That He had to rebuke them and teach them. And so they had become a part of something that again, they were still trying to understand. I've got to find out where that next bus leaves, and what time." 4 So Barnabas and Saul,sent out by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus (Acts 13:1-4, emphasis mine). We have to live as well, knowing that there is a God, and to live our life that every day counts. That's what this day is all about as a firstfruit. Bold, Men and brethren, he begins to explain what's happened. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.". That's how we live the Word, that's how we drink in the Word, and it changes our life and it banishes the fear, gives us confidence in who we are and what we are to do. The apostles were witnesses of our Lords resurrection (1:8, 22; 2:32; 3:15; 5:32; 10:39-41; 13:30-31). And those days you didn't fear getting on a Greyhound bus, and you could go all over the country on a very cheap pass. They left the selection of these leaders to the people, but they did set the qualifications. Pentecost is regarded as the birthday of the Christian church, and the start of the church's mission to the world. Let me last observe that Acts 1 is the beginning of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit in Acts. This should come as no surprise because the Great Commission of Matthew also referred to all three members of the Godhead: 18 Then Jesus came up and said to them, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. And we can have the power to believe that, and to grow together and develop together as a bride of Christ, and accomplish His work and His purpose and His will. And this express bus took Route 66 out of St. Louis all the way to Los Angeles, my first time to get on that fabled highway, Route 66. The Greek word means "fifty" and refers to the fifty days that have elapsed since the wave offering of Passover. 9. What is Pentecost? Meaning of Pentecost Sunday 2023 - Christianity.com Jesus began to teach them, we read, from the Law of Moses, from the prophets, the Scriptures about Him, to explain to them what had happened. The NEW ENGLISH TRANSLATION, also known as THE NET BIBLE, is a completely new translation of the Bible, not a revision or an update of a previous English version. It comes from the ancient Christian expression pentekoste hemera, which means . At the end of John, you remember, John says, there were so many other things that He did in his life and no doubt probably part of that 40-day period that it would take volumes to teach it, and to record it during this period. In Colossians chapter 1, Colossians 1:27, Paul writes, "To them, God will to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." That's been the hallmark of our feature. And because both were working together, the mission and the vision, there was a remarkable picture being described here by Luke, of the Church at peace. When Did the Holy Spirit Come Down on the Apostles? - Learn Religions It appears to me that this upper room may well be a place well known to the apostles, perhaps a room owned by someone close to Jesus. Then follows a marvelous after photo, which displays a beautiful person, so different from the before photo. The translation project originally started as an attempt to provide an electronic version of a modern translation for electronic distribution over the Internet and on CD (compact disk). And I was going to go out to California, my first trip to California, visit my brother for about three weeks. Before Pentecost: What Were They Thinking. Maybe a few more decided to go to Jerusalem on Pentecost to see what was going on, and the town was bursting at the seams, and from all these nations that we're told about here and areas. This truth is buttressed by John 14-16, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, and 2 Peter 1:20-21. We can be certain that He will provide us with everything we need to carry out His command. What do we do now? Long before modern advertising, the Bible had its own versions of "before" and "after." And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in the breaking of bread and in prayers. The Day of Pentecost Explained The Book of Acts - Pentecost The apostles stayed in Jerusalem, as instructed, and they devoted themselves to prayer, along with those who were closely associated with Jesus in His earthly ministry. Not completely unraveled, but the doubt and the disbelief has an impact. Ministers in church often wear robes with red in the design as a symbol of the flames in which the Holy Spirit came to earth. What I would like to underscore is the role of the Holy Spirit in our Lords giving of the Great Commission. So if I can come back to the question that I asked, what was going through their mind on that morning of Pentecost? And as we've seen, even when they were confronted with the miracle of Christ's resurrection, and they recognized that they still had to deal with the hostility of the world around them, in a kind of a two-pronged government called the Roman Empire and the Jewish society, plus their own human nature, and themselves. 14 All these continued together in prayer with one mind, together with the women, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers (Acts 1:12-14). It is celebrated on the Sunday 50 days after Easter (the name comes from the Greek pentekoste, "fiftieth"). Where do we go from here? A sermon for Pentecost - Durham Cathedral. What Really Happened at Pentecost? - Christianity.com He quotes Joel, he quotes Psalms and he gives interpretations upon those scriptures, here in chapter 1, no one had ever heard of before. On the Day of Pentecost prophecy was fulfilled. The disciples had seen what would happen because Christ was arrested and had come before the high priest. Again, what they thought that they were becoming a part of was a movement that was noble, that was good, there had been many movements of other Messiah-type figures at this period of time in Judea. It goes on, "Jesus came and He spoke to them saying, 'All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 27 But God chose what the world thinks foolish to shame the wise, and God chose what the world thinks weak to shame the strong. And therein, lies a key to the understanding of what had taken place with these individuals here. