Pentecost, facts, forthright delivery and your future.
Reading: Acts 2:1-22
I will part way through, about half way through this message bring a narrative message from one of those present on the day of Pentecost. I will put on a hat at that time.
The feast of Pentecost is described in Acts, well the one that happened 50 days after Jesus’ resurrection, remembering that Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection occurred at Passover. Pentecost was a regular event for the Jewish people with Men travelling to Jerusalem to celebrate the day, in and around the temple, from all over the world, remember that Israel is between the continents of Europe, Africa and Asia. The name Pentecost itself comes from the Greek word Pentekostos, meaning 50 days. In the book of Leviticus, we hear how the Feast of Weeks or Shavuot as it was called back in the day is to be celebrated. The feast occurred post-harvest and was a time when offerings and sacrifices for sin were made to The Lord. The feast had continued from the time of Moses until that time. It continues in Jewish communities and families today.
Shavuot is a two-day Jewish holiday (this year June 1-3) that commemorates the date when God gave the Torah to the Jewish people at Mount Sinai. (What Is Shavuot? - Chabad.org)
So back to the day, today itself, it is also called Whit-Sunday or White Sunday, in keeping with the theme of ‘baptism in the Holy Spirit’ it is traditionally a day in which new members of some churches are baptised. No, we don’t 😊
The gift of speaking in tongues was given to the disciples who were gathered together in one place, Luke tells us that: “Suddenly a sound like to 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 tongues as The Spirit enabled them.” Why did this occur, Luke tells us that there were God fearing Jews from every nation under heaven present. Sceptics might see this as a Biblical error, of course there were no people from some parts of the Earth, North and South America and Oceania would not have been represented. But Jews from every nation they were present in at the time, were in Jerusalem. After the Holy Spirit had impacted the disciples, people came to see what was happening and heard the disciples declaring the wonders of God in their own languages. I’d like to point out here that after my journey as a child through Sunday School and all those days listening to Sunday School teachers I had as a child not heard this, well maybe I had but could not remember it. When I started seeking after the things of God, the book of Acts pointed me to the power of God as he intervened in humanity. I was able to see that God intervened by the ministry of the disciples and power of The Holy Spirit. Having grown up in a church that shied away from the active involvement of The Holy Spirit, I came to realise His intervention in the early Church and His continuing intervention in the lives of believers both then in the early Church, as a 15-16 year old as I was then, and today in the lives of believers as they humble themselves and call out to God for his leading. Jesus had said prior to his ascension that he was sending The Holy Spirit and for those who were with him prior to his heading off the Heaven to wait in Jerusalem until He came. His words were, “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with[a] water, but in a few days you will be baptized with[b] the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 1:4b-5)
The coming of The Holy Spirit fulfilled two Bible promises at that time the first is spoken of by Paul at 9.00am that day. He quotes the prophet Joel’s writing from 201-301 BC when he says:
“And afterward,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your old men will dream dreams,
your young men will see visions.” (Joel 2:28-32) And more.
From Luke’s gospel, this is Jesus speaking like he did in Luke’s recounting of the Acts of the Apostles:
“And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.” (Luke 24:49 NLT)
Here’s a change of tack: The time of day the Holy Spirit came, I want to bring up something significant about the time here, the timing being a good reason that Paul was able to say that the disciples were not drunk, to early to have been drinking. ”Nine o’clock in the Morning’ is also a book by Episcopalian priest Dennis Bennett every Christian should read if they want to know more about living in the presence of God and witnessing His power through The Holy Spirit in their lives.
So, the significance of the time, well there are two times when the Temple sacrifices were made, 9.00am and 3.00pm but wait for this if we read of Jesus crucifixion, it happens to be that two times are mentioned. Mark records that “it was the third hour when they crucified him.” (Mark 15:25) The third hour is 9.00am. Jesus died when? At the sixth hour darkness came over the land until the ninth hour, and Jesus cried out in a loud voice, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” Which means my God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15:33-34) That crying out is a direct pointer to Psalm 22. The ninth hour is 3pm, his sacrifice stated at 9am and was completed at 3pm, the same times sacrifices were made in the Temple. From that time until the destruction of the Temple God would not accept the offerings made in the Temple, but that is a message for another time. The final sacrifice for the sins of all of mankind had been made. (Repeat).
It would be fitting that 9.00am would be the time that The Holy Spirit would come to the disciples, a reminder to us that God wants to be present with us and that Jesus died so that we could be in the Father’s presence and that Jesus promise to send The Holy Spirit to us occurred that day, a day as listed as the Festival of Weeks in Leviticus that required sacrifices for the sins of the people.
Narrative: My name is Matthias, I am an apostle of Jesus the Messiah, you may not know my name well. I was chosen by lot over Joseph to join the other eleven apostles. You could say that ‘Judas the betrayer’ had left a vacancy after his death. You can read more about this in Psalms 69 and 109, you will understand who the Psalmist is talking about. I am the one who took his place, see verse Psalm 109:8.
