Pentecost…

So what is all the hype about Pentecost?  What does it mean?  Why does everyone wear red to church on Pentecost?

Ok, let me address the simplest question: why does everyone wear red to church on Pentecost?  Everyone wears red on Pentecost (50 days after resurrection of Christ) because red represents fire, power, passion, etc., and that is what came upon the Believers in the upper room on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2.

Now, most Believers are very well familiar with the day of Pentecost as it is outlined in Acts chapter 2.  However, Pentecost finds its roots in the Old Testament.  Specifically in the book of Exodus; it was known as the “Feast of Weeks”, a celebration that lasted for quite a while.  I talked about it in one of my previous blogs about the Passover Meal, and the Passover lamb, etc.  The day of Pentecost fell within the time span of the Feast of Weeks.  The celebration of Pentecost occurred exactly 50 days after the Passover.  Fast forwarding to Acts 2, the day of Pentecost (when the Holy Spirit fell upon all the Believers in the upper room in Jerusalem) happened exactly 50 days after the death, burrial, and resurrection of Christ, and as I talked about before, Jesus was and is our Passover Lamb.

Prior to the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was definitely present in the Old Testament, but He only empowered certain individuals who had specific tasks given to them by God; mainly the leaders and prophets in the OT.  But something exciting happened in Acts 2!!  The Holy Spirit now indwells and comes upon ALL those who would put their faith in Christ and repent.  Man, woman, child, etc., are all filled with the Holy Spirit when they call upon the name of Jesus.

Now, onto a more controversial subject: speaking in tongues.  Man, I have opened a can of giant, mutant-sized worms!  This has been debated for years within our various Christian denominations.  Acts 2 tells us that those in the upper room began speaking in tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.  So what does this mean?  What was happening?  First things first, the feast of Pentecost was 1 out of 3 times every year that God-fearing Jews would travel to Jerusalem.  So on this particular day (Pentecost) there were Jews from various nations gathered in Jerusalem.  Consequently, they did not all speak the same language.  When the Holy Spirit came upon the Believers in the upper room, a violent wind shook the room, and something like tongues of fire rested on their heads.  As a result of this amazing experience, they were given the ability to speak in tongues.  This means that they were able, without having been taught, to speak in another language (all through the Holy Spirit’s empowerment).  Now, I have heard it said (and I believe that this is possible) that a sort of “double miracle” occurred at that moment.  Not only were these Galileans (known for not being the most educated and intelligent of their day) speaking in the languages of the various people groups gathered in Jerusalem, BUT the people heard them speaking the wonders of God in their own languages.  Now, if all of these people in the upper room are all speaking in tongues, all speaking different languages, how is it that the people in Jerusalem heard all of those voices in their own specific language?  That is the second miracle; the people there were given the ability to understand the Believers from the upper room in their own language.  It was truly amazing!

Now, the Holy Spirit not only gave the Believers the ability to speak in another language without learning it, but He also empowered them to witness and preach!  If you read Acts 2, you will see that when some of the people accuse the Galileans in the upper room of being drunk, Peter stands up and says, “Hey!  We’re not drunk!  It’s way too early, it’s only 9am!”  And then he proceeds to preach one of the most convicting and powerful sermons recorded in the whole of Scripture.  If you rewind a little bit to the Gospels, Peter was the disciple that was quite frequently putting his foot in his mouth.  Often he would not understand Jesus’ teaching, he said things too hastily.  Pretty much the only thing Peter did right was to confess Jesus Christ as the Son of God, which Jesus told Peter that only God had revealed that to Him.  Other than that, Peter was just your average, rough neck, Galilean fisherman.  But once the Holy Spirit came upon him in power and boldness; he was able to bring forth an awesome Word from God and as a result of his sermon, and the demonstration of the Spirit’s power, approximately 3,000 people believed, repented, and were baptized that day…the day of Pentecost.

So what does this mean for us as Believers today?  Well, I believe that Acts 2 and the story of Pentecost demonstrates the inclusivity of the Gospel of Christ; it was meant for all people, in all nations, who speak all different languages, so that’s the first important aspect.

Secondly, I don’t believe that we should get all caught up on whether or not speaking in tongues still occurs in the Church today.  I don’t believe this was ever meant to be the focus of this biblical text.  The focus was and should be on the power of the Holy Spirit, and how all those who call upon the name of Christ are saved and filled with that same Holy Spirit.  Whether or not tongues still occur is debatable, and for the most part inconsequential for us today.

Thirdly, the story of Pentecost from Acts 2 should get us fired up about sharing the truth of the Gospel with everyone; our classmates, co-workers, neighbors, cashiers at the super market, waitresses/waiters at the restaurant, dog walker, etc., etc., you get the picture!  If you believe in Christ, you have bee filled with His Holy Spirit, and you have been given that same boldness that Peter had to preach the Word!

Lastly, the day of Pentecost provides for us the birth of the New Testament Church.  Notice how it was not birthed through programs or strategies, but it was birthed through the power of the Holy Spirit and the manifestation of the Holy Spirit’s power.  And might I remind you that the Holy Spirit’s power fell when the Believers were gathered together in agreement, and in prayer.  If you want to be used by God, then you’d better get on your knees and pray for Him to fill you and give you the strength you need to carry out the task He’s given.  Powerful things happen when God’s people pray!

So, as you reflect upon the day of Pentecost today, remember that Church ministry is only effective when the Holy Spirit has empowered it.  If your focus is programs and strategies, instead of prayer and seeking the Holy Spirit’s power, then the focus is misdirected and your ministry will ultimately suffer because of it.  Also, please remember that if you have put your faith in Christ and repented of your sins; you belong to Him and you have been filled with the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit gives you strength, gifts, and boldness for sharing your faith…so start living like it!

Only truth spoken here,

Rachel