Clothed with Power (Pentecost Sunday) Luke 24:37 & Acts 2:1
The Promise Throughout Jesus’ ministry He promised the Holy Spirit.
Luke 24:37 This is the scene after Jesus’ death and resurrection when He appears to His disciples.
• He appears to them when they are all in disbelief, trying to figure out what just happened and what to do next.
Verses 37-44 He is trying to convince them it really is Him.
Verse 45 He is of course refereeing just to the OT scriptures here.
• This verse implies that up to this point they didn’t fully understand the scriptures.
o Yet the disciple had Hebrew backgrounds and would have studied the scriptures a great deal.
Verse 47 Jesus alludes to what we call the Great Commission here.
• The basics of the Gospel message, repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached.
o This message will also go to all the nations of the world.
Verse 49 To emphasize the importance of the HS he tells His disciple stay in the city until they get the HS.
• He starts out by saying “stay here.” In Greek, it’s actually the verb “to sit.”
o The verb is also in the active form. Which means the subject of the verb does the action.
• Then Jesus says clothed. The word has as a definition, “the sense of sinking into a garment.”
o This verb is in the passive form.
o Which means the actions happens to the subject with no volition on the part of the subject.
• Then we are clothed with power. This is the word dunamis
o The word is a bit of supernatural word, meaning more than just simple power, but miraculous power.
The Promised fulfilled: Acts 2:1-4
• Jesus promised the HS but they didn’t know what that would look like. They probably didn’t expect this.
o Notice it says the sound of a violent wind, but not actual wind.
o Then they saw what appeared to be fire, but not actual fire.
• The verb “to rest” here is the same verb “to sit” we saw back in Luke 24:49
Verse 4 The verb here “filled” is in the passive form.
• So the disciples have no part in the filling, it is just happening to them.
• Then there is the tangible proof and lasting sign of the Holy Spirit’s presence in tongues.
We see two responses to this
Verse 12 Responding with amazement and yet some perplexity is completely appropriate.
Verse 13 Some reject and mock what is happening This is still the response of much of the world today.
• Paul confirms this in 1 Cor 2:14
Acts 2:37 In the first passage we looked at in Luke 24 Jesus said it would be a simple message of repentance and forgiveness, here we see that.
• Then, after you repent and receive forgiveness you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Verse 39 Then Peter say this promise is for all ages, and for all people.
