It was a wild and crazy ride and it was all about to change again.
The disciples had witnessed some pretty crazy moments since they signed up to follow Jesus.
Fish and loaves of bread were multiplying, Jesus was walking on water, there were countless healings and even a lot of exorcisms. A horrendous storm was stilled with two or three words. Young girls and boys pronounced dead, got up and ate…and a friend of Jesus was called out of a tomb after being in there for like 3 or 4 days.
They saw these things with their own two eyes…incredible things…unbelievable things…
Why they even saw Lepers made clean, blind people seeing again and the lame getting up and running away…
And then, there was the resurrection. Jesus’ rising…Jesus alive, again. They saw the wounds for themselves. They heard him speak. They saw him eat. This was no ghost, no apparition.
And then, they actually saw him leave them and bodily rise up into the heavens (that occurred – 40 days after Easter.) So for forty days after the resurrection he continued his teachings with them.
Then, he was no more. He was gone. He ascended. He went to the Father. And they found themselves alone once more.
“Stay in Jerusalem,” he said to them.
“Wait for the advocate, wait for the spirit,” he had said.
So for ten very long stifling days they stayed. Still in hiding… Still concerned for their individual safety…still hunkered down. Still worried about the next knock at the door…
They had no immediate plans for the future, other than waiting and watching…to see what was coming next.
Oh sure, some of them ventured out once or twice. But for the most part there-they-sat-together-huddled-together for safety purposes-afraid of every shadow and every sound in the night.
Whatever the disciples were expecting when Jesus told them the “spirit” was coming—you can bet—they were not expecting what they got!
I wonder if they got nervous as the fiftieth day approached? I wonder if they counted it down in anticipation?
It was amazing. I mean, who could tell what was coming…or what was about to happen?
Like unseen air – but like wind – that makes its presence known – with “what it stirs,” the mighty Spirit of God moved among the gathered people, causing acclamations of praise and prophecy.
It was, as if, the Spirits “sheer presence and power” was demonstrating the comprehensiveness of God’s total rule and reign.
Things were changing in the wind.
Miraculously there was a rapid onset of foreign language fluency people were hearing “the word of God” in their own native tongues…
There was chaos on the streets of Jerusalem that apparently looked something like a drunken party in the middle of the morning.
There was whooshing sounds here and whooshing sounds there. Whooshing sounds were everywhere around…it was as if, the spirit was on the move…breathing not only a breath of fresh air into stale rooms, but also new life…and MORE.
Things were happening, things were changing. Men in hiding found their voices and became bold ambassadors.
The “tectonic plates” of their fixed expectations and their “calcified thoughts” were shaken and stirred.
Peter actually got up and preached. He dared to be seen. He made sure he was heard. His fears all but forgotten…he could not contain himself.
Whatever was going on was changing them – they were no longer cautious, fearful, cowardly, meek and afraid, instead they were daring and fearless, adventurous, strong and resolute. There was a new found freedom and a release from the bonds that held them back.
In a moment of time, thinking was changed and now they were ready to challenge beliefs and to witness boldly – of all that they had been a part.
It was amazing. It was the birth of the church.
And this “spirit” of the living-loving God was being offered to all peoples, to all nations…
Within a day, within 24 hours of time there were 3,000 new followers of Jesus in the city of Jerusalem…and the spirit was still moving. It was not done yet…
The spirit would stay, it would continue to be a resource, to guide, to call, to gather, to enlighten, to strengthen and to forever be a presence wherever two or three are gathered in the name of Jesus.
And the day is called Pentecost…the fiftieth day after the resurrection. And the church began to reach out….