June 8
“They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, ‘Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born?'” Acts 2:4-8.
Today we observe the Festival of Pentecost according to the church calendar. On our New Testament church calendar, the Festival of Pentecost is observed on the fiftieth day after Easter.
The special events that occurred on that New Testament Festival of Pentecost were foretold by the prophet Joel about 800 years before the birth of Jesus. The special events were a fulfillment of God’s promise that there would be a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Just prior to ascending into heaven, Jesus instructed the disciples to remain in Jerusalem until the promise of the Father would be fulfilled.
When the Day of Pentecost came, the disciples were assembled somewhere in Jerusalem. There was a sound from heaven that sounded like a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the place where the disciples were sitting. Divided flames like fire appeared above each of the disciples, and they began to speak the Word of God in the different languages of the people who had assembled there. We are told that the disciples spoke in other tongues – that is, they spoke in languages which they had never learned. “The multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, ‘Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born?'”
Today, there are people who claim that they can speak in tongues. However, they make all kinds of sounds with their mouths which make no sense, because they are not speaking a language. It serves no spiritual purpose for anyone to make sounds which no one can understand. The disciples were able to speak in all the different languages of all the different people assembled there. The people were able to hear and understand what was being said. In their amazement, they said, “We hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God,” Acts 2:11.
Today, what would be a repeat of the Pentecost miracle? If in a worship service a group of people would assemble whose native languages would be, for example, French, Spanish, or Arabic, and God would suddenly enable me to speak “the wonderful works of God” in those languages, that would be a repeat of the Pentecost miracle. If suddenly I could preach the Law and the Gospel, the message of sin and the Savior, in their languages, then God would be glorified and souls could hear the message of God’s great love through Christ Jesus to save sinners!
Speaking in other tongues – that is, in other languages – was not intended to entertain and amuse people. It was intended to bring them to a knowledge of the Christian truths, to bring them to faith in the one true God and Jesus Christ whom He sent to be the Savior of sinners.
Peter’s Pentecost sermon can be summarized with the words, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call,” Acts 2:38-39. And that message was preached in a language which the people could understand. And what was the result? “Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them,” Acts 2:41.
God would say to us, “Preach the Word in the language and on the level of your hearers!” Then trust God to give the results!
“Holy Spirit, hear us
on this sacred day;
Come to us with blessing,
come with us to stay.” Amen.