The Great Commission was not only given to the apostles; it was given to the church. The events surrounding Judas death7were interpreted as the fulfillment of the prophecy of Psalm 69:25. He was interested in the gospel, but a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus (or Elymas) opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the truth. 7The apparent contradictions between this account and that of Matthew 27:3-10 are not insurmountable. It was completed by more than twenty biblical scholars who worked directly from the best currently available Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts. Second, we learn that the Great Commission, which our Lord commanded His apostles, was given through the Holy Spirit (1:2). He spent days and days, and weeks and weeks doing that, bringing new dimension of understanding to the Scriptures that they had never had. A violent wind sounds. Having said this, our Lord ascended into heaven. It goes on, verse 12, "After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country." 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit, and they began to speak in other languages as the Spirit . It is available on the Internet at:www.netbible.org. Finally, verses 15-26 are the account of the selection of Matthias as the twelfth apostle, a replacement for Judas. Pentecost is one of the Great feasts in the Eastern Orthodox Church, a Solemnity in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church, a Festival in the Lutheran Churches, and a Principal Feast in the Anglican Communion. It is also called Whitsun, but does not necessarily coincide with the Whitsun Bank Holiday in the UK. PrivacyPolicyTerms ofUse. 8We do, however, find a reference tothe twelvein both Acts 6:2 and 1 Corinthians 15:5. Labor in the Word, meaning to read the Word, and to learn it, and to soak it in and drink it in; and to live the Word, this past year. Find the date for Pentecost 2014 in the multifaith calendar. Life, that a doubt every once in a while creeps in, sometimes an unbelief, fear, bonds of trust might be tested. It was originally an agricultural festival, marking the beginning of the wheat harvest. Because Ruth saw in Naomi, God, an example that she wanted to be a part of. As the story goes in Acts, just before his departure, Jesus reiterates to his disciples that they should wait for the Spirit. What Happened at Pentecost? And yet Peter does, and he gives a bold sermon. After Pentecost: Every believer has received the Holy Spirit. But by doing so, when you read the account, you understand that they knew the Scripture, and they applied Scripture to their choice and their decision to replace Judas. And so they didn't really think about that, and yet all of a sudden it came upon them. Verses 15-26 immediately precede Pentecost, but do not appear to have any profound impact on the apostles or on the community of believers. Because Easter is a moveable feast without a fixed date, and Pentecost. All the gods of doubtand I say gods with a little g, because doubt, and guilt, and fear can really separate us from Godthe gods of doubt, and fear, and unbelief have all been shredded by Jesus Christ. Pentecost is a special day for any Christian, but it is emphasised particularly by Pentecostal churches. Now, it was all beginning to come together. Pentecost is a Christian holy day that celebrates the coming of the Holy Spirit 50 days after Easter. 10 As they were still staring into the sky while he was going, suddenly two men in white clothing stood near them 11 and said, Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking up into the sky? 10 For indeed, what had been glorious now has no glory because of the tremendously greater glory of what replaced it. Behold I send the promise of My Father upon you, but tarryor waitin the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high. As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped corruption that is in the world through lust." We are told in verse 2 that Jesus gave orders by the Holy Spirit. But all of this in the midst of a troubled, terrified, frightened mindset that they were having to work through, during these days between the resurrection and Pentecost. The before and after theme is found frequently in the media. I am inclined to think that verses 12-14 are an apt description of the apostles activity during the entire 50-day period preceding Pentecost. They determined that others needed to be appointed to oversee this ministry. And if those are the weapons of our warfare, then we can handle them. "And fear came upon every soul," and this was a different type of fear. Before Pentecost: What Were They Thinking. Pentecost always occurs 50 days after the death and resurrection of Jesus, and ten days after his ascension into heaven. Jesus' followers were all together when a sound like the blowing of a mighty wind came from heaven and filled the place where they were staying. 