Upon spending 40 days from the day of his resurrection, appearing to the disciples numerous times (Acts 1:3), preparing them for their apostolic mission to do his works on a greater scale (John 14:12; 20:22-23), by instructing through the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:2), risen Jesus ascended to the Father, who had sent him to the world. Then, on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1), which was the fiftieth day after the Sabbath of Passover week (Leviticus 23:15-16), the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples, like violent winds and filled them to empower and enable (Acts 2: 4) to make disciples in all nations (Matthew 28:19), preaching Christ’s Gospel (Mark 16:15). The powerful descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples on the day of Pentecost recalls the descent of God the Father on Mount Sinai in fire to give the Israelites the Law through Moses on the third day of the third month, through thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud and a very loud trumpet blast (Exodus 19:1-22).
Though coming down like רוּחַ/ruah (Genesis 1:2; 8:1)(Acts 2:2), the
Holy Spirit filled the disciples (Acts 2:4) like נִשְׁמַ֣ת /nishamat,
the life-giving breath, which God breathed into עָפָר֙ מִן־ הָ֣אֲדָמָ֔ה /apah
min hadamah (dust of the ground) to create אָדָם /adam (a
person), as a לְנֶ֥פֶשׁ חַיָּֽה׃/ nephesh chayyah (living being)(Genesis
2:7)(Acts 2:4), reflecting the gentle breath that risen Jesus breathed on the disciples
in the evening of the resurrection day, commanding them to forgive (John 20:22-23).
And Jesus has personified the Holy Spirit as ἄλλον Παράκλητον/allon
Parakleton (another Advocate) (John 14:16), suggesting that he is another form
of himself, as he himself is the Παράκλητος/Parakletos
(Advocate)(1 John 2:1). This way, Jesus, the incarnated Christ, can come to the
disciples, not leaving them orphans upon his return to the Father (John 14:18),
as he is with them through his οὐσία/ousia (substance) always until his
return at the end of time (Matthew 28:20; cf. Revelation 19:11-16).
As we are filled with the Holy Spirit upon receiving
on Pentecost, we are endowed with many gifts of the Holy Spirit and form the Εκκλησιά/Ekklesia
(Church) as one body of Christ with many functioning parts (1 Corinthians
12:4-27). This is why Pentecost is the birthday of the Church. Also, being
filled with the Holy Spirit enables us to speak the Word of God boldly (Acts
4:31; cf. Mark 16:15).
Ever since the beginning of human creation, we have been kept alive through the Holy Spirit as the Father’s breath of life ( נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים/nisAchmat chayyim)(Genesis 2:7). And the Father descended from heaven to give His Law through Moses on Mount Sinai during Exodus (Exodus 19:16-22). The Son, who was with the Father (John 1:1), descended on earth, as He sent out of His love (John 3:16), incarnated to dwell among us (John 1:14), in the human flesh of Jesus, in Mary’s womb, by the power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:30-35), given human birth by Mary (Luke 2:7). The incarnated Son was baptized by John the Baptist, anointed by the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:13-17), embarked on his public ministry, preaching the Kingdom of God (Luke 4:43; 9:2). He suffered, died on the Cross, and was raised (Acts 2:23-24) by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:11), fulfilling the prophesy (Isaiah 52:13-53:12). Having spent 40 days on earth to prepare his disciples to receive the Holy Spirit, upon his resurrection, the risen incarnated Son returned to the Father, ascending to heaven (Luke 24:50-53; Acts 1:2-3; 6-9), to sit at the right hand of the Father to oversee us (Mark 16:19) and to prepare a place for us in the Father’s house in heaven (John 14:2-3) and to be with us more intimately through the Holy Spirit (John 14:16, 18, 20; 16:7; 17:21; Matthew 28:20). Then, on Pentecost, the Holy Spirit the power (Acts 1:8) descended on and filled the disciples, appearing like tongues of fire (Acts 2:1-4), fulfilling the prophesy of baptism with the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:5; Matthew 3:11). And through the Holy Spirit, the New Law of Christ is inscribed in our hearts (2 Corinthians 3:3).
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