CELEBRATE THE PENTECOST
The Jews held an early harvest festival. The Jewish feast called Shavuot was a thanksgiving for the first fruits of the wheat harvest. Shavuot is the second of three great feasts in Israel’s cycle of Holy Days. Thousands of Jewish pilgrims came to celebrate Shavuot. People from many nations came for the celebration. The disciples gathered together and traveled to Jerusalem.
The followers of Jesus were all together in one place. Jesus had told them, ”I will ask the Father and He will give you another helper to be with you forever. The Holy Spirit will teach you many things. The Father will send the Holy Spirit in my name’. Suddenly, a loud noise filled the whole house. The sound, like a violent wind came from Heaven. Then, just as suddenly something like the fire of a candle appeared on their heads, tongues of fire. ”And they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit gave them the ability to speak.’ (Acts 2:4). The Parthians, Medes and Elamites and residents of Judea, Mesopotamia, Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia attended the festival. There were visitors from Rome, Cretans and Arabs and all speaking their own language. The Christians were unintelligible.
But now filled by the Holy Spirit, the Christians began to speak of God’s mighty works. Many of the people listening were amazed because the messages were in their own languages. This first Pentecost represents the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. It marked the shifts of God’s redemptions to all mankind. Peter stepped forward, raised his voice to preach, ”Men of Israel, you nailed Jesus to the cross. By your sins, godless men put Him to death”. Peter said, ‘Repent and be baptized in the name of the Holy Spirit, receive the gift of the Holy Spirit and the forgiveness of your sins’.
The outpouring of the Holy Spirit at that first Pentecost was more than a historical event. Over 3,000 people were baptized and became Christians. It marked the beginning of the Christian Church. Our Helper confirms in us the belief that God’s word is true and His promises sure. The Holy Spirit gives us joy in the midst of grief and peace in the face of fear. We, Christians, pray for the outpouring of the Spirit.
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