Thursday 09 May 2024

Psalm 47

Background

Today is Ascension Day, the 40th day after Easter and the final day when Jesus was seen on earth visiting his disciples before being taken into heaven. On this day of celebration, however, today’s passage describes the events of Pentecost, the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and other disciples. Pentecost (deriving from the Greek word for 50th) takes place on the 50th day after Easter, 10 days after Jesus ascended to God in heaven.

The Book of Acts of the Apostles describes the life of Jesus, the spread of the gospel and the inception of the Early Church. Written by Luke, it is the second letter he has written to his friend Theophilus.

In Acts chapter 1 before ascending to heaven, Jesus commissioned his disciples to bear witness to the risen Christ and told them that this should begin in Jerusalem but move outwards to the “end of the earth.” (v. 8)

In Acts 1:4 Jesus instructed the disciples to return to Jerusalem and wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2 begins with a description of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit with “violent wind” and “tongues of fire” resting on each of them. It resulted in those present being filled with the Holy Spirit and speaking in a heavenly language, with different nations hearing and speaking about God’s deeds of power in their own languages. (v. 11) It was clearly a powerful and supernatural event.

Following this in vs 14-18 Peter addressed the crowd, chastising those who still did not believe and who mocked what had happened in front of them. He told them that what took place was prophesised in Scripture and went on (beyond our study here) to call on those present to come back to God through Christ.

There is so much of significance in this passage particularly the way in which the outpouring of the Holy Spirit took place. It filled the whole house but was received through separate tongues of fire. It shows us that while the Holy Spirit is for everyone, it touches us individually. This is further illustrated by all present hearing the wondrous voice of God in their own tongue and in ways they could personally understand. This is how the Holy Spirit reaches us in our own lives. It is available to all but concerned with the intimate detail of our individual worlds. How do we receive it? Are we open, attentive and trusting, or closed and doubting?

The Apostles show great faith in returning to Jerusalem not knowing what will happen next but trusting in what Jesus has told them. We need to trust in God in times of uncertainty. There are many times God tells us things that seem strange and contrary to our expectations and we need to trust God’s voice even when we don’t understand where it is leading us.

To Ponder:

• Can you remember a time that God did something extraordinary in your life or in your church?
• Peter was courageous in speaking up for God, even when he was unsure of his audience. Do you take the opportunities the occur in your life to talk about God?
• Peter’s sermon was bold and impactful. Can you remember a time when a sermon had a big impact on you?

Prayer
Lord, thank you for the gift of your Holy Spirit and the ways it is at work in our lives. May we be open and attentive to its presence and power. Remind us of our responsibility to pass on the message of this gift to others. Give us the opportunities to share your word and the boldness to maximise them. May the joy and peace of the Spirit come upon us afresh today. Amen.

Bible notes author: Cara Macdonald
Cara lives with her husband and five children in Glasgow, where she works for the Evangelical Alliance as the assistant to the Scottish Director. She attends Newton Mearns Baptist Church and is also involved with the work of Reigate Methodist Church in Surrey, where she came to faith.