Pentecost Start Day For The Church.

When I think of the word, Pentecost I think of an Island that was discovered on that day in 1768 that is now one of the Islands of Vanuatu that I have flown over and that is the home of the original Bungy jump.

Pentecost as a historical Jewish festival goes by a few different names that have significance to the Hebrew people.

"The name "Feast of Weeks" was given because God commanded the Jews in Leviticus 23:15-16, to count seven full weeks (or 49 days) beginning on the second day of Passover, and then present offerings of new grain to the Lord as a lasting ordinance. The word Pentecost comes from the Greek word meaning "fifty."

Initially, Shavuot another name for Pentecost was a festival for expressing thankfulness to the Lord for the blessing of the harvest. And because it occurred at the conclusion of the Passover, it acquired the name "Latter Firstfruits." The celebration is also tied to the giving of the Ten Commandments and has the name Matin Torah or "giving of the Law." Jews believe that it was precisely at this time that God gave the Torah to the people through Moses on Mount Sinai." https://www.learnreligions.com/feast-of-pentecost-700186

The celebration of Passover involved the Slaying and eating of a lamb, along with herbs and bread made without yeast in every Jewish household. This was done to remember Israel’s deliverance from Egypt.

The Feast of Firstfruits involved, the first of the barley harvest being presented at the temple as a wave offering, called a wave offering because it was waved by the priest, to recognise the Lord’s bounty in the land. A kind of harvest festival.

Pentecost or the Festival of Weeks was celebrated as a festival of joy, as a time of showing joy and thanksgiving for the Lord's abundant harvest and most importantly his giving of the law.

If we look at Jesus' parallel path to these festivals, we see the Passover festival as being Jesus' death as the Lamb of God. His sacrifice for all of mankind.

The festival of Firstfruits as being Jesus' resurrection from the dead, as the first fruits of those of us who will be raised from the dead at the end of the age. It is likely that as Jesus was raised from the dead the priests would have been engaged in the first fruits ceremony for that year. Paul even writes, “But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.” (I Corinthians 15:20)

The feast of Pentecost is celebrated as being the formation of the Church by God through the giving by God of the Holy Spirit. This involved igniting people into action for the sake of God’s Kingdom.

How did this occur, The disciples those followers of Jesus, they were gathered in one place.

Also at Pentecost, there was a gathering of Jews from all over the Mediterranean and the Middle East they were also present in Jerusalem, people from what we in modern terms would call Rome, Crete, Turkey, Egypt, Arabia, Libya, Iran, and Syria. The known world at that time was represented.

This was a big day in Christianity.

This was kick-off day for the church.

There were no buildings there were no structures in place, no leaders meetings, programs, no Corps reviews, bills to pay or gardens to keep weeded or PMF accounts, or DHQ structures. The Church was brand spanking new!

There were however the scriptures of the Old Testament and there was the witness of the life of Christ. A life that testified to and evidenced the truth of God‘s presence with the Jewish people.

The Messiah, “God with us”, had come, he had now died, his resurrection had taken place; he had now returned to heaven and was seated at the right hand of the Father.

The things he had said would happen, and as recorded in the gospels the Holy Spirit would now come.

In John 16:5-11 we read and these are the words of Jesus.

5 “Now I am going to him who sent me, yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 Because I have said these things, you are filled with grief. 7 But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; 10 in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11 and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.