What Happened At Pentecost

The city of Jerusalem was teeming with life. It was the season of Pentecost, one of the Jewish pilgrimage festivals, when Jews from all over the world had come to the holy city to celebrate the Feast of Weeks. It had been the tradition for generations, marking fifty days since the Passover. People filled the streets and marketplaces, eager to honor God and give thanks for the harvest, but this year, something extraordinary was about to happen. The feast was no longer going to be simply a time to remember what God had done in the past; it was going to become the moment when the world would be turned upside down.

Fifty days earlier, something else extraordinary had happened. Jesus had been crucified, and then, three days later, He had risen from the dead. His resurrection had ignited the hope of His followers, transforming their fear and confusion into a bold and unshakeable faith. Jesus had appeared to them over the next forty days, teaching them, reaffirming His promises, and preparing them for what was to come. But then He had ascended to heaven, leaving them with a command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about” (Acts 1:4). He told them that soon, they would be baptized with the Holy Spirit.

So, for ten days after Jesus' ascension, the disciples waited. They didn’t know exactly what was going to happen, but they obeyed. The disciples, together with about 120 followers, were gathered in one place, praying and waiting in expectation. They knew something powerful was about to take place, but they couldn’t have imagined how life-changing this moment would be.

And then it happened.

Suddenly, there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind that filled the entire house where they were sitting. It wasn’t a breeze, it wasn’t just a draft—it was a sound that rippled through their very souls, like the power of God moving through the air, shaking everything. And then, as if that weren’t enough, tongues of fire appeared and rested on each of them. This wasn’t literal fire that burned them, but a symbol of God’s presence, the same fire that had once descended on Mount Sinai when God gave His law to the people of Israel.

In that moment, everything changed. The disciples, who had been waiting in fear and uncertainty, were now filled with the Holy Spirit. No longer would they simply remember God’s presence from a distance—now, the very presence of God was living within them. It was a dramatic, earth-shaking moment. But this wasn’t the first time God had revealed Himself in such a way.

Let’s go back for a moment to understand just how significant this was. Pentecost was a feast with a deep history. It wasn’t just about harvest. This festival had originally marked the day when God descended on Mount Sinai to give the Law to Moses, the same day when Israel first became God’s people and received the commandments that would govern them. The people had stood before the mountain in awe, hearing the thunder, feeling the ground tremble beneath them, and seeing the cloud of God’s presence descend. The giving of the Law had been an unforgettable moment—a moment when Israel understood that God had called them to be holy and set apart, to be a kingdom of priests and a light to the nations.

But now, on this day of Pentecost, something even more extraordinary was happening. Just as God had once descended on Mount Sinai with thunder, fire, and wind, now He was descending once again—but this time, not upon a mountain. He was descending upon His people. And this time, He wasn’t just giving them a set of external laws written on tablets of stone. Now, God was giving His Spirit, writing His law on the hearts of His people, enabling them to live out His will in a way they never could before.

The fire that had once represented God's overwhelming power and holiness was now resting on each individual believer. The wind that had once been a sign of God's invisible presence was now felt as a tangible experience of the Holy Spirit’s power. It was a moment of transformation. Where once Israel had been called to obey external laws and sacrifices, now, through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, they were being called to live by the Spirit, from the inside out.

The disciples were no longer just witnesses of the resurrection. Now, they were empowered by the Holy Spirit to go out and proclaim the good news, to testify to what they had seen and heard, not just with their words but with the very power of God within them. And as if to demonstrate the scope of this new reality, something miraculous happened—they began to speak in other tongues.

“And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” (Acts 2:1-4)

This wasn’t just a random occurrence; it was an undeniable sign. The crowd gathered outside the house heard them, amazed. People from all nations were present, each speaking different languages, yet each one heard the disciples speaking in their own native tongue. How could this be? How could these uneducated, Galilean men be speaking the languages of the nations? It was a miracle, a sign that what was happening wasn’t just a normal event—it was the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in fulfillment of God’s promise. As Peter would later explain, this was the fulfillment of the prophecy of Joel, that God would pour out His Spirit on all people in the last days, that His Spirit would empower sons and daughters, old men and young men, even servants—showing that this new covenant was open to all, regardless of status, gender, or age. The Holy Spirit was now freely given to all who believed.

“But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Acts 2:16-21)

The speaking in tongues was a sign of inclusivity—a proclamation that the gospel was not just for the Jews, but for all nations. The disciples were proclaiming the mighty works of God, but they were speaking in languages that transcended their own culture and heritage. This was the gospel for all people, just as Jesus had told His followers before His ascension: “Go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). The tongues were a physical sign that God’s Kingdom was breaking open in a new way, reaching across boundaries and barriers.

As the crowd gathered in bewilderment, some mocked them, saying, “They’ve had too much wine.” But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and began to explain. What he said would be the first gospel sermon preached with the power of the Holy Spirit. Peter boldly declared to the crowd that what they were witnessing was the fulfillment of prophecy. The same Jesus whom they had crucified was the Lord and Messiah whom God had raised from the dead. This was the central truth—the foundation of their faith, the cornerstone of this new movement that was being birthed.

“Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.” (Acts 2:22-24)

Peter proclaimed that Jesus had been exalted to the right hand of God and had poured out the Spirit that they were witnessing. He urged them to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins, and they too would receive the Holy Spirit. This wasn’t just a call to intellectual belief; it was a call to radical, life-altering transformation. To follow Jesus was to receive the Holy Spirit, to be immersed in God’s presence in a way that would change everything about how they lived, how they loved, and how they related to one another.

“Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” (Acts 2:36-38)

And it wasn’t just for those standing there in that moment. This promise was for all people—for everyone whom the Lord would call. That day, about three thousand people were added to the number of believers, baptized into the name of Jesus, and filled with the Holy Spirit. The Church was born, and the kingdom of God was now made present, active, and alive through the Holy Spirit’s work.

“Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.” (Acts 2:41)

From this moment, the Holy Spirit became the driving force behind everything the church did. It was the Spirit who empowered believers to speak boldly, who brought healing and transformation to the broken, and who unified the body of Christ. The church, now born of the Spirit, began to grow and spread, just as Jesus had promised. They went from being a small group of frightened disciples to a worldwide movement, powered by the very presence of God.

But even as the Spirit came with such power and glory, He came with a deep sense of intimacy and nearness. The same Spirit that had empowered prophets and kings in the Old Testament was now in the hearts of ordinary believers. God’s presence was no longer confined to a temple or a mountain. His presence was in His people, living and breathing in them, giving them the strength to live out His will.

And so, Pentecost was not just the end of something. It was the beginning of a new reality. The Spirit had come not just to empower, but to transform, not just to fill, but to send out into the world. The church had been birthed through the outpouring of the Spirit, and from that moment forward, everything was different. The presence of God wasn’t far away—it was within. And it would be through the Holy Spirit, working in the hearts of believers, that God’s Kingdom would come on earth as it is in heaven.

This, then, is the significance of Pentecost. It marks the moment when God poured out His Spirit in a new and powerful way, transforming His people from the inside out, empowering them to live the mission of Jesus. Through the Spirit, God was no longer distant or unreachable—He was alive in His people, and that was the ultimate game-changer. The world would never be the same again.

I hope this message blessed you. If so, please leave a comment. I look forward to hearing from you.

Anna M. C. Hazen 2025