Women in the Life of Jesus: Women in the Upper Room

But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”-Acts 1:8

There were women in the upper room on the day of Pentecost.  Acts 1 tells of Jesus’ last moments on earth.  He gives his disciples specific directions.  He tells them to go back to Jerusalem and wait for the “Promise of the Father.”(Acts 1:4)  When they get back to Jerusalem, the women join them.

Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey.  And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying: Peter, James, John, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and Judas the son of James.  These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication,  with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.-Acts 1:12-14 (NKJV)

Later in Acts 1, Peter stands up and there is discussion about which disciple should take Judas’ place. They make that decision, and then it moves into Acts 2, at the coming of the Holy Spirit.  There doesn’t seem to be an interruption in the flow of action with the disciples, including the women all being together.  

When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them.  And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.-Acts 2:4 (NKJV)

After they all receive the Holy Spirit, which equips them with the power of God, Jews that have come to Jerusalem to celebrate Pentecost, hear them speaking in tongues in the languages of the regions they are from, and declaring the works of God.  This is astonishing to them, as they believe them all to be from Galilee. That’s when Peter stands up, preaches Jesus, and quotes the prophet Joel saying:

And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God,

That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;

Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

Your young men shall see visions,

Your old men shall dream dreams.

And on My menservants and on My maidservants

I will pour out My Spirit in those days;

And they shall prophesy.

I will show wonders in heaven above

And signs in the earth beneath:

Blood and fire and vapor of smoke.

The sun shall be turned into darkness,

And the moon into blood,

Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.

And it shall come to pass

That whoever calls on the name of the Lord

Shall be saved.’-Acts 2:17-21 (NKJV)

And then 3000 people get saved!  Three thousand.  That is a lot for me in one moment. And the Holy Spirit came on all those who heard the message that day and the scripture above was fulfilled.

There were women there that day.  Peter repeats what Joel says, women being included in that list of what would happen when the Holy Spirit is poured out. Daughters and maidservants would prophesy!

When the Holy Spirit came upon them, they received power.  That power is the word “dunamis” in the Greek.  It means miraculous power.  In the Gospels it is often translated as miracles, wonderful works, mighty works, power, and virtue.  They received the same power that came on Jesus that day in the river Jordan.  Both men and women received that power!!

What the prophet Joel prophesied began on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2:4, and it continues to this day.  God poured out His Spirit on the Early Church that day.  They began witnessing of Jesus in Jerusalem and then Samaria.  But Jesus also said there would be witnesses "unto the ends of the earth."  That is us!  God is still pouring out His Spirit on men and women, equipping them with power to do what He has prepared for them in advance to do. And this baptism is for every Believer.

Many blessings to you as you continue to learn and grow in Him,

Beth

To read more posts in this series, go here to Women in the Life of Jesus. 

The New Birth, Baptism in the Holy Spirit, and Water Baptism, Part 2



In my first post in this series, I talked about the new birth. Today I will be sharing on the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

The baptism of the Holy Spirit, as mentioned in Acts 2, and other places in the book of Acts, is not the same thing as the new birth.  It is an experience subsequent to salvation, and often comes through the laying on of hands, but not always.

In Acts 1:4 and 1:8, Jesus is speaking with His disciples after the resurrection.  He gives them a command to wait in Jerusalem until they receive the “gift my Father promised.”

“One on occasion, while He was eating with them, He gave them this command: ‘Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.  For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”-Acts 1:4-5

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”-Acts 1:8

I find it interesting that in Acts 1:4-5, He points them back to John’s baptism with water, because that is where He first received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, was when John baptized Him with water.  It was when the power of God came on Him, and His own ministry started.  He is an example for us.

The baptism of the Holy Spirit is not the same thing as the New Birth.  We know this because Jesus told them to wait for this.  They had already received the Holy Spirit in John 20, which was the new birth, when Jesus breathed on them.

“Again Jesus said, ‘Peace be with you!  As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.’ And with that He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.  If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”-John 20:21-23

Jesus would not tell them to wait for something He had already given them, unless it was something different.  No, what was coming was the power of God to do what He had called them to do.  Being baptized or immersed in the Holy Spirit would make them like Him.

In Acts 2, on the day of the Jewish festival of Pentecost, the disciples who were all waiting received.

“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.  Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.  They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.  All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.”-Acts 2:1-4

This was different than what happened to them in John 20.  Jesus had gone back into Heaven, and the Holy Spirit had come in His place, to equip every Believer to do what He has called them to do.

In my next post, we will look at other examples of other Believers in the book of Acts being baptized in the Holy Spirit.  We will also learn more about the differences in the experiences of the new birth, baptism in the Holy Spirit, and water baptism.

All posts in this series include:

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit-The Life of Jesus

The New Birth, Baptism in the Holy Spirit, and Water Baptism, Part 1

The New Birth, Baptism in the Holy Spirit, and Water Baptism, Part 2

The Holy Spirit Came on All Who Heard the Message