Do you
feel the Spirit of God moving in your life? Can you be filled with the
same Spirit of Pentecost as Christ’s first disciples? Yes, you can!
It
had been an unforgettable 50 days for Christ’s disciples. Their Teacher
had come back from the dead after a brutal execution, and had taught them
for 40 days. More than 500 at one time had seen Him (1 Corinthians 15:6).
The disciples ate with Him, talked with Him and even touched the wounds
where His body had been pierced.
But that was not all. After 40 dramatic days
of instruction, the Savior ascended into the clouds, while His disciples
watched with wonder and amazement. But He did not leave them alone—He
promised to give them something that would empower them with spiritual
vitality they had never before experienced (Luke 24:49).
The disciple Luke describes Christ’s
encouraging words. "And being assembled together with them, He
commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise
of the Father, ‘which,’ He said, ‘you have heard from Me; for John
truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit
not many days from now’" (Acts 1:4–5).
What event was the risen Christ speaking of?
What was this "promise" to come? Most Bible students know the
basic story, but many are not fully aware of the profound impact this
momentous 50th day would have on the Church of God from that point
forward. It was the day of Pentecost—the day of miracles—the day
the New Testament Church began!
The Day the
Church Began
What
happened on that amazing Day of Pentecost in 31ad? Luke records the
day’s events: "When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were
all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from
heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where
they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of
fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the
Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them
utterance" (Acts 2:1–4).
The beginning of the New Testament Church
was characterized by astonishing sights and sounds. It was an awesome
display of divine power, reminiscent of the awesome sights God had shown
on the day He gave Moses the law on Mount Sinai (Hebrews 12:18–21). In
fact, according to Jewish tradition, the law of God at Mount Sinai was
given on the Day of Pentecost many centuries earlier!
But more important than the sights and
sounds were the events that could not be seen or heard. These
manifestations of God’s majesty signaled the outpouring of the power of
the universe—God’s Spirit! The same power that ignited the sun and the
stars—the power that formed and set the planets in motion—would now
literally abide in human beings on Earth (John 14:17).
These people to whom the Spirit was given
would never be the same! As Christ said it would, that Spirit of God
transformed the disciples from the inside out. Once-timid men were now
filled with the very faith and courage of Christ their Savior. It guided
them to preach the message of the Gospel boldly. It led them to personal
change and growth. The Apostle Peter—the same man who had denied Christ
three times—now stood up and condemned the multitude for putting to
death the Son of God, and fearlessly challenged the assembly to repent of
their sins (Acts 2:14–39).
And the Church grew. The first dozens grew
to hundreds, thousands, and even tens of thousands (Acts 21:20). And in
the centuries that followed, God’s true disciples faithfully persevered,
guided by the same Spirit that was poured out on that memorable day.
Is that same Spirit transforming you? Is it
motivating you? Would you like to have more profound, personal change in
your life? Would you like to have more evidence that you are being led by
the Spirit of God? And would you like to be more personally involved in
the Work Christ is doing today?
The true Spirit of Christ continues to lead
His Church almost 2,000 years after that memorable day. The question is, how
can you make sure that same Spirit is leading you?
Why They
Kept Pentecost
Why
were the disciples gathered on the Day of Pentecost at all? Why that day?
What were they doing? Just what is Pentecost, and why were the first
Christians observing it? The answer may astound you!
The truth lies in the true origin of
Pentecost. This observance was actually a Holy Day given to the Israelites
centuries before! The Day of Pentecost was actually a Feast day Christ and
His disciples had been keeping every year of their lives, because
it was one of the ancient Feast days of the nation of Israel. It occurred
in early summer (late May or early June) and pictured the early wheat
harvest in Israel. Leviticus 23 gives the details: "‘And you shall
count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath [during the Passover
season]… seven Sabbaths shall be completed. Count fifty days to the day
after the seventh Sabbath" (Leviticus 23:15–16).
