And What is Pentecost?
To explain the Holy Spirit, we must start with Pentecost. Pentecost commemorates the day when the Apostles were first filled with the Holy Spirit.
Luke, in acts tells us:
5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language?
9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,[b] 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”
On the day of Pentecost, Peter filled with the Holy Spirit, addressed the crowd, explaining the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ as well as the call that God had placed on their hearts.
“Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
So, who is the Holy Spirit?
Let’s start with who the holy spirit isn’t. Yes, the Holy Spirit has also been called the Holy Ghost, but the Holy Spirit isn’t a cartoon character, isn’t Casper the Friendly Ghost and the Holy Spirit isn’t some ghostly apparition that haunts a manor or a castle.
With that out of the way, maybe the best way to describe who the Holy Spirit is would be to describe what the Holy Spirit does.
Mark introduces us to the Holy Spirit through the voice of John the Baptist:
John announces the coming of Jesus and the Holy Spirit this way:
4 And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. 6 John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And this was his message: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I baptize you with[e] water, but he will baptize you with[f] the Holy Spirit.”
The Holy Spirit speaks to you through your conscience and your compassion. The Holy Spirit speaks to you through your creativity, through your imagination and through the counsel of others. The Holy Spirit also speaks to you and comforts you through your pain.
Be very careful though. The Holy Spirit isn’t the only voice that whispers to you in this way. You must read your Bible very carefully. You must avoid cherry picking passages to confirm your bias and you must constantly be in prayer before your Lord. You must test your conscience and your compassion, your creativity and the counsel of others.
The Holy Spirit is your counsellor, your comforter and your advocate. The Holy Spirit is God’s spirit in you.
