Pentecost 2014

Last week we took a look at the Ascension of Christ into heaven and the promise of the Holy Spirit.

So, they went to Jerusalem and they waited as Jesus commanded them to do and here’s what happened!

Acts 2:1-13

“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.

“They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit enabled them.

“Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken.

“Utterly amazed, they asked: ‘Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia,

“Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own languages!

“Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, ‘What does this mean?’

Some, however, made fun of them and said, ‘They have had too much wine.’”

First, let’s set the stage …

What are the five W’s and an H of investigating a story?

Who, What, When, Where, Why and How?

We’ll be taking them out of order today but … let’s take a look at and remember what happened that great Pentecost Day almost 2000 years ago.

Where were they?

Before Jesus ascended into heaven left He gave them this instruction …

Acts 1:4b-5

“Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift My Father promised, which you have heard Me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

And Acts 2:1 says

“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.”

This is a place we call the upper room and it was in Jerusalem!

Who was there?

Acts 1:13b-14

“Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James.

“They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.”

So, you’ve got the 11 remaining apostles, women who had been supporters of Jesus’ ministry, Mary the mother of Jesus and Jesus’ brothers, James, Joseph, Simon and Judas.

Now, there were more because it says in Acts 1:15 that there were about 120 of them gathered at one time.

There was also another group there - not in the house but in Jerusalem:

Take a look at this map as I read the listing of people arriving for the Festival from verses 9-11

“Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome; Cretans and Arabs.”

When did this occur?

Once again we go back to Acts 2:1.

“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.”

At Pentecost! Isn’t God’s timing awesome?

The Passion, the torture and crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ took place in Jerusalem at the time of the Passover when Jews from all over the known world were in Jerusalem and now it was the Feast of Pentecost with the same people gathering once again.

So, let’s review … they were in Jerusalem, in an upper room, on the day of Pentecost and there was a huge crowd of Jews gathering from all over the known world for the feast.

So, we know who was there and when it took place, but, what happened?

Actually, there were a series of events!

Act 2:2 says,

“Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.”

Some translations say it was like a violent rushing wind or a rushing mighty wind.

The amazing thing is that it was only the sound of a violent rushing wind. There was no accompanying air movement! Just the sound and as if that was not strange enough, look what happened next!

Acts 2:3 says,

“They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.”

The KJV calls these cloven tongues of fire meaning that they split away from each other and came to rest on each person. We who have been in the church for a long time know what the word cloven means because of the ancient Jewish dietary laws but most people in today’s society would not understand.