THREE AMAZING FACTS ABOUT PENTECOST
Since moving to Sharon, I have been more aware of the
various Jewish festivals mentioned in the Bible. God ordained three annual
festivals to be observed by all Jewish people from generation to generation.
King Solomon was observant of these festivals, including "the Feast of Unleavened
Bread (Pesach/Passover), the Feast of Weeks (Shavuot/Pentecost), and the Feast
of Booths (Sukkoth)." II Chron 8:13.
Interestingly, this week has been the Feast of Weeks
(Shavuot) which began on May 25 and ended on May 27 for the Jewish people. For
Christians, this week's significance is Pentecost Sunday. God has placed
Hope Church in a unique place where we can celebrate our spiritual
connectedness with Jewish traditions and festivals while appreciating our
uniqueness as Christians that belong to God's eternal and enduring Kingdom.
Part of Kingdom living today includes building bridges
with people of various religions so that we can lead them to the one and only
one who said, "I am the
way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me."
John 14:6.
Building
bridges include our Jewish brothers and sisters in Sharon. So, we must
understand what Shavuot
means to the Jews today. I will share three amazing facts about Pentecost that
every Christian should know and how those facts impact our Kingdom living.
What
is the significance of Shavuot or Feast of the Weeks?
Shavuot, or
Feast of the Weeks, coincides with the grain harvest of early summer and is one
of three pilgrimage festivals mentioned in the Torah. The grain harvest "was
one of the three pilgrimage festivals of ancient Israel, when Israelite males
were commanded to appear before God in Jerusalem, bringing offerings of the
first fruits of their harvest." Feast of the Weeks was described in Leviticus
23. It starts seven full weeks, or 50 days, after the Feast of First Fruits.
Since it takes place exactly 50 days after the last
feast, it is also known as "Pentecost" (Acts 2:1), which means "fifty." Why is
this significant for Christians? Let's see what was offered on that day. The
Jews were commanded, in
Leviticus 23:17, "From wherever you
live, bring two loaves of bread to be lifted up before the Lord
as a special offering. Make these loaves from four quarts of choice flour, and
bake them with yeast. They will be an offering to the Lord from the first of
your crops." The spiritual significances of the Feast of the Weeks are many.
The two loaves of leavened bread that were to be a
wave offering foreshadow the time when the Messiah would make both Jew and
Gentile one in Him. Ephesians 2:14-15, For Christ himself, has brought peace to
us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the
cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. He did this by
ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace
between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two
groups."
What is the significance of the Pentecost Sunday?
Pentecost is
one of the great feasts in the Eastern Orthodox Church, a Solemnity in the
Roman Rite of the Catholic Church, a Festival in the Lutheran Churches, and a
Principal Feast in the Anglican Communion.
In the Netherlands, Pentecost Sunday and Monday are
public holidays. Since several other holidays usually fall close together, many
spend Pentecost on vacation. Several music festivals are held over the weekend.
It doesn't matter where you are from or what denomination you affiliate with;
you should know Three Amazing facts about Pentecost. Acts 2:1-21.
I. Pentecost Day fulfills
the ancient prophecies of Scripture.
About 120 disciples kept meeting in a house, praying
and waiting to receive the promised gift of the Holy Spirit. On the day of
Pentecost (the fiftieth day), God's promised Holy Spirit descended upon the
eagerly awaiting believers in an upper room of a house in Jerusalem.
All the believers were meeting in one place. Suddenly,
the house where they were gathering was hit by a heavenly hurricane filling the
house with a sound like the roaring of a mighty windstorm. The flames of fire
settled on each of them, and everyone in that room was filled with the Holy
Spirit. What happened afterward amazed everyone in Jerusalem.
Those filled with the Holy Spirit began to speak a
language other than their native Galilean, proclaiming the beautiful things
that God has done. The devout Jews living in Jerusalem and several visitors
from fifteen countries understood the wonderful things the disciples spoke.
They were amazed and asked one another what this could mean. While others
scoffed at the disciples saying they were just drunk—that was all.
The Apostle Peter stood up and rebuked those who wrongly
assumed the disciple's actions. He boldly reminded the Jews of this ancient
prophecy by Joel 2:28-32, "And afterward,
I
will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your
old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my
servants, both men, and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days... Before
the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on
the name of the Lord will be saved."
II.
The Power of the Pentecost.
Pentecost Day was a powerful
encounter. It transformed a fearful group of believers into powerful
proclaimers of God's marvelous works as empowered by the Holy Spirit. Peter,
once denied Jesus three times, now became a powerful witness of the salvation
message. Peter's words pierced the listeners' heart who asked him what we should do? Peter said, "Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God
and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.
Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." Those who believed what
Peter said were baptized and added to the Church that day, about 3,000 in all.
III.
Pentecost Day is the birthday of Jesus' Worldwide church.
Remember, upon Simon Peter's
declaration of Jesus being the Messiah, the son of the living God, Jesus said,
"Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means 'rock'), and upon this rock,
I will build my Church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it."
Matthew 16:16-18.
On the Day of Pentecost, Peter declared,
"Let everyone in Israel know for certain that God had made this Jesus, whom you
crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!" Acts 2:36 eventually led 3,000 people
to be saved, giving birth to Jesus' Worldwide Church.
Unfortunately, once in a while, Pentecost
Sunday is overshadowed by Memorial Day celebrations. I spoke with a
Presbyterian pastor friend of mine from Indianapolis about Pentecost Sunday,
and he said many in Indianapolis would go to watch the Indy 500 Car race than
to Church on Sunday. For Christians, Pentecost Day should be a significant
celebration because it is the birthday of Jesus' Church which began in
Jerusalem, spreading its influence Worldwide.
What is the message of Pentecost for
us today? The wheat harvest filled the Israelites with joy because they had
bread to it. On this Pentecost, Sunday, Jesus, the bread of life, is here to
fill your hearts with eternal Joy. Peter's words cut the hearts of his
listeners, leading them to repent and be baptized so they could receive the
gift of the Holy Spirit.
Similarly, as you listen to this message, if you have
not yet believed in Jesus, repent of your sins and be baptized so that you,
too, will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Every Christian needs the
infilling of the Holy Spirit to share the Good News of Jesus with others.
We need the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit to
break free from debilitating habitual sins and never to feel lonely and abandoned.
As promised, God wants to pour out his Holy Spirit on all people, the young and
the old, men and women. All you need is to open up your heart and, by faith, receive the Holy Spirit. He will come in and abide with you all the days of your
life.
