Daily Bread

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

In just these few verses, so much is communicated about the nature of the Holy Spirit.

Firstly, the word for Spirit in Hebrew is 'ruach' meaning God's breath or wind, and in Greek, the word for Spirit is 'Pneuma' meaning the same thing. Therefore, the sound of wind coming from heaven is hugely symbolic as the 'breath of God' — which of course, is how the writer of Genesis describes how life came to humanity. Jesus said that those who followed him would have have life in all its fulness, and here we have the breath of God being breathed into the disciples. To be filled with the Spirit is literally to have life!

Secondly, there were divided tongues that looked like fire, resting on each of the disciples. Again, the dividing was symbolic of how the Spirit would be, not just for one person, but for all. John the baptist prophesied that the coming Messiah would baptise his followers with the Holy Spirit and with fire, and here we have this baptism of the Holy Spirit taking place with something that looked like fire! It's no coincidence.

And thirdly, the disciples began to speak in other languages, not just because it was useful, but because it was symbolic of how the baptism of the Spirit was not for the sake of those who were filled, but for the sake of those who would listen. The Spirit was and is always outward looking and looking to the interests of others.

So there we have it. Three things about the Spirit we need to remember — the Spirit brings life in all its fulness, the Spirit is the Spirit of Jesus and is for everyone, and the Spirit within us is looking outwards to the interests of others.

Come, Holy Spirit,
and fill my heart with your divine love.
Thank you for giving me
life in all its fulness,
and may you complete
your work in me, to your glory.
May I be a vessel of your love
that the world might know
that God is God.
Now and forever.