“For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.” (Isaiah 28:11-12)
The prophet Isaiah foretold of a time when there would be communication with God by the avenue of speaking with other tongues, or unknown languages. Since the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2 when the Holy Ghost was first poured out publicly, every believer can and should be filled with the Spirit of God, evidenced by speaking in tongues. While this topic was scoffed at for decades, most Christian denominations have come to accept the validity of speaking in tongues, although sadly, most don’t believe it’s essential to salvation, as scripture declares.
We know that Isaiah prophesied it, the New Testament Believers experienced it, and speaking in tongues is prevalent today, two thousand years later. But what about the time period before the Day of Pentecost? Scripture says Jesus instructed His disciples to receive the Spirit. His instructions were for the future because the Holy Ghost had not been poured out yet, but would be in Acts 2, on the Day of Pentecost, after Jesus’ resurrection and ascension into Heaven.
“He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)” (John 7:38-39)
But did Jesus Himself ever speak in tongues? My personal opinion is yes, He did. Let’s look at scriptural examples.
Raising Jairus’ Daughter From The Dead
“And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise.” (Mark 5:41)
Healing A Blind And Speech Impaired Man
“And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue; And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain.“ (Mark 7:33-35)
At His Crucifixion
“And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias.“ (Matthew 27:46-47)
“And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calleth Elias.“ (Mark 15:34-35)
The Settings
Each time Jesus was recorded speaking in a language that required translation, He was in intense prayer for someone to be raised from the dead, healing or while He, Himself, was in great suffering on the cross. The language he was speaking in each of these scenarios was His most natural and intimate prayer language. He was flowing in the Spirit the same as we do today when we allow the Holy Ghost to pray for us. In other words, He was praying in tongues.
What Language Was He Speaking?
It is most commonly agreed upon by Bible scholars that Jesus was speaking Aramaic on these occasions. This is likely confusing to you because of an erroneous teaching that speaking in tongues must be a heavenly language that no one on earth knows. This simply is not so. It may be a language completely unknown to mankind, or it may be a language simply unknown to the person speaking.
But was Aramaic spoken in Jesus’ time, and wouldn’t He have known it? He likely did know Aramaic…along with approximately a thousand languages that were spoken at this time. He was God manifested in flesh, and knew all things by the Spirit. However, obviously everyone around Him at these times didn’t know the language He was speaking, or we wouldn’t have record of His words “being interpreted,” or confusion over what He had said.
Why Would Jesus Speak In Tongues?
-The Holy Ghost had not been poured out publicly yet, so no one was speaking in tongues at this time.
-Jesus was filled with the Holy Ghost from conception, so didn’t actually require tongues as evidence.
I think we can find the answer to why He left of us a record of speaking in tongues can be found at His baptism. When He approached John to be baptism, John tried to refuse, saying he was unworthy for the task, and that Jesus should actually be baptizing him. Jesus’ answer to John as to why He was submitting to baptism is the same reason He spoke in tongues when it wasn’t necessary for Him to do so. He was leaving us a beautiful example.
“And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.“ (Matthew 3:15)
In Summary
-Jesus spoke in tongues before the Holy Ghost was poured out in Acts 2.
-Jesus likely spoke Aramaic when He spoke in tongues.
-Jesus likely knew Aramaic, as He did all languages.
-The people around Him didn’t all know what He was speaking, or there would have been no interpretation needed, nor any confusion.
-When Jesus was praying, He would often flow in the Spirit, and speak in tongues. When a born again believer prays today, it should be just as natural as it was for Jesus.
-Jesus didn’t have to have to speak in tongues as evidence of having the Holy Ghost since He was filled with the Spirit from conception, and never sinned.
-Besides praying in tongues as intimate prayer in the Spirit, Jesus spoke in tongues to leave an example for us.
-Speaking in tongues may be a heavenly language, not of the earth, or it may be a language unlearned by the one who is speaking.
Blessings In Jesus’ Name!
-Pat