Pentecost Sunday

This Sunday, June 12th is Pentecost Sunday, the birthday of the church. 50 days after the Resurrection, ten days after Ascension Thursday, the blessed day when the Holy Spirit of God descended upon the disciples and followers of Christ.

Pentecost is given in the second chapter of the Book of Acts: And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2:1-4) The apostle Peter proclaimed the Gospel in his greatest sermon, declaring the prophecy of Joel and there was added to the church at that one time, 3000 members.

Tradition tells us that King Arthur and his knights celebrated Pentecost. Poets throughout the centuries have enthralled us with Pentecost because of springtime, the renewal of life, new beginnings, flowers, and new growth on trees. Shakespeare mentions Pentecost in his play Romeo and Juliet: “What, man? 'Tis not so much, 'tis not so much! 'Tis since the nuptial of Lucentio, Come Pentecost as quickly as it will, Some five-and-twenty years, and then we mask'd.”

Greenery is used for the decoration of churches for this special celebration, along with the singing of Pentecost hymns. Brass instruments are used to signify the gushing winds in the descent of the Holy Spirit. I was in a great ornate Cathedral in Taormina, Sicily on Pentecost Sunday, flower petals were thrown from the upper gallery, symbolic of the falling of the Holy Spirit.

However you celebrate this great event in the life of the Christian church, the descent of the Holy Spirit into the lives of believers, the greatest power/gift the human mind can imagine, the very power of Creator/God alive in the mortal being...we have the comfort of knowing this power is available continuously. That which is promised in light is always available in darkness.

We have this power in times of economic problems: for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. (Matthew 6:25-32) I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. (Psalm 37:25) When God says something, He means it. He will be standing at the corner when you get there. He does not promise you riches but the needs of the day. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. (Matthew 6:34-35).

We have this power in times of disease and sickness. If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee. (Exodus 15:26) When you go to the Lord's table in remembrance of Calvary, in remembrance of what He did for you, remember 700 years before the cross, Isaiah told us that He would take all the infirmities, all our diseases to the cross: But he was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5) If only for the remission of our sin, we just need the wine at the Communion table, but with the bread, His stripes, we are healed. Do not forget in the darkness of disease/sickness/surgery, that what He promised us in darkness, we can believe in the light, and what He promised us in light, we can believe in darkness.

We have this power in times of anxiety, stress, nervous breakdown. He has promised us peace: Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. (John 14:27) 365 times in God's Word He tells us not to fear.

We have this power in times of guilt. Forgiven, He does not remember our sins anymore. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. (Hebrews 8:12) What a sweet relief to know that you do not spend your life in regret. Perhaps, if we had been sitting with Peter and the other disciples on the day of Pentecost and Peter had risen to speak, we might have said to him, "having denied your Lord three times, Him giving you the chance, three times, for your telling that you love Him. If I were you, Peter, I would stay quiet." But Peter, remembering the enemy's fire from which he warmed himself, remembering the fire on the shore of Galilee where Christ prepared food, knew forgiveness, knew the descent of the Holy Spirit. He preached such a sermon that 3000 were saved on that day, people who could not look back at the Cross, people who knew nothing of ancient manuscripts/prophets/promises, people who saw the eclismic experiences of disciples and heard the words of a true believer. This is the vitality-victory of Pentecost.