A.D.: THE BIBLE CONTINUES: The Spirit Arrives

This episode takes on an important subject: the resurrection of Jesus, the promised coming of the Holy Spirit, and the disciples’ growing boldness. Its Pentecost scenes are “absolutely fantastic,” and the episode emphasizes Jesus’ lordship, His resurrection, the Spirit’s power, healing, and courage in the community.

The episode also has serious weaknesses. Some transitions are didactic and slow, and it does not end with a compelling reason to watch the next episode. The violence is strong, including stranglings, a sword killing, throat-cutting, riots, and beatings. Mild sexual suggestions and the episode’s historical and denominational choices may also trouble some viewers.

You can watch it, especially alongside Scripture, but use discernment with younger children and read the Book of Acts for the rest of the story.

The episode asks where Jesus’ body is and revisits His command that the disciples wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit. As Jewish and Roman authorities try to suppress the truth about the resurrection, tensions rise in Jerusalem.

Pilate increases Roman pressure, Herod resents it, and Jewish zealots plan violence. At Pentecost, the apostles gather in prayer as the city moves toward a decisive encounter with the Spirit’s power.

Three stars means this is a worthwhile but uneven episode. The Pentecost sequence is the standout, presenting the appearing of the Holy Spirit as an exciting and powerful moment. The episode also has strong dramatic material in the authorities’ attempts to suppress the truth and in the disciples’ new boldness.

The weaknesses are in the pacing and structure. Several transitions are very didactic and slow, and the episode does not provide a compelling hook for the next installment. Peter’s great Pentecost sermon would also have been a welcome addition.

The episode presents a strongly Christian, biblical outlook centered on Jesus’ lordship, His resurrection, the coming of the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit-filled disciples’ healing and boldness. These convictions stand in contrast to the self-serving humanist authorities in power, who try to conceal the truth.

The program’s portrayal also introduces questions. At Pentecost, the disciples repeat the Lord’s Prayer loudly and repeatedly, which differs from Jesus’ warning against empty repetition; the source review identifies this as a denominational difference. The episode also leaves out some historical details concerning Roman presence in the temple, and Peter’s major Pentecost sermon is absent.

The source review further objects to the diversity of the apostles, arguing that the early Christians were Jewish and that Judaism is racially transmitted by God’s order. Whatever one’s opinion of that choice, it is part of the episode’s presentation.

At its center, the episode celebrates the Holy Spirit empowering ordinary disciples for courageous witness. “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:4).

This episode’s Pentecost scenes are powerful, and its focus on Jesus, the resurrection, and the Holy Spirit gives it real value. Because of strong violence, historical and denominational concerns, and uneven pacing, watch with discernment and read Acts alongside it. WORTH WATCHING — MIDDLE SCHOOL AND UP.