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All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven (Acts 2:4-5).… each one heard them speaking in his own language (Acts 2:6b). “…--we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, ‘What does this mean?” (Acts 2:11b-12)

I was once in a small group with a couple—Don and Ina—who had become missionaries in their old-er age. Ina told us they had both struggled with their assigned tribe’s indigenous language.

When her husband Don would stand to preach, however, that difficult-for-them language would flow out of him flawlessly. His speech was so clear the people would vigorously click their tongues, which was their way of expressing astonishment. 

The Holy Spirit enabled Don to speak in the language the people could comprehend to convey the wonders of God He wanted them to hear.

If this sounds familiar, it’s because it’s akin to what God was doing on Pentecost. The disciples had been enabled by the Holy Spirit to speak in the languages of the people gathered in Jerusalem to convey the wonders of God to each. Although those observant Jews didn’t respond by clicking their tongues, they, too, expressed astonishment. 

I find these stories encouraging not because I expect the Holy Spirit to enable me to speak Hindi to my neighbor. (Although wouldn’t that be something?!) It’s because I am aware that speaking the wonders of God—even when shared in English with an English speaker—can sound like a foreign language to someone who has little or no familiarity with the God of wonders. 

This means that when we speak about God and His wonders we are as dependent on the Holy Spirit today as the disciples were in the 1st century and as Don was in the 20th. 

Notice that the disciples in Jerusalem, and Don in that tribe, were present with the Holy Spirit and with the people, were given Holy Spirit power to speak, and knew their purpose was to declare the wonders of God. The Holy Spirit was integral to everything that happened.  His work was what generated the people’s astonishment.   

Let’s try imagining ourselves in that Pentecost scene—whether as disciples or as God-fearing Jews. What would it have been like as a disciple to hear a foreign language coming out of your mouth? What would it have been like as a God-fearing Jew to hear your language being spoken and to observe others around you hearing theirs? Can you appreciate the astonishment all experienced now? 

What is your take-away from that exercise?