The Day of Pentecost around 30 AD

Are you familiar with what happened on the day of Pentecost less than 2 months after Jesus' death, burial and resurrection? This is an incredibly important day in the history of the church and so we are going to spend some time thinking and reading about it today.

  Pentecost is a Jewish holiday which always occurred 50 days after the Sabbath of Passover week. The word Pentecost means 50. Pentecost (the Greek word for the Holiday) was a celebration of the first fruits of the harvest.  In Leviticus 23:15-21 we can see it talked about.

   The year that Jesus died (during Passover time) is the Pentecost that we want to talk about. We can read about it in Acts chapter 2 and I will share that with  you now:

  "When the Day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance. 

   Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven. And when this sound occurred, the crowd came together, and were bewildered because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language. They were amazed and astonished, saying, "Why, are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we each hear them in our own language to which we were born? Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya around Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jew and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs - we hear them in our own tongues speaking of the mighty deeds of God. And they all continued in amazement and great perplexity, saying to one another, "What does this mean?" But others were mocking and saying, "They are full of sweet wine."

   But Peter, taking his stand with the eleven, raised his voice and declared to them: "Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be know to you and give heed to my words. For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only the third hour of the day; but this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel:
     "And it shall be in the last days," God says, "That I will pour forth of My Spirit on all mankind; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; Even on My bondslaves, both men and women, I will in those days pour forth of My Spirit and they shall prophesy. And I will grant wonders in the sky above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire, and vapor of smoke. The sun will be turned into darkness and the moon into blood, before the great and glorious day of the Lord shall come. And it shall be that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

   "Men of Israel, listen to these words; Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know - this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power. 

   For David says of Him,
"I saw the Lord always in my presence; for His is at my right hand, so that I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart was glad and my tongue exulted; Moreover my flesh also will live in hope; because You will not abandon my soul to Hades, Nor allow Your Holy One to undergo decay. You have made know to me the ways of life; You will make me full of gladness with Your presence."

   "Brethren, I may confidently say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. And so, because he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn to him with an oath to seat one of his descendants on his throne, he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that He was neither abandoned to Hades, nor did His flesh suffer decay.

  This Jesus God raised up again, to which was are all witnesses. Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear. For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says:
    "The Lord said to my Lord, sit at My right hand, until I made Your enemies a footstool for You feet."

  Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ - this Jesus whom you crucified."

  Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brethren, what shall we do? Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself." And with many other words He solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying "Be saved from this perverse generation!" So then those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
   Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved."

This chapter details the amazing beginnings of God's church - His Kingdom here on earth. Let's notice some of the details of this chapter.

• The day began in a very amazing way with the Holy Spirit coming upon the followers of Jesus through tongues of fire.
• God made this happen at a time when there were people from all different nations there and ready to see and hear it.
• Peter was the spokesman. In Matthew 16:18 & 19  Jesus had promised Peter the keys of the kingdom. This seems to be the fulfillment of that promise.
• The listeners were convicted of their sin.
• What was needed for pardon was first told to sinners. (Acts 2:38)
• That instruction was for those listening now and also for people of all time and places. (Acts 2:39)
• People obeyed the gospel for the first time. 3,000 chose to repent and be baptized.
• It was explained what group of people would have the indwelling gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38)
• This was the beginning of the church. The 3,000 were the first members.
• This was the beginning of worldwide evangelism. People from countries all over were there listening in their own native tongue. They then took the message to the world. This message was for everybody!

What a neat and wonderful day!!!