By Archimandrite Vassilios Bakoyiannis
Christ said to His disciples: “I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth” (Jn 15: 26). Does this in fact imply that the Holy Spirit could not arrive of Its own accord? Of course, acting as “a free agent” (Pentecost Sunday Matins Service, Canon A, Ode D), It could arrive of Its own accord. But, why had the Holy Spirit not come?
The way was closed due our sins, and it needed to be opened. The way however opened with the Crucifixion, Burial, Resurrection and Ascension of the Lord (St John Chrysostom, Homily 1 on Pentecost, P.G. 50: 457). So when Christ said to His disciples that “I shall send the Holy Spirit to you” (Jn 15: 26), he implied that “I will open the way for the coming of the Holy Spirit”; St John Chrysostom further clarifies this statement: “I shall prepare you to receive” (Homily 78 on the Gospel of John, P. G. 59: 423).
On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was only received by the Twelve Apostles, since they would be preaching about Jesus Christ. They did not have the capacity of their own volition to comprehend Christ nor the strength to preach to the world. This is precisely why Christ instructed them to not leave Jerusalem prior to his Ascension in order that they may receive strength and wisdom from above (Acts 1: 4, 8).And thus, the Holy Spirit came and gave them both the appropriate wisdom to understand Christ and the appropriate power to preach about Him. If the Holy Spirit had not come, then Christ and His work would have been confined to a “museum”, (i.e. a relic of no effect). This is precisely why Christ said to His disciples, “It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper [Holy Spirit] will not come to you” (Jn 16:7). ”He will testify of Me” (Jn 15: 26). He will tell you precisely Who I am!
And what happened on Pentecost was indeed a miracle, a very great miracle. Until that time all the disciples were faint-hearted. As soon as the Jews arrested Christ, the disciples abandoned Him (Mt. 26: 56) They were also illiterate and uneducated. Christ would say one thing to them and they would comprehend another. “For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened” (Mk 6: 52). And suddenly on Pentecost, without any teaching and exercises, within a fraction of a second, they were transformed from timid beings into lions and from uneducated people into wise men!
A characteristic example of this is the case of Peter – Simon, who denied Christ out of fear of a servant girl (Mt. 26: 70). And on Pentecost he went out onto the balcony and spoke bravely in front of thousands of assembled Jews, who had only shortly before crucified the Lord. And he harshly censured them for the sin that they had committed! Furthermore, this hitherto illiterate and uneducated person, where Christ until recently would say one thing and Peter would comprehend another, now masterfully analysed the Scriptures so as to leave thousands of Jews speechless! (Acts 2: 14-36). And the Jews who heard Peter’s sermon went so far as to ask Peter and the apostles ”Men and brethren, what should we do?” (Acts 2:37). And Peter responded to them (Acts 2: 38): “Repent, and let every one of you be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins”. And they were indeed baptised in the name of Jesus Christ, whom they themselves had crucified just fifty days earlier. At the Vespers of the Holy Spirit, we “appropriately” chant in Church: “Who is so great a God as our God? You are the God who does wonders” (Ps.77: 14-15).
The Archimandrite Vassilios Bakoyiannis was born in 1953. He was ordained in 1980 and serves the Holy Metropolis of Patras in Greece.
He is a graduate of the Theological Academy of Athens and of the Theological School of the University of Belgrade. He received his M.A. in The-ology from St. Vladimir’s Seminary and his Ph.D. from the Atlantic International University (U.S.A.). In 1974 he began writing and since then has written over 50 spiritual books. The publication of his books in Greece has been exclusively undertaken by “Thavor” publications, (www.ekdoseisthavor.blogspot.com) which have been exclusively established for this purpose and for which he exclusively writes. Several of his books have been translated from the Greek language into English and published by www.archangelsbooks.com.