During this Easter season, as we prepare for the great celebration of Pentecost, we want to look at how the Holy Spirit has worked—and is continuing to work—in the Church. Since the very first Pentecost, the Spirit has been bringing the joy and power of the gospel to life for God’s people. In every age, he has surprised his people with gifts, power, and hope. He has always been faithful to draw God’s people closer to the Father and shower them with the love of Christ.
Throughout the Book of Acts, the message that persists is very simple: whenever the Holy Spirit fell, people’s lives were changed. We see this in the apostles who, together with the Virgin Mary, gathered in the upper room on Pentecost. We see the same thing happen in the cities of Samaria, Antioch, and Ephesus. We even see it in people as far from Christ as Saul of Tarsus, who persecuted the Church. In all these events—and so many more—we see the Spirit coming in power and igniting a fire that swept the ancient world. In this essay, we want to look at what the Holy Spirit did to turn regular, everyday people into joyful, committed followers of Jesus and fearless proclaimers of the gospel.