The Holy Spirit Came (Acts 2)
In Acts 2, we find the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise from Acts 1:8. Jesus' followers devoted themselves to one another and to His mission, and we can observe their unity in the first verse of this passage. They experienced the power of the Holy Spirit together as a church body unified by more than mere proximity.
What was the significance of the Holy Spirit’s arrival on the day of Pentecost? How did His presence lead to the furtherance of Christ’s mission? Many devout Jews traveled to Jerusalem to observe the harvest festival as usual, but the Holy Spirit offered new meaning to their celebrated traditions of old. On this day of celebrating God’s provision through the old covenant, Pentecost now signified the new covenant made possible through faith in Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit’s presence meant that Jesus kept His promise to provide comfort and help. His provision came as His Spirit fell upon them in this new, tangible way. With visions of fiery tongues and the sound of rushing wind, the room where the followers expectantly gathered was filled with a stirring like never before.
Jesus declared they would receive power through His Holy Spirit, and their identity as His witnesses was forever secured. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Christ’s followers broke down barriers to communicate the gospel in languages they had never spoken before. What a mighty act of God through such a miraculous feat! His people were empowered to declare His magnificence in these new languages of praise.
Help your kids see that Jesus’ followers are to speak His praises just as they did in this story. The day of Pentecost points to who Christ is: the Savior who seeks out the lost and breaks down barriers. Explain how the Holy Spirit comes into our lives, too, when we trust in Jesus. The faithfulness of Christ’s people on the day of Pentecost led thousands to come to faith. May we, too, be just as eager to live on mission and communicate the gospel just as faithfully.
Christ Connection: God kept His promise to send the Holy Spirit. With the Holy Spirit’s help, Jesus’ disciples could begin their work to share the gospel with the entire world. God gives the Holy Spirit to everyone who trusts in Jesus as Lord and Savior.
