Thomas replied, You are my Lord and my God! These were redeemed from among men being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in the breaking of bread and in prayers. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. Could it mean that apostles had just some spiritual gifts like healing before Pentecost, but after it they received gift of prophesy and gift of tongues? PTIJ Should we be afraid of Artificial Intelligence? So here's my answer to why the experience of the Old Testament saints is valuable for us today. Jesus said, Thomas, do you have faith because you have seen me? The Essential 100 Bible Challenge14The Cross Of Christ. The Church was given favor, we're told, as they demonstrated these fruits and others were added. John 7:37 On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. He was the one who was the leader of that doubt and fear and terrified approach, because he denied Christ three times, and he had to be pointedly taught by Jesus. He had a long way to come to be the one to stand up and to give the sermon on this day, but he did it. This means that the disciples could not have Christ in them, as we born again believers have, until the day of Pentecost. Though a miracle had taken place in front of them, that still wasn't enough to remove the doubt and fear. And I sat, and I sat, and I thought somebody will come along and tell me what to do. " They were able to do the things Jesus gave them authority to do and they found it amazing. Christ Is Risen - An Easter plan by Matt Maher, The Essential 100 Bible Challenge14The Cross Of Christ. Where is it being manifested in the church today? During the long period of construction the Nile River wasn't completely stopped. We've just read it. But the Christian ought to see the creative, imaginative work of God's Spirit. They had been told to be there, to wait in Jerusalem until that day. He understood that, and again, He is just laying it out that they were troubled and there was doubt. The world of the 1st century was very much tied into an awareness that there was a spirit world, and a lot different than even we today, we see a spirit world today in media and entertainment form. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? No one could learn that song except the 144,000 who were redeemed from the earth. Before or after this instance. Think about that among our own relationships with each other. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. The same things were going through their minds that go through our minds. Not many days, we would look at it roughly 10 days from that 40-day period. Luke 24:53 says that the disciples stayed continually at the Temple praising God. And it just caused them to proverbially tear their clothes and rush at them and ultimately to the point of Stephen and they stoned him. They were also filled with fear for their own future. Egypt's President Nasser announced the plan for construction in 1953. That's what He did. Psalm 139:710 says, "Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? 60 seconds. And so they had become a part of something that again, they were still trying to understand. Pentecost (also called Whit Sunday, Whitsunday or Whitsun) is a Christian holiday which takes place on the 50th day (the seventh Sunday) after Easter Sunday. The Sadducees were more focused on the Five Books of Moses than the history and prophets. Thanks for contributing an answer to Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange! "Let all things be done for edification" (1 Corinthians 14:26). In verse 38, after everyone has calmed down, they realize theyve been involved and they were responsible for the death of Jesus. But on that 50th day, from the morning after Christ's resurrection, a lot had happened. But the disciples didn't stop focusing on the Kingdom of God after Pentecost. Best Answer. Praying a Scriptural Rosary is accomplished by praying a traditional Rosary and adding scriptural verses related to each mystery of the Rosary. It goes on, "Jesus came and He spoke to them saying, 'All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. I like that phrase. Because they were seeing Christ risen and they saw Him in a bodily form, but then they were attributing something different to that. The story does not indicate that they were still in that upper room in Acts 2. Probably the Spirit was their instructor in two senses. But after Pentecost the power of the Spirit spread out to light the whole world. 3 days by their calendar. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up," and this is through the account here in Luke, then, would be the final bodily appearance of Jesus to them. It was one of the three great pilgrim feasts that every Jewish male was required to attend (see Deuteronomy 16:16 ). And continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people, and the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.". It was the Roman soldiers that had carried out the death of Christ and had sealed the tomb and a Roman guard had been placed there. Beginning with Easter Sunday (e.g., Luke 24:32,45) and most likely throughout the forty days before ascending, the Lord instructed and formed the Apostles in the Gospel. If these latter days are to be days of dreams and visions from the Holy Spirit, we had better pray earnestly for gifted Josephs to arise among us who can discern truth and error in such claims. Christ in you, the hope of glory. LISTEN NOW. rev2023.3.1.43269. Those in the Spirit are indwelt by the Spirit and are enabled by him to fulfill the just requirement of the law. Consider this question, with what we have just read: how could people filled with doubt, even a measure of