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 addition, anyone who wants to share the Bible with others can print unlimited copies and give them away free to others. "What do we do?" 1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Others have sought to justify this action on the part of the apostles. And we can be about the work that we see that the Church did then and has always done, of taking the message of salvation and of repentance to life, to people who need that message. And God will expose sin, ours to ourselves, sometimes to others. It is regarded as the birthday of the Christian church. Based upon Pauls words in Ephesians 3, I am inclined to assume what a portion of this conversation may have been: 4 When reading this, you will be able to understand my insight into this secret of Christ. Where do we go from here? That Numbers 32 and verse 23, is correct. All of these qualities are to the divine nature, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness, love. This truth is buttressed by John 14-16, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, and 2 Peter 1:20-21. What they needed was power, power to proclaim the gospel so that men would believe and be saved. Four fishermen - Peter, Andrew, James and John - are landing their catch when they are approached by Jesus. After seeing how God works through His Spirit in Acts 2 and beyond, who would ever want to go back to the old? As the first volume ends with the Great Commission, the second volume begins with it (verse 8). By inference, this second volume is the account of all that Jesus continued to do and to teach, through His apostles. And a voice from heaven like many waters, and the voice of thunder, and the sound of harpers playing their harps, they sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures and the elders. It is rooted in the Word of God. At the end of the 40 days, Jesus was taken up into heaven. They watched Him rise until a cloud obscured their vision. Third, Luke makes it emphatically clear that the power to carry out the Great Commission is the power that the Holy Spirit will bestow (1:4-5, 8). Thus, whether it was the selection of leaders or making important doctrinal distinctions, the Holy Spirit played a key role from Pentecost on. He made it clear that the Holy Spirit played a key role in their appointment. Farewell (Acts 15:28-29, emphasis mine). People should see God in the firstfruits. Let us seek to answer this question by observing what happened. I kind of think that He kind of, you know, elevated, and rose, and they saw Him, and they saw Him and the clouds, and the clouds, and then all of a sudden just like that, [snaps fingers] He was gone, kind of like in a "Star Trek" just a flash of light. Again, nothing like this had been a part of their frame of reference before. It was a mighty, powerful machine, the most powerful that the world in that day had ever seen. We know that unified prayer preceded this process (1:14); indeed prayer was a part of the process (see 1:24-25). Bob was born and raised in a Christian home i More, concerning righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me, For it seemed best to the Holy Spirit and to us, of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 5 Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as if it were coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, 6 who made us adequate to be servants of a new covenant not based on the letter but on the Spirit, for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. Jesus waited 40 days from the time of His resurrection till the day of His ascension into heaven. They need to see within us, Jesus Christ. Now, when we turn over to Acts chapter 1, and we look at, kind of summing up of this as it is. And yet some doubted. Why are you standing around gazing? They were kind of like this, and like this. It goes on, "When He had spoken these things," in verse 9, "they watched and He was taken up in a cloud, received Him out of their sight. We, again, don't necessarily always pause and think about this, in these hours and days following Christ's resurrection. This unique feast occurred 7 weeks after Passover (49 days), culminating with the actual feast on day 50 (hence, the New Testament term "Pentecost"). Did they doubt that it was real? A Church that was grounded in the Word of God. This same Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will come back in the same way you saw him go into heaven (Acts 1:1-11). Let us consider what some of these lessons might be. This same Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will come back in the same way you saw him go into heaven (Acts 1:9-11). 2. Preparation for Pentecost (Acts 1:1-26) | Bible.org Apostle Peter Biography: Timeline, Life, and Death The ministry has had those two themes for the past two conferences. He was seen by them over a forty-day period and spoke about matters concerning the kingdom of God (Acts 1:3). 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. We are not, however, given any indication as to just what things Jesus taught them. Ascension and Pentecost - The liturgical year - BBC Bitesize "Pentecost" is actually the Greek name for a festival known in the Old Testament as the Feast of Weeks ( Leviticus 23:15; Deuteronomy 16:9 ). But on that morning as they gathered, made their preparations, put on their clothes, walked to the location where they all were gathered, and they were about 120 disciples as chapter 1 of Acts tells us, they no doubt had a lot on their mind. 5 Now this secret was not disclosed to people in former generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit, 6 namely, that through the gospel the Gentiles are fellow heirs, fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:4-6, emphasis mine). A photo of the proverbial 90-pound weakling was followed by the after of an awesome, muscle-flexing Charles Atlas physique. It is the Word of God and it is the Spirit of God that did it for them, and will do it for you and for I today as we live our lives, as we go about our lives. The Cross And Christs Suffering For Sins (1 Peter 3:18-22), 6. 