I had heard that Jesus had told the others after his resurrection to stay in Jerusalem and wait for the gift, he said “for in a few days they were to be baptised with the Holy Spirit.” When they told me about this I can honestly say that I didn’t understand, not that I was wasn’t interested. Jesus words had impacted me greatly while he was alive, he had changed my life and living. But I didn’t understand.
But on that day during the festival of Shavuot, the truth is I was distracted, I had just joined the others and was feeling a little uncertain of my place, that and I had stood in something on the way there that wasn’t particularly pleasant. There were so many people in the city celebrating the feast and with travel and travelers comes waste, donkeys, horses, cattle, pick a beast of burden it was there that day.
Then suddenly I became aware of a change, we were inside but this powerful wind, a violent wind filled the house, there was nothing ordinary about this, some were knocked over by it, household articles were flying off shelves, food and drink was scattered. Then fire above us, someone cried out in terror. That fire separated and came to rest on all who were present, with it came no burning but calm, and then excitement, all this happened so quickly, so many emotions in such a short time. I went from being distracted, to concerned, to alarmed, to amazed with wonder, to feeling so much power, more than I could understand of God’s presence in me, and then it happened. We all began to speak in languages that we didn’t know. It started with a murmur that became vocal group addresses, loud and deliberate. The Spirit was leading our speech, ordered and direct so the words could be understood by those who were to hear it.
People outside had heard and were gathering around the house, Jews from all over the world who were in Jerusalem for Shavuot. Thankfully there was space where we could spread out. They heard, but not only that they understood. As I was speaking a man from Crete approached me and stood intently looking into my eyes understanding what I was saying, I’m pleased he understood, it was a strange speech coming out of my mouth. Then my words changed and a group of Egyptian Jews stood fixated on what I was speaking. All the time I could see the other brothers with small groups or individuals gathered around them. Then I heard someone say in Greek to another, “how is it we hear these men declaring the wonders of God in our own languages.” Then someone on the outskirts of the crowd called out mocking, “What we are hearing is the result of too much wine, these men are drunk.” Thankfully the foreign Jews were so focused on hearing what was being said that there was little reaction to that man’s words, or maybe they just didn’t understand what he said.
Peter who was one of the senior members of the group, knew what was going on, the events of that time didn’t seem to hold the same surprise to him as it did to most of us. He called out, “listen to me, listen to me, these man are not drunk, look at the time it’s only nine o’clock in the morning, what is happening is what the prophets Joel spoke about,” and then he quoted the prophets words, I can’t recall them all but he made it clear as he said the prophets words, “In the last days, God had said that he would pour out his Spirit on all people, that sons and daughters would prophesy and there would be wonders in the heavens and signs on the earth, blood, fire and billows of smoke.” He went onto to relate to them how Jesus who had done great miracles, wonders and signs among them was handed over to wicked men by Israel and they put him to death, but that death could not hold him. He said that David had even prophesied that the Messiah would be raised from the dead, and this is what God did he had raised Jesus, who was now at his right hand in Heaven. That Jesus was now in his place as Lord and Messiah.
When Peter had told them this, they realised what they had done to the Messiah and asked Peter and the other brothers; “We realise we were involved in killing the Messiah, what shall we do?” So, Peter told them “Repent and be baptised, everyone of you, in the name of Jesus the Messiah, for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of The Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off-for all whom the Lord our God will call.” When he said those words, I realised just how Jesus is willing to accept all who will repent of their sins and call on his name, even those who murdered him can receive the Holy Spirit. Peter challenged them and many, very big numbers, three thousand, I hear accepted his message and were baptised into the new faith that day.
From that time on those present that day devoted themselves to learning more of Jesus, eating and gathering. The Church was formed and daily new believers gathered with us. We have the Spirit of God with us.
Imagine being in that room—confused, uncertain, maybe even broken—when suddenly the wind of heaven rushes in and the fire of God rests on you. That’s what happened at Pentecost. It wasn’t just a spectacle; it was a divine encounter that changed everything. Ordinary people were filled with extraordinary power. They spoke languages they’d never learned, and hearts from every nation were pierced by the truth of God’s love. This wasn’t a myth or metaphor—it was God reaching down to say, “I am with you, and I want to live in you.” The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead came to dwell in fragile, flawed humans. And He still does. He’s not distant. He’s not silent. He’s waiting—for you.
So here’s the invitation: will you stop running and let God take control of your life? Maybe you’ve felt empty, like something’s missing. Maybe you’ve tried to fix things on your own and it’s just not working. The truth is, you were never meant to do life alone. Jesus died to bring you back to the Father, and Pentecost is proof that He didn’t leave you powerless. He sent His Spirit to fill you with love, purpose, and courage. No matter your past, no matter your doubts—He’s calling you. Right now. Don’t wait for a perfect moment. This is your moment. Surrender. Let Him in. Let Pentecost happen in your heart today.