unbelief, fear, general fear, intense fear, heightened fear, abject fearfear takes many different forms and guises; sometimes we can control our fear, sometimes it overcomes us and we're just shaking in our bootshow could a people dealing with all of these emotions during this 50-day period of time be expected to do what Jesus told them here in verse 8, they would do, when they have problems figuring it all out at that particular moment? But that was a life lesson that I had to learn. And this small group of people who had signed on to what they thought was a remarkable, gifted rabbi, and followed Him around and soon learned that they had fallen into something quite different than anything they could have ever imagined, as they witnessed miracles of loaves and fishes, and people being brought back to life, and dramatic healings. No, He said wait till, wait in Jerusalem, and so they were there and they continued. But it is also due to a much simpler and . And it is also the mission of the Church, we see right here, it has begun. We live in the days that Isaiah (44:3) and Ezekiel (11:19; 36:26f. However, of course, the apostles had smack of the Spirit even before, for even before Spirit was present in them to a certain degree and intensity; they possessed the Spirit-ual gifts even before the Pentecost, however the gifts of the Infinite Spirit are also infinite and at the Pentecost they got a greater share of this graceful infinity, so as to totally be absorbed in it. John has another set of accounts, and then he kind of ends and he leaves it wide open. Peter was quoting Scripture and applying it to something that had happened and that is Jesus, His death and His resurrection. But how could the various prophecies found in Ezekiel, Joel and Zechariah be fulfilled if this were true? 157 views, 3 likes, 4 loves, 3 comments, 2 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Mora Grace Lutheran Church: Music used with permission from CCLI With a UCG.org account you will be able to save items to read and study later! What does a search warrant actually look like? Look at John 3:16. Surely for a Christian all study and all creative work must justify itself in terms of love. He spent days and days, and weeks and weeks doing that, bringing new dimension of understanding to the Scriptures that they had never had. Some say apostles got Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. Where do we go from here? It was true then. But then two angels appeared and they said to them, in verse 11, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing into heaven? By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. Prior to Pentecost, the Apostles and disciples gathered in fear, behind locked doors. But they did so no more." Fear not" (Haggai 2:5). John 16:7 But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. This event is very significant because the Bible says when we are born again, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit; in other words, the Holy Spirit comes to live on the inside of us (Ephesians 1:13, 4:30). Put your hand into my side. That is what caused people to see something in those disciples and to want to be a part of it. The second power that they'd run up against was that of the Jewish authorities. Jerusalem was swelled with pilgrims, at this point in time, and this added to the drama of the moment. 19952023 All correspondence and questions should be sent to info@ucg.org. "He appeared first to Mary Magdalene out of whom He had cast seven demons. And then they had seen that He was resurrected. Another reason, I suspect, is because they were overwhelmed with disappointment by Jesus' arrest. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. You may find that without a specific text of scripture your question could be voted for closure as 'off-topic'. And there was fear of the unknown, of what was going to take place, fear of the future. Why are you standing around gazing? They were kind of like this, and like this. And those days you didn't fear getting on a Greyhound bus, and you could go all over the country on a very cheap pass. How was Simeon able to have the Holy Spirit upon him prior to Pentecost? At least part of the answer to that is found in the teaching on spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 1214, which we will soon begin to study in an evening series. The disciples were afraid of the Jewish leaders, and on the evening of that same Sunday they locked themselves in a room. Or whither shall I flee from thy presence? Back in Mark's account, chapter 16 of Mark, we see that the same thing lingered among the wide group of people there. The Jewish authorities of their day had a very thorough doctrinal review process and Peter's would not have passed, which is why they ran smack in trouble with the Jewish leadership from this point forward because they were applying new meaning to old Scriptures that no Jew had ever heard before. Mt., 47 counts, XII, 30-37)<br> <br> Gospel Reading (Matthew 71 ch., XVII, 10-18)<br> <br>10 And his disciples asked . Every generation of God's people have done that. Jesus was enveloped within a burning bush, but was not harmed. Some say that they wound up in the temple precincts; could very well be. It is I. Don't be afraid.'" And in the book of Revelation, John reports an experience similar to Daniel's. Surely for a Christian the only reason to study or be artistic is for God's sake. But you are not in the flesh, you are in the Spirit if the Spirit of God really dwells in you." It is the ideal to which every subsequent church period has wished to be able to emulate, including ours today. That they're not drunk, that this is of God. Centering layers in