2 Suddenly a sound like a violent wind blowing came from heaven and filled the entire house where they were sitting. It is not my purpose here to allow these matters to sidetrack our consideration of the argument of this text. 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). And so two things create this vision and this mission. 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. Sunday Before Pentecost. Their disbelief would extend not only to the idea that the dead could come back to life, as He did, but then they doubted the truth of these witnesses. He and his wife, Debbie, have served in the ministry for more than 43years. Verses 1-11 describe what happened during that 40-day period between our Lords resurrection and His ascension. We give ourselves to that devotion, to that devoted study and the process of taking on the nature of God. A period of unity, one accord, fellowship, love for one another, treating people as equals, not in a completely socialistic manner that we understand from our modern context of socialism, or the welfare type of society. It's an encouraging sermon, it's very pointed and direct, that includes a dramatic call to repentance. The church acknowledged the leading of the Spirit and laid their hands on these men, and then sent them off. The same things were going through their minds that go through our minds. It seems to me that these loyal followers of Jesus are at their finest in verses 12-14. Let me explain why I have reached this conclusion. 19 This became known to all who lived in Jerusalem, so that in their own language they called that field Hakeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) 20 For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his house become deserted, and let there be no one to live in it, and Let another take his position of responsibility. 21 Thus one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time the Lord Jesus associated with us, 22 beginning from his baptism by John until the day he was taken up from usone of these must become a witness of his resurrection together with us. 23 So they proposed two candidates: Joseph called Barsabbas (also called Justus) and Matthias. The apostles sought greater knowledge. On that day of Pentecost, people who had been doubtful were moved to speak powerfully, to repentance, to belief, and to action. Pentecost, also called Whitsunday, (Pentecost from Greek pentecost, "50th day"), major festival in the Christian church, celebrated on the Sunday that falls on the 50th day of Easter. Peter says, "Repent, believe, be baptized, you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." 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. Pentecost comes from a Jewish harvest festival called Shavuot. We're no different than them. That's the famous road to Emmaus experienced from the book of Luke, "and they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either." As you read on in Acts chapter 1, one of the main things they did was to choose a successor to Judas. The Holy Spirit will come upon you shortly to empower you to carry out this task, so wait in Jerusalem until you receive this power.. in 1971. Pentecost: The Descent of the Holy Spirit - Orthodox Church in America Jesus informed them that they had (or would have) all the knowledge they needed. Who wouldnt want to look like that? 12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mountain called the Mount of Olives (which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath days journey away). And so Luke's account brings this together. This is the threefold commission that is given to this group of disciples where they are to be witnesses of Him in the city of Jerusalem, and Judea, and Samariathe wider region of the country, look at it as kind of the wider counties of the country of Israel at the timeand then ultimately, to the end of the earth, to take the Gospel and to be a witness of God, to do this. That's how I imagine it and He was home, He was back at, He was at the third heaven. What is Pentecost? Meaning of Pentecost Sunday 2023 - Christianity.com I was standing there gazing, not quite knowing what to do. The second power that they'd run up against was that of the Jewish authorities. In the Old Testament Pentecost was the feast which occurred fifty days after Passover. The Day of Pentecost is celebrated 50 days after Easter in Western branches of Christianity. If we begin to look at one another as less than trustworthy, then that has other consequences in relationships, and that's taking place among the disciples here at this moment. Anyone anywhere in the world with an Internet connection will be able to use and print out the NET Bible without cost for personal study. Bible Chronology - The Day of Pentecost And one set upon each of them, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance." Not completely unraveled, but the doubt and the disbelief has an impact. He quotes Joel, he quotes Psalms and he gives interpretations upon those scriptures, here in chapter 1, no one had ever heard of before. What Happened at Pentecost, and Why Does It Matter? - Truth For Life These were redeemed from among men being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. And you have to understand that and realize that, that's what they were doing during that period of time as well. (2 Corinthians 3:4-11). 