Responding to the Significance of Pentecost

On June 8, we celebrated Pentecost, which means, “50th” or “50th day.” It was the Jewish feast held 50 days after Passover. It celebrated the first fruits of the wheat harvest. For Christians, Pentecost marks the birthday of the Christian Church. It was at Pentecost that the Holy Spirit began His work of building the church by baptizing believers into the Body of Christ. “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:13).        

It seems to me that there is a decline in the recognition of Pentecost. Also, there is often a lack of appreciation for the significance of events associated with Pentecost.

“When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place” (Acts 2:1). The first important result of Pentecost was the birth of the Body of Christ. You cannot navigate the Christian life alone. You need your Christian brothers and sisters. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you” (1 Corinthians 12:21). So many people who claim spirituality are pursuing it on a Lone Ranger basis.

A second important consideration is the necessity of being in the spirit of prayer. “These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer” (Acts 1:14). We need times alone in prayer. We need times together in prayer. Some of us are so busy running around doing things that we haven’t taken the time to listen, to be open, and to receive that divine guidance and encouragement that God wants to give us through prayer.

A third surrounding factor is to take seriously what the Scriptures have to say. I’m fascinated by the fact that during these days between the ascension of Jesus and Pentecost, this group of 120 close followers of Jesus heard the Scriptures taught. Peter expounded the Old Testament teachings to them. It’s a posture of receptivity to God’s teachings. How receptive are you to God's Word?

A fourth aspect related to Pentecost is that they were waiting expectantly for God to act. “Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised” (Acts 1:4): the Holy Spirit. Is there that dimension of waiting in your life? We live in a culture of instant gratification. If something goes wrong in my life, I learn quickly that I still have not conquered patience. God uses those waiting times to get our attention and to develop Christ's character.

Furthermore, you cannot pray, sing, serve, or live correctly as a Christian unless and until you have been empowered and enlightened by the Holy Spirit, which first fell on the Lord’s apostles on Pentecost! Since then, the Holy Spirit indwells every genuine believer (1 Corinthians 6:19).

Finally, remember that Jews had, by this time, spread into every region of the world. On Pentecost, many Jews returned to Jerusalem to celebrate. That is why there were people there from Africa, Asia, and Europe. That is why Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, and Persians all were present in one place at one time (Acts 2:9-11). God was doing two wonderful things at once: He was converting people who could take the message back to their respective countries and establish the gospel throughout the world. Secondly, He was establishing a church that consisted of and welcomed people from every race and region of the world. Jesus said, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). If you apply these associated events, you will experience Pentecost continually!