OpenLayers v4 after layer loading. And of course, one of the most dramatic scenes in all the Bible occurred with the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the gathered disciples, and the speaking in tongues, and a mighty rushing wind that we find it hard to imagine what it was like, because it's not part of our custom to try to pray that down today like some other denominations and religious forms do. And Numbers 27: 18 says, "And the Lord said to Moses, 'Take Joshua the son of Nun, in whom is the spirit, and lay your hand upon him.'" I want to show you ten ways the Old Testament saints experienced the Holy Spirit. Yes, Peter did preach under the anointing, but the empowerment of the Spirit also brought a unity and a focus of purpose they had not known before. And He opened their understanding that they might comprehend the Scriptures.". How was the Holy Spirit being seen (perceived) in Acts 8? But let's go back, let's look at a few of these scriptures in a little bit more detail and see exactly what had been taking place among the disciples during this period of time, that brought them to that morning of Pentecost. They thought that Jesus Himself didn't actually know that asleep people wake up? Question 8. Colossians 2:15 Colossians 2:15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.American King James Version, tells us that He disarmed the powers with His death. But some doubted." It's an informed sermon. As the Father has sent Me, I also send you." And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. Number one was the Roman Empire. "For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain.". It is rooted in the Word of God. 2930), "When thou takest away their breath, they die and return to their dust. It was by God's Spirit that the prophets spoke to the people God's Word (Nehemiah 9:30), and it was by the Spirit that the people were enabled to grasp and apply the Word. This was a healthy fear of respect and awe and wonder at now what had happened. Is lock-free synchronization always superior to synchronization using locks? A Church that was grounded in the Word of God. That power would come in the form of the Holy Spirit. Again, the answer is yes. And then the 50th day came, the morning of Pentecost, and they were gathered together. Old Testament believers enjoyed the presence of God's Spirit wherever they went. Thank you Mr. McNeely , for making Christ more real. 3They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. INTRODUCTION Jesus told the disciples to wait for the power of the Holy Spirit before doing ministry. We have a very involved, and very good, and a very detailed review process at many different levels of our writings, of our speaking in the United Church of God today. They had not been a part of anything like that before. Matthew 71:seventeen, XVII, 10-18, and on the Sabbath (beginning): Rome, 111:seventeen, XIII, 1-10. Again Jesus in John 15 talks about Spirit that he will send it, does this mean they yet had no Spirit upon them? But we do not debate and discuss biblical topics. And had they seen anything near that type of an ecstatic demonstration, it might have been in a form by someone doing something by their form of religion that they didn't identify with. Instead of competing, the disciples were now cooperating. Again, nothing like this had been a part of their frame of reference before. He greeted his disciples and said to Thomas, Put your finger here and look at my hands! Week 8 to Pentecost. What was on their mind? [Darris McNeely] On the morning of Pentecost 31 AD, what do you think was going through the minds of the assembled disciples in Jerusalem? Before Pentecost: What Were They Thinking? He and his wife, Debbie, have served in the ministry for more than 43years. I was standing there gazing, not quite knowing what to do. Prior to Pentecost, the Apostles, though often zealous and willing to make sacrifices to follow Jesus, were also slow to understand and often confused. The disciples said to him, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover." Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. This makes it seem that the Disciples were astonished, but those who followed behind them were afraid. But ten billion kilowatts were added to enable the church to take the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ to every tongue and tribe and nation. "And fear came upon every soul," and this was a different type of fear. We're no different than them. It wasn't there and so a lot had happened in that 50-day period that brought them to that morning of Pentecost. When people are filled with the Holy Spirit, they do not blink at evil. Although John does not say this is the point when the disciples were born again, or that was when the New Covenant started, Erwin takes it to mean both: "it marks the transition from the terms of the old covenant to those of the new covenant" (p. 20). And He leaves them on the Mount of Olives, which is a very, very significant geographic feature there on the east of Jerusalem across from the city, and through the Kidron Valley and up on this Mount called Olives. Suddenly, Jesus appeared in the middle of the group. But all of this in the midst of a troubled, terrified, frightened mindset that they were having to work through, during these days between the resurrection and Pentecost. Even as the reservoir was filling, part of the river was allowed to flow past. When you look and you understand what was taking place, here are people who've been terrified, they had been doubtful, unbelieving to one degree or the other during this previous 50-day period. How can I recognize one? 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