A miracle is a surprising and welcome event that is not explained by natural or scientific laws and therefore attributed to the work of a divine agency, a work of God. After His resurrection, Christ commanded His disciples to stay in Jerusalem “until you are clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:49 ESV). Interestingly, several miracles “from power on high” took place on that Day of Pentecost.
The first miracle was a sound like a “mighty rushing wind” (Acts 2:1-2). It was startling. Hurricane and tornado winds produce a loud noise that many people are familiar with around the world, but Israel and the area around Jerusalem rarely experience such weather. The sound of the wind was so powerful that it filled the house in which they were sitting.
The second miracle was tongues of fire, like flames, which appeared to rest on the heads of those receiving the Holy Spirit. It burned, but didn’t consume, therefore it was inexplicable by natural or scientific laws.
This highlighted the greater miracle, the giving of the Holy Spirit, which had been cut off to most of mankind since Adam and Eve. In the book of John, Christ tells his disciples that the Spirit is with them but soon will be in them (John 14:17). Before baptism God’s Spirit works with us, but it is not until we repent and are baptized that through the laying on of hands the Holy Spirit comes into us. (Acts 2:38).
There were many people in Jerusalem for the festival from many different language backgrounds throughout the Roman Empire and beyond, and, miraculously, “…each one was hearing them [the apostles] speak in his own language” (Acts 2:6). Some thought the disciples were drunk, but it nonetheless caught the attention of the crowd on the Temple Mount as Peter delivered his sermon. This was the Peter who was finally back on track, when less than fifty days earlier, Christ had to ask, “Do you love me?” (John 21:15-23).
Peter delivered the truth about who had killed the Messiah and the fact of His resurrection to the crowd of listeners, many of whom had surely seen the wonders that Jesus Christ had done. They were cut to the heart, asking, “…what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37).
Peter responded with the call to repent, be baptized, and then receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The listeners that day recognized their sins, just as we did before baptism. Nearly three thousand were baptized on that Day of Pentecost, another great miracle, which changed so many hearts and minds at once.
So began the Church of God, the body of Christ, which was to spread all over the earth as spiritual firstfruits of the family of God.
Scott Souder