Pentecost - Where is the Holy Spirit in the Bible?

  

Today, we celebrate the Solemnity of Pentecost. A few years ago, someone asked me where is the Holy Spirit in the bible? I got to thinking after we had that discussion, many people don’t know where the Holy Spirit is found in scripture. The truth is the whole bible was written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. We believe God is the author of Sacred Scripture and he used men to write books in the bible under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, such that they never wrote more or less than what God wanted them to write.

First lets’ look at a few examples in the Old Testament and then we will focus mainly on the New Testament to see specific references to the Holy Spirit.

In the first chapter of Genesis it states: “The earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the waters.” (Gen. 1:2) At the very beginning when God created the world, the Holy Spirit was there and played a role in creating the world.

When the prophet Ezekiel was prophesying over dead bones he said, “See, I will bring spirit into you, that you may come to life. I will put sinews upon you, make flesh grow over you, cover you with skin, and put spirit in you so that you may come to life and know that I am the Lord.” This foreshadows the General Resurrection, when the Holy Spirit will give new bodies, to the living and the dead.

Ezekiel also said, “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you.” (Ez. 36:26), which refers to baptism. In Psalm 104 David states, “When you send forth your spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth.”

The Holy Spirit is active in the New Testament, in the following examples. At the annunciation, when the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, He said, “Holy Spirit will come upon you”. (Lk. 1:35) And when Mary consented and said, “Let it be done unto me according to thy word”, (Lk. 1:38) the Holy Spirit immediately helped to bring about the incarnation, when Jesus took His flesh from the womb of Mary and became man.

During Mary’s Visitation to Her cousin Elizabeth, the Holy Spirit was active as Jesus, the unborn infant, sanctified John the Baptist in the womb of his mother, Elizabeth. When she heard Mary’s greeting, the babe leaped in her womb and filled with the Holy Spirit Elizabeth cried out, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.” (Lk. 1:41-42)

At Jesus’ baptism, He was anointed with the Holy Spirit when “the Spirit descended upon Him like a dove.” (Mk. 1-9-11) Jesus was then led by the Spirit into the desert, to be tempted by the devil. (Matt. 4:1)

When returning from the desert, the power of the Spirit caused Him to begin to teach in synagogues. (Lk 4:14) When He went to a synagogue at His hometown of Nazareth, He stood up and read from the prophet Isaiah. He said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.” (Lk. 4:18) And when He sat down, Jesus said, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” (Lk. 4:21), which meant, He is the Messiah.

When referring to the many different workings of the Holy Spirit, Jesus said, “The wind blows where it will.” (Jn. 3:8) During His bread of life discourse Jesus said, “the Spirit gives life.” (Jn. 6:63). When Jesus said, “Out of his (one’s) heart shall flow rivers of living water”, He was referring to the Holy Spirit.

At the Last Supper, Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit to help the apostles. He said, “I will send Him to you.” (Jn. 16:7), whom Our Lord called the “Advocate” (Jn. 16:7). He told His apostles, the Holy Spirit will “convince the world of sin and righteousness and of judgment.”

He convinces the world of sin, by helping us to know our sins and to be sorry for our sins. He helps us in the way of righteousness by sanctifying us and making us holy. In judgment, the Holy Spirit helps us in our decision making, to choose good rather thane evil.

Jesus called the Holy Spirit, “the Spirit of truth” (Jn. 14:17), who will “guide you (His disciples) to all truth.” (Jn. 16:13). Our Lord told the apostles, “The Holy Spirit will teach you all things and remind you of all that I said.” (Jn. 14:26). He said when the apostles would be persecuted, they were not to worry about what they would say because, “…for it is not you, who will speak, but the Holy Spirit.” (Jn. 13:11).

After His Resurrection, Jesus instituted the Sacrament of Confession when He breathed on His apostles and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit, whose sins you forgive are forgiven them…” (Jn. 20:22-23) Just before Jesus ascended into heaven, He told His apostles, “…you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit” And He told them, “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

Jesus told His Disciples, “Go therefore make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matt. 28:19) By these words, we clearly see the Holy Spirit is God, equal to the Father and the Son.

The Acts of the Apostles, written by St. Luke mentions the Holy Spirit’s activity in the early Church so often, the book is often called the “the book of the Holy Spirit”. The most significant event in the Acts of the Apostles was Pentecost.

After Jesus ascended into heaven, the apostles and the Virgin Mary prayed for nine days, (Acts. 1:14) in the upper room, waiting for the promised gift of the Holy Spirit. When the day of Pentecost arrived, suddenly, a sound came from heaven, like a rush of mighty wind, and it filled the house they were sitting. And there appeared to them, tongues in the form of fire. The Holy Spirit came down, and rested upon the Apostles, and the Blessed Virgin Mary, and all were filled with the Holy Spirit. They spoke in tongues such that each person heard the apostles speak in their own language. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the apostles were no longer afraid.

After the Holy Spirit descended, Peter stood up and gave his address to all gathered around them, which resulted in three thousand who were baptized that day, which was a result of the Holy Spirit. Because of the power of the Holy Spirit, the apostles boldly went out to the ends of the earth to make disciples of all nations. The Spirit began to work through the apostles, by their preaching, teaching and healing of the sick. And from the day of Pentecost, they would become great witnesses of the Gospel, even to the shedding of their blood as martyrs.

After St. Paul became a follower of Jesus, He helped the early Christians grow in their understanding of the Holy Spirit. He told the Corinthians, "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit.” (1 Corin. 6:19) Paul also said, “…the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit.” (Rom. 5:5) St. Paul told the Romans,“The Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we ought.”

Today, and every day, may we turn to the Holy Spirit. For He is God. The Holy Spirit is love. He is life, truth, our advocate, teacher, and guide. He is the sanctifier and therefore makes us holy. He enlightens us to help us know our sins and guides us when making decisions. He helps us remember, speaks through us- to others and He convinces the world of sin, righteousness and judgment and helps us to pray.

May the Blessed Virgin Mary, the spouse of the Holy Spirit, pray for us, that we will be like the apostles, (instruments of the Holy Spirit) to assist Him in renewing the face of the earth.