In days long before Jesus came to Earth, God spoke these words through the prophet Joel:
“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.
Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days.” (Joel 2:28-29, NIV)
The apostle Peter quoted these verses on the day of Pentecost, after the Holy Spirit came to him and the other disciples in fulfillment of this very prophesy. Undoubtedly, most Christians have heard the story of Pentecost before, as that day marks the beginning of the Church. Today, many liturgical churches still celebrate Pentecost as a part of their church calendar, while more evangelical ones find it less important. But nearly all denominations recognize the holiday as both the beginning of the Church and the coming of the Holy Spirit. At Pentecost, Jesus’ followers received the Spirit, giving them the tools they needed to begin the work of the Church: being a light in the darkness of the world while waiting faithfully for the second coming of Christ.
The events of Pentecost clearly fulfilled the promises Jesus had made to his disciples while He was still on Earth. Just before He ascended into Heaven, He told them, “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 1:4-5). The disciples obeyed his instructions, praying and waiting in a room in Jerusalem until Jesus’ words were fulfilled. On the Jewish feast of Pentecost, which celebrates the firstfruits of the harvest, “Suddenly a sound like the 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.” (Acts 2:2-4). Immediately, the people left the room and began proclaiming the good news to the Jews gathered for the feast. Though the Jews in the crowd had come from countries all over the Roman world and spoke many different languages, the disciples miraculously spoke in all of them, so that everyone could understand. The crowd was amazed and confused about how the Galileans could speak so many languages. While some scoffed at them, others believed, and about three thousand people came to Christ on that day (Acts 2).
From then on, God began bringing the world back to him through them, and though they were entirely inadequate alone, His Spirit working through them sustained them and allowed them to do amazing things. They began the work that we continue today, the work of watching and waiting, of loving and bearing with one another, and of being the light of God in a world of darkness. No church is truly a church without the Holy Spirit working in and through it. God lives in the church through the Spirit, as Paul says: “In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” (Eph. 2:21-22). Pentecost, the day that the Spirit came to begin the Church, is the real beginning of Church history. The Church has only continued for so many centuries because the Spirit came into Jesus’ followers at Pentecost and continues in them forever. Though other holidays, such as Christmas and Easter, are often more widely celebrated and undoubtedly important, it is also important to commemorate Pentecost as a reminder and example of the Holy Spirit in the Church.
Photo Credit:
“Apse of Chapel Miniscalchi in Saint Anastasia’s church from year 1506 designed by Angelo di Giovanni with main scene of the Pentecost.” Christianity.com, August 24, 2022, www.christianity.com/jesus/early-church-history/pentecost/where-did-pentecost-come-from.html.