It’s a poignant and deeply touching moment — there is Jesus, resurrected from the dead and surrounded by his beloved disciples. For 40 days, he’d been with them, teaching about the kingdom of God and guiding them on what was to come.
Then, one day, Jesus is sitting with his friends and tells them not, under any circumstances, to leave Jerusalem in spite of the ongoing turmoil in the city.
“Wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about,” Jesus urges them. “For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:4-5).
The disciples are filled with questions: Then what? Are you going to restore the kingdom to Israel?
Jesus promises something else, instead: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
Then he disappears from their sight, taken up before their very eyes into the heavens.
Certainly, the disciples had questions — the Holy Spirit? Who? When? What kind of witnesses? And what is this power?
That last one, especially, must have been baffling. For just as Jesus promised, a few days later, they were indeed gathered in Jerusalem when the Holy Spirit came mightily upon them, filling them with a power they likely couldn’t have imagined.
What was this power of the Holy Spirit when he came over us? And what does this mean for us today?
Who Is the Holy Spirit?
The Holy Spirit — also known as the Holy Ghost or the Spirit — is a part of the Triune God. God comprises God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, three in one, all individual yet united in one as the Almighty God.
The Holy Spirit is not a “what” but a “who,” a person. He was there at creation. Genesis 1:2 tells us the earth was formless, empty, and dark, “And the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” And he is there in Revelation, crying out with the bride as one voice (Revelation 22:17).
He was also there throughout the Old Testament, his power coming upon certain judges, warriors, and prophets in a way that gave them extraordinary gifts.
The Bible tells us the Spirit was in Joshua (Numbers 27:18), in Ezekiel (Ezekiel 2:2), and in Israel’s first king, Saul (1 Samuel 10:9-10), though the Spirit eventually left Saul because of the king’s disobedience (1 Samuel 16:14). He filled the prophets and gave them the voice to guide nations or call them back to the Lord.
The Holy Spirit was also present throughout the entirety of Jesus’ life as a man. The Spirit came over his mother, Mary, and enabled her to conceive the Christ child (Luke 1:35).
He was there at Jesus’ baptism, “the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him” (Matthew 3:16). Filled with the Spirit, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert, where he was tempted by the devil for 40 days (Luke 4:1).
Before his death, Jesus promised to send them the Holy Spirit when he was gone. As he said, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever — the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you” (John 14:16-17).
What Happened When the Power of the Holy Spirit Came Over Them?
The day the disciples were filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, the Bible tells us they were gathered in one place when suddenly “a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them” (Acts 2:2-4).
Their number grew from there, for upon their baptism and repentance in the name of Jesus Christ, new believers also received the gift of the Holy Spirit. Stephen, the first Christian martyr, was filled with the Spirit as he was being stoned to death (Acts 7:55-56).
What Power Does the Holy Spirit Have?
With the power of the Holy Spirit, we who believe are given the gift to do so much. Acts 1:8 explains that the Holy Spirit enables believers to be Christ’s witnesses to the ends of the earth. The concept of being a witness is a mighty one.
A witness is someone who models the life and faith of an authentic Christian. In our words, actions, and attitude, our witness reveals the holy mystery of Christ and the fruit of his presence within us.
As witnesses, through our testimony and the way we live our lives, we introduce the reality of a Lord who forgives us of all our sins and offers us eternal life.
We can also work miracles while infused with the power of the Spirit. Peter and John, along with others, were able to perform mighty miracles in the name of Jesus while filled with the Spirit (Acts 5:12-16). These miracles still happen today.
The Spirit also helps people understand the problem of sin in the world. Before his death, Jesus told the disciples the Holy Spirit would help them “prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned” (John 16:8-11).
This sin conviction plays a huge role in softening people’s hearts to the gospel message.
The Spirit also plays a role in steering us toward the truth. We are often distracted by the ways of the world, but the Spirit helps keep us on track as we navigate the difficult journey of life.
Finally, the Holy Spirit ignites a spark from one believer’s heart to another. This is the foundation of evangelism in the world, from the earliest days of the church until now, and is the reason the church continues to spread so quickly throughout the world. He transforms us to bear spiritual fruit that keeps producing forevermore.
Does the Spirit Make Us More Like Jesus?
Perhaps one of the best gifts of the Spirit is his power to help us be more like Christ. None of us can actually be like Christ, who is part God and part man, the “Word (who) became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:14). But the Holy Spirit within us helps us become more Christlike as we surrender to him.
The Holy Spirit works in us by stripping our sinful attributes away like a dirty garment and replacing them with the characteristics of Jesus, filled with love, mercy, humility, patience, kindness, and more. His work in us makes us more and more like Jesus.
This work within us is called sanctification, and it is the process of slowly becoming more holy with every step closer we draw to him.
Today, even though 2,000 years have passed since the Holy Spirit entered the first Christians, the Holy Spirit is just as strong. His power fills us with an extraordinary, supernatural ability to heal and to share the gospel in a dark and difficult world.
All we must do is repent and believe, surrendering to his power within us. Together, we help shine the light of the Lord into every corner of the earth.
For further reading:
How Is the Holy Spirit Like Fire?
What Is the Role of the Holy Spirit?
Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/felipe-bastias
