Jesus knew that His followers were not ready to take His place. He spent 40 days after His Resurrection helping them to get ready for life without Him. They were all afraid that they would end up dead and kept themselves locked up in a room. The first time Jesus appeared to the group, Thomas was missing. After the visit, Thomas returned and told his friends that he doubted Jesus was there. When Jesus returned a second time, He invited Thomas to place his fingers in the wounds.
How were these followers going to be able to convince the world that Jesus returned from the dead? For three years, this group just watched as Jesus did all the work. It took 40 days just to get this group to calm down. Peter had just denied that he even knew Jesus and now he was in charge. Judas did not think God could forgive him for betraying Jesus and hung himself. James and John were concerned about their father's fishing business and felt lost.
The moment that the Holy Spirit entered the picture, everything changed. Jesus promised His followers that they would receive a special gift. This day is know as Pentecost. It happened just ten days after Jesus Ascended into Heaven and fifty days after His Resurrection.
The Holy Spirit came to the followers like fire and wind. These followers became fearless. They immediately went outside and began to spread the Good News. Amazingly, they could be understood in every language known to man.
The Holy Spirit is still with us today. The gifts that each of us have are unique. Some have the gift of healing, others the gift of understanding God's Word. Some have the gift of hospitality, others have visions. When we put our gifts together, we begin to see how God's puzzle is revealed.
Now more than ever, the world needs to hear the Good News. Let's accept the gift of the Holy Spirit and join with others to spread the Word...
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