Pentecost A Fresh Wind Blows

A fresh wind blows

IAN JOHNSON

Shavuot ("weeks") or Pentecost is one of three Pilgrim Festivals in the Jewish calendar. It falls on the sixth day of Sivan beginning at sunset the night before Shavuot is also known as the Feast of Weeks because it occurs seven weeks after the first day of Passover. Originally, Shavuot was a time of bringing the first fruits of harvest to Jerusalem as a show of thanks There are several things that have happened on the feast of Pentecost.

Ruth & Naomi arrived back in the Land of Israel at Shavout. There are many types in the book of Ruth but briefly the story is a picture of the Gospel history. Naomi a Jew leads Ruth a Gentile to the Lord of the Harvest, and she is grafted into the kings family line (David was her Great Grandson) See Romans 11.

Also on the feast of Shavuot, the 120 experienced the mighty rushing wind from Heaven.

ACTS 2 On the day of Pentecost, seven weeks after Jesus’ resurrection,* the believers were meeting together in one place. 2 Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm in the skies above them, and it filled the house where they were meeting. 3 Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. 4 And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages,* as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability. 5 Godly Jews from many nations were living in Jerusalem at that time. 6 When they heard this sound, they came running to see what it was all about, and they were bewildered to hear their own languages being spoken by the believers. 7 They were beside themselves with wonder. "How can this be?" they exclaimed. "These people are all from Galilee, 8 and yet we hear them speaking the languages of the lands where we were born! 9 Here we are—Parthians, Medes, Elamites, people from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, the province of Asia, 10 Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, and the areas of Libya toward Cyrene, visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism), 11 Cretans, and Arabians. And we all hear these people speaking in our own languages about the wonderful things God has done!" 12 They stood there amazed and perplexed. "What can this mean?" they asked each other.

Today I want to concentrate on the wind! Because just as at Pentecost, there was a mighty sound of Wind from heaven that brought Life, and first fruits of the Church. So I believe that the wind is blowing again this Shavuot!

The wind in the Book of Acts signified the birth of the Church. It empowered the 120 and by night fall had added at least 3000 to their ranks. From 120 to 3120 in 24 hours now that’s Church growth. Peter didn’t have time to conduct Church growth seminars as a result of this wind, He just moved in demonstrations of Power and Glory. That’s how the Church was born and that was the pattern laid down by the Apostles! Power & Glory.

Today I want to concentrate on the Wind: There is a wind of Glory blowing now can you hear it?

For anyone brought up in the Jeswish tradition it is natural to compare the Spirit with the wind. The Hebrew word Ruach can mean

1) Wind: The desert wind common in Judea as a violet and strong shaking wind.

2) Breath: The existence of life

3) Spirit of God – The power of God that sweeps across generations and bursts into history In Hebrew "Rauch Ha Kodesh!"

Jesus gave us a clue about the Holy Spirit and Wind in his night time meeting with Nicodemus.

John 3:8 Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit."

Consider the wind Jesus said.

As a farmer I used to experience all sorts of wind conditions. A) A swirling wind when stoking a fire you never knew which way the wind would go and usually end up with smoke in your face.

B) Storm blasts powering in from the sea bending branches this way and that

c) Light Zephyers gentle yet unpredictable

d) Gusting winds

e) Warm breeze on a summer night

Jesus picked a great illustration that night when talking to Nicodemus. "Where is it coming from? Where does it go? "The wind blows"—this affirms the ceaseless action of the Holy Spirit.

There has never been a time when the Holy Spirit has not been active in history

The first page of the bible Gen 1. "The Spirit moved over the face of the deep" Last page: "The Spirit and the bride say come"