Why It Matters //
On Sunday we celebrate Pentecost, which commemorates the day when the Holy Spirit filled the people who were assembled in the upper room in Jerusalem. This event is significant in many aspects; first of all, it was the birth of the ecclesia (the church); secondly, it was a fulfillment of the promise from the Father that he would pour his spirit on all people (Joel 2:28); and thirdly, the Holy Spirit is being poured out on believers still today. The people in the Old Testament did not get to experience what we have access to having the Spirit of God living inside of us. His Spirit transforms us into Christ-likeness through the renewing of our mind. Beyond that, the Holy Spirit also helps us to be witnesses to a broken and lost world and gives us power to tear down the enemy’s strongholds. Let’s posture our hearts to hunger for more and ask for a fresh outpouring of the Spirit.
What It's Talking About //
The book of Acts has no mention of its author, but most scholars conclude that it was written by Luke, who also wrote the Gospel of Luke, around 70 AD. This book begins with Jesus’ ascension, which is followed by a chronological narration of the birth of the early church, which began in the upper room nearly 2000 years ago. Pentecost also falls during the Jewish Holiday Shavuot, which traditionally was celebrated with a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Shavuot is also called Atzeret, by some Jewish teachers, meaning “the completion,” because together with Passover it forms the completion of a unit. The Israelites gained freedom from Egypt on Passover so that they could receive the Torah on Shavuot.
Acts 2:1-12 NIV
1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.
2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.
3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.
4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven.
6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken.
7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans?
8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language?
9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,
10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome
11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!”
12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”