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. They didn't believe that He had risen, they didn't believe that they had been seen, that He had been seen, and therefore, then they would not believe these eyewitnesses. Shavuot, also called Pentecost, in full ag Shavuot, ("Festival of the Weeks"), second of the three Pilgrim Festivals of the Jewish religious calendar. He was seen by them over a forty-day period and spoke about matters concerning the kingdom of God. The selection of Matthias as the twelfth apostle is clearly a before, clearly an Old Testament method of seeking Gods will. In Ephesians 2, Paul contrasts the Gentiles in their unbelief with the Gentiles as saints, now a part of the church. And in the room of the house where they were gathered, it obviously became a little bit too small for all that took place, because as these other people take note of it, you get the impression they moved out into a more public location in Jerusalem. "And He said to them, 'Thus it is written, thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer, to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and the remissions of sins would be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem, and you are witnesses of these things. 9He does not forbid taking any action until Pentecost; He merely forbids the apostles to leave Jerusalem (in carrying out the Great Commission) until after Pentecost. 11 Now look, the hand of the Lord is against you, and you will be blind, unable to see the sun for a time! Immediately mistiness and darkness came over him, and he went around seeking people to lead him by the hand. Of course, on the day that He died there had been an earthquake, the sun had turned to dark at midday, people had come out of their graves and it had set Jerusalem all abuzz. But they saw Him for a period of time, and that's how I like to imagine it. The Word of God. The inference is, Dont just stand here; get going!5. Some say that they wound up in the temple precincts; could very well be. Jesus Christ was born to be a King, and He will return as the King of Kings in the Kingdom of God. It goes on, "Jesus came and He spoke to them saying, 'All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Shavuot | Definition, Meaning, & Facts | Britannica Let me last observe that Acts 1 is the beginning of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit in Acts. The apostles were celebrating this festival when the Holy Spirit descended on them. First, I note the wording of the first part of verse 13: When they had entered Jerusalem, they went to the upstairs roomwhere they were staying(Acts 1:13a, emphasis mine). In 2 Corinthians 3 and 4, Paul makes the same point, showing how much more glorious the New Covenant is to the Old and that New Testament ministry is to the old, because of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:17-18 KJV [17 . And there wasn't a Jew in Jerusalem, not a rabbi, not a priest who'd ever understood Joel or the Psalms in that way, nor would they have ever dreamed of applying it to what had happened just weeks earlier, with the arrest, crucifixion, and death of this Man called Jesus of Nazareth. When the apostles3press Jesus to tell them the time when the kingdom of God will be established, Jesus graciously refuses by informing them that this information is outside their authority there is no need to know so far as they are concerned. ), and the Holy Spirit (1:2, 5, 8, 16). But they were terrified, and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit." What is the day of Pentecost? | GotQuestions.org It says, "The eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. It's an interesting way that they did. There were several festivals, celebrations, or observances that took place before Pentecost. And so it was very key that His final ascension would be from this mountain. This then begins to be the anchor and the soil into which they can anchor a life of faith that they were to have and to develop. Peter's Life Before Christ. And they're seeing that, and it's the final time. 1 Now when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. It had been organized quite well and in that remote backwater of Judea, the Roman government kept things in order. This page has been archived and is no longer updated. When they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe. An eyewitness account, there was a lack of belief that put them in the situation here that they did not understand and didn't believe that had actually happened. And then going on here, in verse 44, "He said to them, 'These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses, and the prophets, and the Psalms concerning Me.' The bonds of trust among the disciples were beginning to be frayed. 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). 