Pentecost was an annual Holy Day named after
the fact that it was calculated by "counting 50" days. It was
"one of the great feasts of the Jewish year and was the reason why so
many Jewish people from so many parts of the world were visiting Jerusalem
at the time of the first Christian Pentecost" (A Feast of
Festivals, Hugo Slim, 1996, p. 144).
The very fact that there were Jews keeping
this Feast day from all over the world made "speaking in
tongues" a necessity on that eventful day. Christ began His Church by
having His disciples witness to many Jews and proselytes from all over the
Roman Empire: "Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in
Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia,
Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both
Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs" (Acts 2:9–11). As the
apostles spoke the Gospel message, each listener heard it in his or her
own language (not an unknown or unrecognizable tongue, as some incorrectly
assume)!
The Church of God continued to observe
Pentecost after that first eventful day. As David Brickner and Rich
Robinson write in Christ in the Feast of Pentecost, "There can
be no doubt that the Feast of Pentecost was important to the early church,
chiefly because the early church was a Jewish church" (2008, p. 11).
The Book of Acts attests to this fact with Luke’s references about the
travels of Paul: "For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that
he would not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hurrying to be at
Jerusalem, if possible, on the Day of Pentecost" (Acts 20:16). Why
would Paul rush to be in Jerusalem by Pentecost if he was not observing
that Feast? The only reasonable answer is he was planning to observe it in
Jerusalem.
So was it just for Church members who had
been born as Jews? Not at all! Paul also mentioned in his letter to the
Corinthian church that he would "tarry in Ephesus until
Pentecost" (1 Corinthians 16:8). Why would Paul refer to Pentecost in
this way to a largely Gentile congregation, unless Gentile Christians
were keeping it as well?
The so-called "Church fathers"
would continue to speak of Pentecost in a positive light for centuries, as
the late Samuele Bacchiocchi explains in God’s Festivals in Scripture
and History: Part I. As Bacchiocchi points out, Clement of Alexandria
(about 150–215ad) expressed: "Fifty is the symbol of hope and of
remission given at Pentecost"; Tertullian (about 160–225ad) wrote
that "Pentecost is a most joyful space"; Origen (about
185–254ad) spoke of Christians as being "always in the season of
Pentecost"; Eusebius (about 260–340ad) referred to Pentecost as an
"august and holy solemnity" and the "feast of feasts";
and John Chrysostom (about 347–407ad) gave a sermon on "Why are the
Acts Read in Pentecost?" (1995, pp. 204, 206–209).
Even today, many "mainstream
Christians" are familiar with Pentecost services, Pentecost sermons
and Pentecost themes. But how many Christians actually observe
Pentecost? Do you keep Pentecost as a Holy Day to God? Dr. Bacchiocchi
continues: "‘Pentecost’ is a popular term of the Christian
vocabulary. Not only Christian preachers but ordinary members often speak
of the need for a new Pentecost for the church today. Christians often
pray for the power of Pentecost, the unity of Pentecost, the courage of
Pentecost, the revival of Pentecost. There is much talk about the
experience of Pentecost, especially among evangelical Christians, but
little, if any, discussion about the need to observe the Feast of
Pentecost" (p. 226).
Do you keep the Day of Pentecost? Christ
did. His disciples did. The Apostle Paul did. And God’s true Church
continues to observe it today. In 2010, the Day of Pentecost occurs on
Sunday, May 23. Ask yourself, will you be keeping Pentecost this year? If
not, why not?
How To Keep
Pentecost
How
should you keep Pentecost today? Through the years, many unscriptural
traditions developed about Pentecost, some bordering on the ridiculous. In
the Middle Ages, in some cathedrals in Europe, "there were ‘Holy
Spirit holes’ in the ceilings of the churches, opening them to the
sky… On Pentecost, doves were let loose through these holes to fly about
in the church" (Encountering God: A Spiritual Journey from Bozeman
to Banaras, Diana L. Eck, 2003, p. 130). Do dramatic performances of
doves circling above and rose petals falling from the ceiling (as some
churches also did in the Middle Ages) please God? Is that the way God
wants us to honor Him and regain the true Spirit of Pentecost?
