Why Did God Send Fire at Pentecost?

The fire in Acts 2, God's presence, and the people He changes and sends.

By Pastor John Erickson

The story of Pentecost is a little weird.

I mean that in the best possible way.

There is a sound like rushing wind. There are what look like tongues of fire. People begin speaking languages they haven't learned, and a crowd gathers trying to figure out what on earth is happening.

If that scene doesn't cause you to ask a few questions, you're probably reading too fast.

I think sometimes we get so used to biblical stories that we stop noticing how remarkable they are. But Acts 2 is doing something incredible, and the fire is part of a much bigger story.

The Fire Has a History

Pentecost was already a Jewish festival before the events in Acts 2. Jewish people from many places gathered in Jerusalem, which helps explain the different languages represented in the crowd.

But to understand the fire, we have to go farther back.

In Exodus 40, God's glory fills the tabernacle. The cloud and fire associated with his presence tell Israel that God is dwelling among them and guiding them.

Later, when Solomon dedicates the temple, 2 Chronicles 7 describes fire coming down and God's glory filling the temple.

These are powerful images of God's presence. The dwelling place of God is at the center of his people.

Then Acts 2 happens.

The Fire Falls on People

In Acts 2, the disciples are gathered together when the Spirit comes. The appearance of fire is no longer centered on a building.

It rests on people.

I think that's one of the most beautiful parts of the story.

I can still pray as though God is somewhere far away and needs directions to find us. Picture sitting beside a houseguest on the couch, then texting, 'Hey, why don't you come over?' They might reasonably answer, 'I'm right here. You can just talk to me.'

The illustration has limits, but it reminds me to pay attention to the One who is already present.

God is not simply inviting his people to travel to a particular place to encounter his presence. Through the Holy Spirit, he comes to dwell with and empower those who belong to Jesus.

And notice who receives the gift. This isn't only for the person who has the most impressive title or the most polished public ministry.

The Spirit is poured out on the gathered believers. Peter later explains the event with the promise from Joel that sons and daughters, young and old, and servants as well would share in God's outpouring.

The message is that the work of God's Spirit is not reserved for a tiny spiritual elite.

The Spirit Changes People

One of the biggest clues about the meaning of Pentecost is what happens afterward.

Think about Peter. During Jesus' arrest, Peter denied knowing him. He was frightened and uncertain about what following Jesus might cost.

Now he stands up and boldly proclaims the resurrection.

Same person. Very different courage.

The Holy Spirit doesn't merely give the disciples an unusual experience they can talk about for the rest of their lives. The Spirit makes them different people.

I saw a glimpse of that while doing street ministry in college. A friend and I took teams from our Bible college to Santa Monica on Friday nights. We made sandwiches, brought Bibles, and spent time with people near the promenade.

It started with one car and about a hundred sandwiches. Eventually we had twenty-five or thirty students going. We had learned a great deal in classrooms. We wanted to put some of it into practice.

One evening a young man I had been talking with asked whether I had paper. I understood that he wanted rolling papers. I had a Bible in my backpack, and I did something that startled him: I offered it, then tore out pages while we talked.

Looking back, that was a dramatic way to make a point. But the point I wanted him to hear was that he mattered more than the price of the book in my hand. God wanted a relationship with him. The story on those pages was an invitation into a life with Jesus.

We sat outside a McDonald's, ate dinner, and kept talking. By the end of the night he wanted to follow Jesus. I gave him an intact Bible.

About six months later, I saw him again nearby. That Bible was on a table, and he was studying it with his girlfriend and two other people.

That stayed with me. Something had changed beyond one conversation or one emotional moment. He was learning to live with Jesus.

Pentecost points us toward that kind of transformation. Second Corinthians 3:16-18 describes the Spirit bringing freedom and changing people into the Lord's image. The Spirit's presence reaches into ordinary lives-our habits, our relationships, the people we notice, and what we do with power.

The Spirit Also Empowers People

As a Foursquare Christian, I believe the Holy Spirit continues to give gifts that help the church serve people and proclaim Jesus. That includes gifts such as tongues, prophecy, and praying for healing.

Christians from different traditions understand the operation of some gifts differently, and we should be careful not to turn those differences into an excuse for pride.

But I don't think we should respond to the mystery of Acts 2 by pretending it isn't there.

We need both transformation and empowerment. If we talk only about the spectacular gifts and ignore the way we treat people, something is missing. If we speak only about personal character and leave no room for God's surprising work, we may be missing something too.

The point of the Spirit's presence is not to make us impressive.

It's to make Jesus known.

What Is the Fire Producing in Us?

I sometimes think we can become more interested in the experience than in what the experience is supposed to do.

We want the dramatic moment, the unforgettable story, the evidence that God is working.

But the question Acts 2 keeps bringing me back to is this: are we being changed and sent?

Are we becoming more like Jesus? Are we more willing to love, serve, forgive, and speak with courage? Are we open to God equipping us to care for people in ways we could not manufacture by ourselves?

At Pentecost, God did something extraordinary.

And the extraordinary part wasn't only that there was fire.

It was that God was making his home with his people and sending them into the world.