3. Pentecost (Acts 2:1-13) | Bible.org They had come up against the two most powerful authorities of their day in their world. Acts 2 states early Christians were "filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them . For if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you, but if I go, I will send him to you. And then they had seen that He was resurrected. And He leaves them on the Mount of Olives, which is a very, very significant geographic feature there on the east of Jerusalem across from the city, and through the Kidron Valley and up on this Mount called Olives. And then the 50th day came, the morning of Pentecost, and they were gathered together. Everybody who gets up and gives a sermon in a congregation, that sermon before it's ever posted on a website, has been reviewed or at least approved by individuals within the congregation. . The. It's the fourth of the spring feasts that marked the end of the barley harvest and the start of the wheat harvest (usually around June). We can accomplish the work of God, and we can then be the firstfruits who follow the Lamb and who know their God and do mighty deeds and mighty exploits. The same Jesus who's been taken up will come in a like manner as you saw Him go into heaven." Peter was quoting Scripture and applying it to something that had happened and that is Jesus, His death and His resurrection. 1 I wrote the former account, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven, after he had given orders by the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. And then this dramatic miracle takes place, festive occasion. 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. My point here is that Luke links the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the life of our Lord in the Gospels to the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the life of the church in Acts. They weren't orphans, and we are not either in our life. They were looking for power from on high. What happened after the Resurrection? - Grapevine Studies I must tell you that the most problematic passage in Acts 1 is the final paragraph which describes the selection of Matthias as the twelfth apostle. John has another set of accounts, and then he kind of ends and he leaves it wide open. That's been the hallmark of our feature. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age (Matthew 28:18-20, emphasis mine). These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. They didn't know. Our text also reminds us that whenever God commands us to do something, He will provide all that we need to carry out His command. As the writer to the Hebrews constantly emphasized, the New Covenant is vastly superior to the Old. What is Pentecost? But let's go back, let's look at a few of these scriptures in a little bit more detail and see exactly what had been taking place among the disciples during this period of time, that brought them to that morning of Pentecost. So the Word of God is what Jesus took and explained, it is what the Church went to, to explain what was happening, and then, it is the Spirit of God. What's the next step?" If you go back to Matthew chapter 28, chapter 28 and verse 16, let's just read a few of the accounts of that period following the resurrection, that the Gospel accounts tell us and there's more there. 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. They understood their problem, in verse 38, "He said to them, 'Why are you troubled and why do doubts arise in your hearts?'" Acts 1, consistent with the rest of the Book of Acts, reminds us that it is not about us; it is about God. That power would come in the form of the Holy Spirit. 7 But if the ministry that produced deathcarved in letters on stone tabletscame with glory, so that the Israelites could not keep their eyes fixed on the face of Moses because of the glory of his face (a glory which was made ineffective), 8 how much more glorious will the ministry of the Spirit be? There is a theme which dominates the 40-day period between the resurrection and ascension of our Lord. 14 And because they saw the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say against this (Acts 4:13-14). Lukes account of our Lords ascension is brief, but informative: 9 After he had said this, while they were watching, he was lifted up and a cloud hid him from their sight. Long before modern advertising, the Bible had its own versions of "before" and "after." These were not terrified, doubtful people. Pentecostal Christians believe in the direct experience of the Holy Spirit by believers during all of their services. Verses 40 to 47 is a summary of one of the most remarkable periods of the church experience. As we came here this morning, to services, and as we gathered here this morning ourselves, there is a very important lesson for us to learn as well. Our Lord gave His apostles the Great Commission, appointing them as witnesses of His resurrection, and as His ambassadors, to proclaim the gospel to all the world. It is celebrated on the Sunday 50 days after Easter (the name comes from the Greek pentekoste, "fiftieth"). When Did the Holy Spirit Come Down on the Apostles? - Learn Religions 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. The apostles did as the angels implied; they returned to Jerusalem to wait. 15 In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a gathering of about one hundred and twenty people) and said, 16 Brothers, the scripture had to be fulfilled that the Holy Spirit foretold through David concerning Judaswho became the guide for those who arrested Jesus 17 for he was counted as one of us and received a share in this ministry. 18 (Now this man Judas acquired a field with the reward of his unjust deed, and falling headfirst he burst open in the middle and all his intestines gushed out.
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