Acts 2:1-21
“Fifty Days after Easter, at Nine O’clock in the Morning…”
Sometimes there are names that are so attached to a particular product or something else that people might forget where the name originally came from.
For instance, how often do you ask for a tissue by saying, “Can I have a Kleenex?”
Kleenex is a particular brand of tissue, but not all tissue is Kleenex.
Or what about bandage strips?
We call them band-aids.
Some people say they are going to have a “Coke” when in reality they may be reaching for a Pepsi or a Sprite or a Mountain Dew.
Something similar has happened with the word “Pentecost.”
If the word “Pentecost” means anything to many people today, it probably has something to do with “Pentecostals.”
And if the word “Pentecostals” means anything to many folks, it might mean the type of Christians who wave their arms, and perhaps run up and down the aisles, and speak in tongues.
In the same sense that Kleenex derives its meaning from all facial tissue, we might forget that all Christians, not only those who call themselves Pentecostals; derive their meaning from the first Pentecost.
And we may forget, as well, just what “Pentecost” itself originally was and meant.
For a first-century Jew, Pentecost was the 50th day after Passover.
Passover was the time when lambs were sacrificed, and the Israelites were saved by putting the blood of the lamb on the doorposts of their homes.
And then that very night the Israelites passed through the Red Sea, escaping from Egyptian captivity.
Then, 50 days after Passover, the Israelites came to Mount Sinai, where Moses was given the Law.
This is what the festival of Pentecost signified.
It was about God giving God’s redeemed people the way of life by which they were to carry out God’s purposes.
Of course, Jesus was Crucified during the festival of Passover.
And 40 days later, Jesus ascended back to heaven, promising to send the Holy Spirit upon His waiting disciples.
10 days after that, during the Festival of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came upon those who believed.
If we look closely at the way the Jews told the story of the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai, we can see some parallels to what happened on the birthday of the Church.
At Mount Sinai, Moses went up the mountain, and then came down again with the Law.
Now, Jesus has gone up into heaven and He is coming down again, not with a written Law carved on tablets of stone, but with the dynamic energy of the Law, designed to be written on human hearts!!!
And that is what happens when people receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
To all Who call on the name of Jesus to be saved, to all who follow Him, to all who trust in Him—the Holy Spirit comes alighting on each person beginning the process of making us into a new creation, modeled after our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!!!
Is that exciting stuff or what?
It’s been said that Pentecost is the “big bang” event that creates the Christian Church and puts God’s saving acts through Jesus Christ into motion!!!
It also explains how a small group of frightened, puzzled and largely uneducated men and women could so quickly become a force to be reckoned with—right across the known world!!!
Through the power of the Holy Spirit the Church is born and is given the authority to proclaim the Gospel of the Risen Christ to the very same people who had Him put to death!!!
And Peter, the disciple who publicly denied even knowing Jesus just 50 days earlier becomes the first mouthpiece of Christianity, as he raises his voice and preaches the first Christian sermon…
…a sermon which results in “about three thousand people” being saved and brought into the Church on that very first day!!!
What are we to make of this?
What do you make of this?
We are told that “When Pentecost Day arrived,” the apostles were all together in one place.
When “Suddenly, a sound from heaven like the howling of a fierce wind filled the entire house where they were sitting.
They saw what seemed to be individual flames of fire alighting on each one of them.
They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit enabled them to speak.”
And, “There were pious Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem.
When they heard this sound, a crowd gathered.
They were mystified because everyone head them speaking in their native languages.”
What language would the people listening have expected to hear?
At that time, all around the Mediterranean world, everybody’s second language was Greek.
Greek had become, to much of that world, what English is for many people in the world today.
So, most of the people who had come to Jerusalem for Pentecost would pretty much be able to get by with Greek, but probably spoke at least one other native language, if not two or three.
But on the Day of Pentecost the people didn’t need to switch languages or worry about translation. It was all done for them.
And this phenomenon highlights something else that is going on at this point.
You see, the whole question of Acts Chapter 1 had been: “How will God fulfill God’s promise to extend His Kingdom, His saving, sovereign rule, not only in Israel but through Israel, to reach the rest of the world?”
In other words, the question had to do with what God promised to Abraham in Genesis when God brought Abraham outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars if you think you can count them…
…This is how many children you will have.”
And earlier God said to Abraham, “In you, and in your family, all the families of the earth will be blessed.”
And this promise, this blessing comes directly after the chapter in which the people of Babel are building a tower, thinking arrogantly that they can build a society which would have no need of God.
And their plans are overturned when their languages are confused so that they can’t understand one another.
At Pentecost, this curse is overturned; which means that God is signaling that His promises to Abraham are being fulfilled through Jesus Christ and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on those who believe…
…or…
…in other words, the Church!!!
And that’s us.
Through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, we become children of God, children of the Promise—and as children of the Promise God wants to use us to bless the entire creation.
As Jesus said, “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses…”
How are we doing?
Are we keeping up our end of the bargain?
Do people see Christ through what we do?
Do our acts of love and sharing bring others into the faith?
Originally, The Day of Pentecost not only was a time to commemorate the giving of the Law…
…it was also an agricultural festival.
It was the day when farmers brought the first wheat from their crop, and offered it to God.
They were giving God the first fruits of their labor.
And, as Christians, this is what we are called to do as well.
We call this a tithe.
Which means we return to God at least 10% of the income God provides for us in order to be used for God’s Kingdom and the salvation of the world.
Also, the Pentecost event of the apostles being filled with the Holy Spirit and then going to bear powerful witness to Jesus and His Resurrection and winning souls from the very first day, is a sign, like the wheat which is offered to God, that there is a great harvest to come!
Did not Jesus tell His disciples, “The size of the harvest is bigger than you can imagine, but there are few workers.
Therefore plead with the Lord of the harvest to send out workers for his harvest.”?
And are we not to be part of the answer to this prayer as we turn outward toward our community becoming a transforming center, loving people into God’s Kingdom?
Think of all the problems our community faces, and then think of how God can use this church to solve so many of them, if only we are willing to be used.
On that first Pentecost Day, thousands of people heard the message of the Gospel loud and clear.
And they received it with joy!!!
But, it should be hardly surprising that to some, what the apostles were saying sounded like the words of people who had too much to drink!
But Peter says, “These people aren’t drunk, as you suspect; after all, it’s only nine o’clock in the morning!”
I love what the modern scholar and theologian, N.T. Wright says about this, “again and again in the work of the church, to this day, there are always plenty who declare that we are wasting our time and talking incomprehensible nonsense.
Equally, some Christians have been so concerned to keep up safe appearances and to make sure they are looking like ordinary, normal people that they would never, under any circumstances, have been accused of being drunk.”
Could it be that part of the challenge of the Christian faith and of this passage of Scripture in particular is the question: “Do people know that things are going on, that the Wind of the Holy Spirit is blowing here at East Ridge United Methodist Church?”
Do people know this congregation as a transforming center for their community?
Are we doing things with such enthusiasm and energy that the naw-sayers might even comment or think to themselves, “Those people are full of new wine!”?
Let’s pray we are, for this provides us with the opportunity to stand up like the Apostle Peter and proclaim with voices raised in praise, adoration and love that Jesus Christ is Alive!!!
And because Jesus is Alive, we can live also!!!
Praise God.
Amen.
