Pentecost - 50 Days

May 21, 2012 Monday Message: 

My Jewish friends have been preparing to celebrate Shavuot or Shavuous, remembering God giving the 10 Commandments on Mt. Sinai 50 days after the Exodus. We Christians call the day “Whit Sunday” (Anglican) or more commonly, “Pentecost,” (Greek) which means “50 days.” This is a huge day of celebration in the Christian church. It’s the day the Holy Spirit made his presence known in the start-up church. 

 On the Christian calendar, if we start counting from Easter morning, the resurrected Jesus walked the earth for 40 days, and then ascended into heaven; and 10 days after that, the Holy Spirit came to the believers in the upper room. Therefore, 50 days — Pentecost. 

The believers were meeting in private, because their leader, Jesus, had just been crucified, and they were very afraid — afraid that they might be next. All of a sudden there was a sound like a huge wind, but nothing was blowing. Little flames of Holy Spirit fire fell from above and landed on the believers, but nothing burned. Now, with the power of the Holy Spirit, their hearts were on fire for Jesus. They had been radically transformed by the Holy Spirit – they were no longer afraid! 

 So Peter went out into the streets and began preaching to the same people who three days earlier had shouted, “Crucify Him!” Peter first visited the prophecies about the coming Messiah, and then showed how Jesus fulfilled ALL these prophecies. Foreign Jews who had sojourned to Jerusalem for Shavuot heard the speech in their native tongues. They were amazed, and they were convinced. 3000 were baptized and added to the group of believers that day. 

That’s what happened on the first Christian Day of Pentecost — may it happen again in your church. Acts 2 

Norton Lawellin 

Jesus in the City has been blessed with a new venue for Sunday worship – details forthcoming. Thanks for your prayers during this time of transition.