5 Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language.
Acts 2:5-6
This Sunday we will be taking a break from our study of Titus in order to consider the significance of Pentecost. According to church tradition, Pentecost is celebrated the seventh Sunday after Easter and commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the first Christians that established the beginning of the Church Age. This Sunday we want to consider together the significance of Pentecost, relating the coming of the Spirit to the blessing of Abraham that God had promised to the nations back in Gen. 12:1-3.
For Jews, the feast of Pentecost marked the end of the grain harvest and was a time when the people were to come to Jerusalem to offer to the Lord their sacrifices and offerings that expressed their gratitude and dependence upon Him. It was for this reason that there were so many Jews from various parts of the Roman world present in Jerusalem during the events of Acts 2. As the apostles came into the temple speaking in “other tongues,” these people who each spoke the languages of their places of residence were all able to understand the things being said which, as we come to find out, were the beginning fulfillment of OT prophecy (Acts 2:14-21) and focused on the person and work of Jesus, the Messiah (Acts 2:22-36). As we consider these scenes of people from different nations and language groups suddenly understanding one another, we cannot help but think of an instance in Scripture where something very much the opposite occurred.
Genesis 10 conveys to us what has come to be known as “The Table of Nations” and serves to explain how the descendants of Noah spread across the earth following the events of the Flood. The chapter ends with the summary statement, “These are the clans of the sons of Noah, according to their genealogies, in their nations, and from these the nations spread abroad on the earth after the flood.” Genesis 11 then provides important information about how it was that these nations spread, describing their disobedience to God’s commands (11:4) as well as His subsequent judgment upon them (11:5-9). Although judgment is in view here, the chapter ends on a hopeful note with the genealogy of Abram. In Genesis 12:1-3, we read of God’s call to Abram and His promises to bless him. Amazingly, God also promises to bless the nations who have been judged in the previous chapter through him. Although sin has brought separation between God and the nations, through Abram God intends to bring about some kind of restoration/reconciliation.
The description of Pentecost found in Acts 2 is intended to convey to us the significance of the events of that day which saw the pouring out (baptism of) the Holy Spirit upon those who would form the Church of Jesus Christ. The conversion of so many who had come from across the entirety of the Roman world (Acts 2:5-12) would begin the fulfillment of Jesus’ words in Acts 1:8 that His witnesses would be sent out among all the nations. Through the baptism of the Spirit, God had begun the process of undoing the judgment of Babel. Although God had ‘bewildered’ the people at Babel by confusing their speech, the people present on Pentecost found themselves ‘bewildered’ by their ability to understand the apostles as they proclaimed the Gospel. Paul, in Galatians 3:14, states that the coming of the Spirit was the ultimate blessing anticipated in God’s promise to Abraham in Gen. 12:3. It was through Jesus Christ, the true Seed of Abraham, that the promise of the Spirit which was anticipated in the OT, would come not just to Israel, but to all nations. It is the Spirit alone who opens the eyes of the blind in order that they might recognize Jesus as Messiah and place their faith and trust in Him.
Join us this Sunday as we celebrate together the baptism of the Holy Spirit, God’s ultimate gift to His people in this life. It is through the Holy Spirit that we come to know Jesus Christ as our Savior, our Lord, and our very life!
Soli Deo Gloria.
-Thomas