Tower of Babel occurs.  In The Tower of Babel, God confused the languages of the people so that they would scatter and spread the word of God.  Here, he unites them by every man understanding the gospel as spoken by the disciples by hearing it in their own tongue.

Daily Prayer:  Lord Jesus, stir up the Spirit in me to do good works in Your name.  Let me not become tangled by my sin, but instead let me raise up to to well in my response to You.  In Your holy name I pray Amen.