On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
Acts 1:4-5 NIV
After Jesus’ resurrection, he spent 40 days with his disciples, teaching them about the kingdom of God (Acts 1:3). During that time, Jesus instructed them to remain in Jerusalem and wait. They were not yet ready to carry out the mission Jesus had selected them for. But that would soon change.
Leading up to his crucifixion, Jesus had promised that he and the Father would send them the Advocate, the Holy Spirit (John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7). And now, the time of his coming was near. While the word “gift” is not in the Greek text, it is implied in the word translated as “promised.” The Holy Spirit would be a gift given by the Father to Jesus’ disciples. A gift that would enable them to accomplish the task Jesus had left for them.
But the Holy Spirit is more than just a gift. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the triune God. God gave us the gift of his indwelling presence. In Jesus, the disciples encountered God in a personal but temporary fashion. But with the Holy Spirit, they would experience God in a more intimate and permanent way.
Baptism of the Holy Spirit
The baptism of the Holy Spirit that Jesus promised them occurred a few days later at Pentecost. And it transformed the disciples. Through the power that the Holy Spirit brought to them, they were unstoppable, and the gospel message exploded out from Jerusalem into Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).
This baptism of the Holy Spirit that the disciples experienced at Pentecost was, in some ways, a unique experience. It was the birth of the church. But, in another way, it is the common experience of all believers.
All who come to faith in Jesus are given this gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit baptizes us into the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:12-13). And we are equipped and empowered by the Holy Spirit to serve within the kingdom of God (1 Cor. 12:7-11).
So, what do we do with this gift? Do we embrace it and live victorious lives in Christ? Or leave it sitting on a shelf collecting dust and try to get by on our own?
