It is very easy to lose sight of the bigger picture, to focus only on what happens next in life.
We often do this in church, even when we hear powerful proclamations through the gospel with messages such as, “Nothing can separate us from the love of God,” “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ,” and “All things are possible for the one who believes.” Yet, we forget about the day that follows—the day to come—the next day.
A day like this must have come for the disciples and followers of Christ in the opening chapters of the book of Acts.
The day of Pentecost was a pivotal turning point in the life of the early church. Its accompanying outpouring and deluge of the Holy Spirit marked the exciting fulfilment of promises long awaited by God’s people. For the gathered disciples, this event was more than a dramatic moment; it was a divine invasion of their reality, filling them with power and purpose—and taking them by surprise.
They knew they were waiting for something—Jesus had told them so—but the magnitude of the event was breath-taking, and no one had expected something so enormous. However, the day passed, and the evening gave way to a new day. What happened on that next day? The previous day left their minds reeling—what next?
After the rushing wind, the tongues of fire, and the multilingual proclamation, what did the disciples expect? What did they have to look forward to as the Spirit began to lead them into this new chapter of redemptive history, a chapter that would transform the world?
The Unfolding of a New Era
Monday, 25th May AD33 – the day after Pentecost, must surely have carried a profound sense of anticipation and excitement. This was the beginning of something, not the destination. The disciples had personally witnessed an event that changed everything. Nothing would ever be the same. Just a few weeks earlier, they had seen Jesus, their crucified and risen Lord, ascend into heaven. He had promised that the Spirit would come to empower them as His witnesses (Acts 1:8). And on that Pentecost morning, His words were fulfilled in ways more dramatic and overwhelming than they could have imagined. The Spirit descended not quietly, but with raw ‘ruach’ power, signifying the start of something radically new.
Living in the Power of the Spirit
As the dust settled and the echo of Peter’s sermon lingered, the disciples were left with a question: What now? What comes next after such an encounter with the living God? A new day had arrived.
The first thing they would have expected was the unfolding, unveiling disclosure of the new covenant reality they were now a part of. Pentecost was not just a one-time experience, but the ushering in of a new era. In the Old Testament, the prophets had spoken of a day when God would pour out His Spirit on all flesh (Joel 2:28–29). No longer would the Spirit’s presence be limited to particular individuals for particular tasks, as it had been with the well-known kings, prophets, and priests under the old covenant. Now, the Spirit would indwell all believers—young and old, male and female—regardless of their social standing, empowering them to live together as God’s people, His community, in a new and dynamic way.
Witnessing the Fulfilment of Promises
Yesterday’s Pentecost outpouring was the fulfilment of promises made centuries earlier, and the disciples would have recognised its significance. The day after Pentecost, they awoke with the knowledge that there had been a true shift in the atmosphere (the proper use of the word!) and that they were now living in the fulfilment of those promises. They were no longer followers of a Messiah who was physically distant. The risen and ascended Christ was now present with them by His Spirit, leading, guiding, and empowering them to be His witnesses in the world. I wonder, as they sensed the presence of the Holy Spirit, did it feel familiar to them? Was it like how they felt when they were around Jesus—ministering, eating, laughing, crying, and praying?
Empowered for Mission
The disciples were not just anticipating the internal transformation that the Spirit would bring; they were also looking forward to the outward expression of that power. Jesus had been unmistakably clear: they were to be His witnesses, not only in Jerusalem but in Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). Yesterday’s Pentecost had provided them with a taste of what this would look like, and now a new day had arrived, dazzling with opportunity.
Peter’s bold sermon, which resulted in three thousand conversions, was a clear demonstration of the Spirit’s power. Surely the disciples were shocked and surprised by Peter—what coherent thought and eloquence, and what boldness! The ability to proclaim the gospel with clarity and conviction, even in the face of opposition, was one of the gifts the Spirit had promised, and it arrived exactly when needed. The day after Pentecost, the disciples would have eagerly anticipated more opportunities to declare the good news. They knew that the same power which had enabled Peter to speak would continue to equip them for the lifelong mission ahead.
A Radical Transformation
The Spirit’s empowerment was not just for evangelistic purposes, though. It also enabled the disciples to begin to live lives that reflected the kingdom of God. The fruits of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—would begin to manifest in the community of believers (Gal. 5:22–23). The next day, and the days following, the disciples would have looked forward to experiencing and embodying this new way of life, growing in character, faith, and hope. Their relationships with one another would be transformed, as they were empowered to love and serve in ways that had previously seemed impossible. The things that Jesus had taught so well now began to connect. The jigsaw puzzle of so many truths began to come together—though it would take someone called Saul to help them make the final connections.
The Challenge of Persecution
However, alongside the hope and excitement of this new reality, there was also the sobering expectation of persecution. Jesus had warned them that following Him would come at a cost. “If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:20, ESV). The events of Pentecost, while glorious, were not without opposition. The disciples had already faced mockery from those who dismissed their experience as drunkenness (Acts 2:13).
The day after Pentecost, the disciples would have been keenly aware that their new Spirit-empowered life would not be without difficulty. Yet, even in this, they had reason for hope. The same Spirit who empowered them for mission would also sustain them in the face of persecution. Jesus had promised that the Spirit would give them the words to say when they stood before rulers and authorities (Luke 12:11–12). They knew that opposition was inevitable, but the Spirit’s presence was their guarantee that they would not be overcome.
A Spirit-Sustained Life
Pentecost was the birth of the church, and the disciples would have expected to see it grow, just as we do today. Jesus said that the gospel would spread, starting from Jerusalem and reaching the ends of the earth—even across the whole of the United Kingdom of Great Britain. And so, the next day, as they gathered together in homes, shared meals, and devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching (Acts 2:42) while discussing all that had just happened, they would have looked forward to seeing this expansion begin.
The early chapters of Acts describe the rapid growth of the church as more and more people were drawn to the message of Christ. The disciples knew that the Spirit had been given not just for their own benefit, but for the salvation of many. The day after Pentecost, they would have been filled with hope and expectation that this gospel truly was the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes (Rom. 1:16).
Eyes Fixed on Eternity
Undoubtedly, the disciples would have had their eyes fixed on the horizon of eternity. Pentecost was not just a moment of empowerment for mission; it was also a foretaste of the future kingdom and all that Jesus had alluded to. The outpouring of the Spirit was a down payment, a guarantee of the inheritance to come (Eph. 1:13–14). The disciples knew that the same Jesus who had ascended into heaven would return in the same way (Acts 1:11).
On the day after Pentecost, they would have lived with the tension of the “already and not yet”—knowing that the kingdom had come in part through the Spirit’s presence but still awaiting its full consummation. There was more to come, much more. They were now living in the last days, the time between Christ’s first and second coming, and their part was to live with urgency, knowing that their mission was to prepare the way for His return.
Waiting with Expectancy
In many ways, the day after Pentecost was the beginning of a new kind of waiting—waiting with expectancy, but not idleness. The disciples were now part of the Spirit-filled church, empowered to witness to the risen Christ and to live as citizens of His kingdom. They knew that the Spirit who had come would continue to work in and through them until the day their Lord returned in glory.
That was them. We too are called to live with similar zeal, expectation, and encouragement about the future. The days are difficult, but God is with us and for us. I am convinced that we will see the astonishing goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. It may not eclipse the day of Pentecost, but it will nonetheless be a breath-taking tsunami of grace, kindness, met by waves of healings, miracles, salvation, and great repentance as innumerable people—young and old, from every nation—turn their hearts to Jesus as Lord and Saviour of their lives.
A new day is dawning.