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age (Matthew 28:18-20, emphasis mine). Indeed, Acts 2:1 literally reads, "As the Day of Pentecost was being fulfilled." What was fulfilled was the prophecy given by both Jesus and John the Baptist concerning the coming of the Holy Spirit. As the passover feast celebrated the exodus of the Israelites from the slavery of Egypt, so Pentecost celebrated God's gift of the ten commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai. And when they saw Him they worshiped him. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God (1 Corinthians 15:3-9). Long before modern advertising, the Bible had its own versions of before and after. In Genesis, we have a picture of man before the fall and after. In the Book of Judges, we have Gideon as a fearful and reticent man (before), and then we have Gideon after as the brave warrior. And of course, one of the most dramatic scenes in all the Bible occurred with the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the gathered disciples, and the speaking in tongues, and a mighty rushing wind that we find it hard to imagine what it was like, because it's not part of our custom to try to pray that down today like some other denominations and religious forms do. And He opened their understanding that they might comprehend the Scriptures.". 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, what is regarded as nothing, to set aside what is regarded as something, 29 so that no one can boast in his presence. I like that phrase. In the Old Testament Pentecost was the feast which occurred fifty days after Passover. I think there are two things that are clear, and that should dominate our thinking. He said He wouldn't and He didn't, even though there was a moment in time when they thought that they were orphaned, as they stood gazing up and looking and wondering, "What do we do next. John has another set of accounts, and then he kind of ends and he leaves it wide open. So there is going to be a gap. It is celebrated on the Sunday 50 days after Easter (the name comes from the Greek pentekoste, "fiftieth"). 9 For if there was glory in the ministry that produced condemnation, how much more does the ministry that produces righteousness excel in glory! We can take on that nature and we can live. Pentecost was the celebration of the beginning of the early wheat harvest, which meant that Pentecost always fell sometime during the middle of the month of May or sometimes in early June. And this small group of people who had signed on to what they thought was a remarkable, gifted rabbi, and followed Him around and soon learned that they had fallen into something quite different than anything they could have ever imagined, as they witnessed miracles of loaves and fishes, and people being brought back to life, and dramatic healings. The Chapel believes the material presented herein to be true to the teaching of Scripture, and desires to further, not restrict, its potential use as an aid in the study of Gods Word. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. It sounded like a very strong wind, and it looked like tongues of fire. And second, the replacement of Judas is carried out in a way that is very Old Testament.. The English word "Pentecost" is a transliteration of the Greek word pentekostos, which means "fifty.". But then two angels appeared and they said to them, in verse 11, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing into heaven? Hymns sung at Pentecost take the Holy Spirit as their theme, and include: The symbols of Pentecost are those of the Holy Spirit and include flames, wind, the breath of God and a dove. That power would come in the form of the Holy Spirit. Day of Pentecost And Skepticisms And had they seen anything near that type of an ecstatic demonstration, it might have been in a form by someone doing something by their form of religion that they didn't identify with. Think about that among our own relationships with each other. It is regarded as the birthday of the Christian church. But they saw Him for a period of time, and that's how I like to imagine it. Pentecost is celebrated 50 days after Easter and is when Christians remember the gift of the Holy Spirit. As I was sitting there gazing around, nobody came. Pentecostal Christians believe in the direct experience of the Holy Spirit by believers during all of their services. Between the Easter and Pentecost, there's a span of 50 days. Doubt, some of them doubt, what did they doubt? Did they doubt what they were seeing? That is what caused people to see something in those disciples and to want to be a part of it. And then it came to an end, it came to a close. Makeover programs turn proverbial ugly ducklings into swans. The religious leaders were quick to take note of the limitations of the apostles, and yet had to reluctantly acknowledge something powerful about their ministry: 13 When they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and discovered that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were amazed and recognized these men had been with Jesus. Pentecost was unmistakable because of its three distinct phenomena, which served to make it perfectly clear that Jesus had indeed come to His people by His Spirit.