◄ What Does Acts 2:1 Mean? ►

For ten days, the disciples had been without the Lord Jesus since His Ascension into heaven, following His sacrificial death and glorious Resurrection from the dead. It had only happened about fifty days earlier, but those three days from Passover to the Feast of Firstfruits, would be forever etched in the hearts and minds of all of Christ's followers.

During those exciting weeks that followed, Jesus presented Himself alive to many of His disciples and gave them numerous convincing proofs, as well as speaking to them of the things concerning the kingdom of God. The resurrected Lord Jesus appeared to Peter, James, the eleven apostles, and many others, and on one occasion He even appeared to as many as 500 people at the same time.

His instructions to His followers were to wait in Jerusalem for what the Father had promised. Prior to His death, the Lord Jesus had explained a little about this promise. He had told them that after He had gone, the Father would send the Holy Spirit (the Comforter) to them, explaining that although the Spirit was already WITH them, one day very soon He would actually live IN them.

And now on that special day of Pentecost, His followers were to be baptised with the Holy Spirit. He would take up permanent residence in each of their bodies. John the Baptist was the first to testify that Jesus would baptise with the Holy Spirit, and on that last meeting before His Ascension, the Lord explained that this baptism of the Holy Spirit was not many days away. John's pre-Cross baptism was a baptism of repentance with water, but Christ was to baptise with the Holy Spirit, and moments before He ascended He reminded them, "But you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit, not many days from now."

And so for ten days, the followers of Christ had been waiting in anticipation to be baptised with the Holy Spirit as Christ had said, and we discover that 120 obeyed the Word of the Lord, as they prayerfully waited in Jerusalem for the promise from the Father when they would be: "Baptised with the Holy Spirit," as Christ had earlier explained.

And so we read: "When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place." Only 120 of Christ's followers were altogether in one place! How strange that it was not all the 500 souls who had witnessed Christ's post-resurrection appearances! But what great joy it was for those who did obey His Word, and remained in Jerusalem as instructed.

These 120 obedient disciples were in the right place at the right time, and so they were the ones who would receive the promise from the Father on that day. They were the only ones that were baptised with the Holy Spirit on that special, unique day of Pentecost. They were the ones who: "When the day of Pentecost had come, were all together in one place. And suddenly,there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves and they rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance."

What an amazing day it must have been when the fledgling Church was born with those 120 faithful disciples who obeyed Christ's command. For on that day they were baptised with the Holy Spirit as promised by Christ ten days earlier, filled with the Holy Spirit as we read in this passage, and given the gift of tongues by the Holy Spirit, for we hear that they all spoke in languages as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the example of those 120 faithful disciples who obeyed Your Word and were given the privilege of being involved in the actual birth of the Body of Christ, which is the Church, on that special and unique day of Pentecost. I pray that like them, I may listen to Your commands and carry them out willingly, to Your praise and glory. This I ask in Jesus' name, AMEN.