Do you know and experience in your life the gift and power of the Holy Spirit? After his death and resurrection Jesus promised his disciples the gift of the Holy Spirit. Receive the Holy Spirit! Jesus knew his disciples would need the power of the Holy Spirit to carry out the mission entrusted to them.
The gift of the Holy Spirit was conditional upon the ascension of Jesus to the right hand of the Father. That is why Jesus instructed the apostles to wait in Jerusalem until you are clothed with power from on high (Luke 24:49).
What is Pentecost?
Why did they need power from on high? Just as Jesus was anointed with the Spirit at the beginning of his ministry at the River Jordan, so the disciples needed the anointing of the Spirit to carry out the mission entrusted to them by Jesus. The Holy Spirit is given to all who are baptized into Christ to enable us to live a new way of life – a life of love, peace, joy, and righteousness (Romans 14:17). The Holy Spirit fills our hearts with the love of God (Romans 5:7) and he gives us the strength and courage we need in order to live as faith-filled disciples of Jesus. The Spirit helps us in our weakness (Romans 8:26) and enables us to grow in spiritual freedom (2 Corinthians 3:17; Romans 8:21). The Spirit instructs us in the ways of God, and guides us in living according to God’s will. The Spirit is the source and giver of all holiness. Isaiah foretold the seven-fold gifts that the Spirit would give: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord (Isaiah 11:2).
(John 20:19-24)
On the evening of that first day of the week,
when the doors were locked, where the disciples were,
for fear of the Jews,
Jesus came and stood in their midst
and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,
“Receive the Holy Spirit.
Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,
and whose sins you retain are retained.”
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