Instead, the Old Testament book of Leviticus
explains that the Feast of Pentecost was a Holy Day for the Israelites, on
which they were to abstain from normal, everyday work, and to gather with
other believers to worship God. "And you shall proclaim on the same
day that it is a holy convocation to you. You shall do no customary work
on it. It shall be a statute forever in all your dwellings throughout your
generations" (Leviticus 23:21).
On this Holy Day, God’s people gather
together to hear His true ministers teach the real meaning of Pentecost
for Christians today. They explain that God’s saints are the firstfruits
of the Kingdom of God—the "early harvest" in God’s plan of
salvation for all of humanity (James 1:18). They expound that God’s
saints today are called to prepare to rule with Christ in His coming
Kingdom (Luke 19:17; Revelation 5:10).
On Pentecost, God’s ministers teach how
His Spirit will empower true Christians. As Peter explained, receiving the
Spirit involves belief, genuine repentance and baptism (see "Baptism:
Ritual or Requirement?" on page 22 of this issue): "Then Peter
said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the
name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the
gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38). As Christians commit to obeying
God (Acts 5:32), the Spirit of Truth guides them further into His Truth
(John 16:13).
What about wild displays of ecstatic
utterance? Do they please God? Are they evidence of His Spirit moving?
When the disciples spoke in "tongues" on the Day of Pentecost,
it was clearly miraculous—but what were they really doing?
Remember, Jewish believers from all over the known world were gathered in
Jerusalem for one purpose—to worship God on the Feast of Pentecost. What
the Bible records as "speaking in tongues" was God’s
miraculous arrangement by which pilgrims of every nationality could hear
the Gospel message spoken in their own native languages (Acts 2:8).
To have God’s Spirit guide you in your
life, you must be willing to commit to a life of obedience to Him. As
Jesus said, "the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is
Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth"
(John 4:23–24). Part of that obedience is keeping Pentecost in the
spirit in which God intended. Are you willing to do that?
What We
Must Do
What
are the lessons of the 50 days before that pivotal Pentecost almost 2,000
years ago? The disciples witnessed the power of God on that crucial day.
They learned that God’s Spirit can work miracles to accomplish His Work.
They learned that His Spirit can break down barriers of culture and
language, in preaching His message to the world. They learned that God’s
Spirit was a Spirit of transformation, to bring about personal change in
them, so they could do what they could not do before.
But what else did the disciples learn? A
powerful lesson of those 50 days was to carefully obey the commands of
God. Jesus had specifically commanded His disciples to remain in
Jerusalem to receive the Promise of the Father (Acts 1:4). If they had not
heeded His commands—or had not been keeping the Day of Pentecost at
all—would they have been there to receive the outpouring of the
Spirit on that historic first day of the Christian Church? Of course not!
The lesson for us is clear: if we want
God’s blessings—to be filled with His power, His mind, and His
Spirit—are we "showing up" when and where He does? Are we
keeping the Feast of Pentecost—and other Feast days—which He made holy
time to worship Him and call upon His name? Or will we be like the many
who are Christians in name but do not really do what Christ commands, of
whom Christ said, "But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do
not the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46).
Jesus said, "If you love me, keep my
commandments" (John 14:15). True Christians must let the Holy Spirit
really change them—from the inside out! They must grow in grace and
knowledge of Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18), letting Him subdue their carnal
human nature of lust, greed, envy and pride. They become focused on loving
others as themselves (Matthew 19:19). True Christians are even to conquer
their thoughts, as His Spirit empowers their minds to become obedient to
the laws of God, in letter and spirit. As Paul wrote, Spirit-filled
Christians should be "casting down arguments and every high thing
that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought
into captivity to the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5).
This Pentecost, ask yourself if you are
truly obeying God in everything you do. Ask yourself if you are submitting
to your Lord and Master in thought, word and deed! And ask yourself if you
are being obedient in keeping holy the Holy Days that God ordained.
True Christians can obey God from the
heart, more deeply than they ever have before—through the power of the
Holy Spirit—the Spirit of Pentecost!