Acts 2:1-4 “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.”

Jesus was not visibly present to explain to these people, “This is what happening to you.” But the signs, the evidence, that the Spirit had come was about as clear as it could be without a voice from heaven saying so.

First, there was the sound of the wind, but not a wind itself. The very words for “spirit” and “breath” and “wind” are closely related in most languages. The sound of a hurricane, without so much as a gust or a breeze, was a clear way for the Spirit to announce, “I’m here.”

The appearance of something that looked like fire settling on each of them took them all back to the prophecy of John the Baptist, “I baptize you with water for repentance. But…he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” Is it possible to imagine this supernatural phenomenon could mean anything else?

So far all of this was just sound and vision. The clearest proof that this was the Spirit, and that he was coming with power, was the sudden change each person experienced. In an instant they became fluent in foreign languages, a lot of them. I know a little something about learning and speaking foreign languages. I’ve studied six of them. It’s not something a person just “turns on” in a moment. It is more than learning a new list of words for things. Other languages involve a whole different way of thinking, a whole different system for putting ideas together. Even the way your mouth and tongue forms sounds has to be relearned. Spanish-speaking people roll their “r’s” in a way I can’t. Swedish speakers have sounds similar to our “sh” sound pronounced in the back of your throat that I can’t imitate, and they round their lips to create vowel sounds we don’t have in English. On this Pentecost the switch was flipped, and suddenly a group of uneducated fishermen were fluent in the native languages of at least fifteen other countries–evidence of the Spirit’s power.

Where is our Pentecost? What is the evidence of the Spirit’s power in our lives? Don’t get caught up in the supernatural elements of the story. They were real, but they aren’t the main thing. I don’t have to tell you that some Christians today are set on having signs and wonders in their religion. They crave these demonstrations of supernatural power like an addict craves his fix. It’s not enough for them to live by faith. They need to see the miracles.

The problem is that people then get so distracted by the magic that they miss what Christianity is all about. Jesus performed many miracles during his ministry, but you may remember that he never did them for those demanding proof. And from very early in his ministry he actually discouraged people from telling anyone the miraculous things he had done. It led people to come to him for all the wrong reasons. He didn’t use his power to impress anyone. He certainly wasn’t interested in being their entertainer. If the miracles weren’t leading people back to God’s mercy and grace, something was missing.

In the case of Pentecost Day, the evidence of the Spirit’s coming was needed for a very specific reason. Jesus had told them to wait for it, not to start their ministry until the spirit had come. For ten days they had been waiting for it to happen. There needed to be clear evidence that now they had received the Spirit and his power. Otherwise, how would they know the time had come to go and preach?

We don’t have to wait to go and tell. The green flag has been waved, the starting gun has been fired, and it is off to the races! Do you want evidence that you have received the Spirit’s power, as promised? Look no farther than your faith. “No one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit.” The gospel has had its way with your heart. You don’t just know what the cross means. You trust the forgiveness flowing from Jesus’ sacrifice for your salvation. That means the Spirit is working in your life, evidence that his power is at work in your heart.