Then I finally figured out, "Oh, I got to do this myself. That's an important trait for a firstfruit, for a firstfruit to have in their life, and in their approach to life. A firstfruit is one who follows Christ. It goes on, "Jesus came and He spoke to them saying, 'All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. I like that phrase. Others have sought to justify this action on the part of the apostles. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth . As I was sitting there gazing around, nobody came. That power would come in the form of the Holy Spirit. And if those are the weapons of our warfare, then we can handle them. These events happened in the book of Acts within the Bible and proved a major turning point in the New Testament. 8 Last of all, as though to one born at the wrong time, he appeared to me also. The idea of 10 days to do nothing is desperately needed in the church today, and this is the perfect time of year to embrace that very thing. 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. They were with Him and they asked Him in verse 6, "Lord, will You at this time restore the Kingdom to Israel?" No one could learn that song except the 144,000 who were redeemed from the earth. We are going to be taking giant steps toward creating that kind of Church that we read about here in the book of Acts, that has been imbued with the power of the Holy Spirit, and changes are being made. The Holy Spirit confirms the apostles testimony, especially their claim that they have seen Jesus Christ risen from the dead. Acts 1 is the before section of this great book. There is a theme which dominates the 40-day period between the resurrection and ascension of our Lord. And then there came a time, in verse 4, where they were assembled together with Him and He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem but to wait for the promise of the Father, which He said, "You have heard from Me, for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.". What Happened at Pentecost, and Why Does It Matter? - Truth For Life The Cross And Christs Suffering For Sins (1 Peter 3:18-22), 6. We should also observe that among this group were the brothers of our Lord (Acts 1:14). 1 Now there were these prophets and teachers in the church at Antioch: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius the Cyrenian, Manaen (a close friend of Herod the tetrarch from childhood) and Saul. He seals us in Christproof of the promise that we are forever in God's presence ( Ephesians 1:13-14 ). In the end, I think we must acknowledge that we must read between the lines a great deal to conclude that the replacement of Judas was wrong. So there is going to be a gap. And then even when we see in the days after Jesus' final ascension, a roughly 10-day period, when they came to make a decision to replace Judas, they read Scripture, they applied it properly, God blessed the decision. He had a lot to come back, he was at the back of the pack. Christ in you, the hope of glory. It is celebrated on the Sunday 50 days after Easter (the name comes from the Greek pentekoste, "fiftieth"). 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. We take that for the story that it is, and the gift of tongues, and the speaking of tongues that the Scriptures talk about but we don't see that as what we need to be doing in practice or in faith, but it is a dramatic story. As we have received the gift of God's Spirit, as those on that first day of Pentecost received the gift of the Holy Spirit were brought into the Church, they became, and so are we, partakers of the divine nature. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.". 7The apparent contradictions between this account and that of Matthew 27:3-10 are not insurmountable. It is not my purpose here to allow these matters to sidetrack our consideration of the argument of this text. 9 For if there was glory in the ministry that produced condemnation, how much more does the ministry that produces righteousness excel in glory! And so Luke's account brings this together. Far more people than they could have ever imagined and Peter gets up and gives the sermon of his life. The gospels and the book of Acts tell us that would-be zealots and messiahs had come and gone. From Psalm 69, they recognized that Judas betrayal was part of the divine plan. We give ourselves to that devotion, to that devoted study and the process of taking on the nature of God. BBC - Religions - Christianity: Pentecost And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up," and this is through the account here in Luke, then, would be the final bodily appearance of Jesus to them. I have my own Star Trekkian-type of way to imagine how Jesus ascended. 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. The Church was given favor, we're told, as they demonstrated these fruits and others were added. Having said this, our Lord ascended into heaven. I believe the first chapter of Acts could be titled Before, because it precedes Pentecost in chapter two, and from there on it is definitely after. While we may be eager to get to Pentecost, let us pause long enough to consider Lukes introduction to the Book of Acts and to the transforming power of Pentecost. And you have to understand that and realize that, that's what they were doing during that period of time as well. Acts is the record of how our Lord is fulfilling the Great Commission by using weak and fallible men. What were they standing there for, looking into the sky? What Is Pentecost in the Bible & Why Is It Important? - Word by Word This page has been archived and is no longer updated. They had come up against the two most powerful authorities of their day in their world. And perhaps like you and I would today, we might look at it as a little bit odd. And so it was very key that His final ascension would be from this mountain. The Jewish authoritiesthe Sanhedrin, the Scribes, the Pharisees, the Sadduceesthat authority was intact in Jerusalem, running the temple, running the religious side of the culture and the social life of Judea under the Roman cap, and it too was a very, very powerful force you didn't run up against. But I had to go to St. Louis about 100 miles north of my hometown and pick up what they called an express bus, that would go through the larger cities. The apostles were celebrating this festival when the Holy Spirit descended on them. Why did the apostles speak of the coming of the kingdom of God as its being restored? It was completed by more than twenty biblical scholars who worked directly from the best currently available Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts. And when they reached their decision, they made it clear that their decision was guided by the Holy Spirit. "And all who believed were together and they had all things in common. So Jesus had to rebuke them. So there was still this not fully developed confidence and faith in what had happened, and so He goes even further and asks for some food. Did they doubt what they were seeing? What is of particular interest is that this revelation came about through the Spirit.. ", A church begins to develop. The before and after theme is found frequently in the media. What's the next step?" 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. And all the others came right in and were a part of it with him. 15 likes, 0 comments - Saints Community Church - COM (@saintscommunitychurchofficial) on Instagram: "Have You Prophesied Since You Believed (4)? 9. We can deal with them. And in their mouth was found no deceit, for they are without fault before the throne of God.". Anyone is at liberty to use this lesson for educational purposes only, with or without credit. We are not, however, given any indication as to just what things Jesus taught them. We get on to verse 40, the wrap-up: "With many other words, he testified and exhorted them saying, Be saved from this perverse generation, that those who were, who gladly received his word were baptized; about 3,000 souls were added to them. Not many days, we would look at it roughly 10 days from that 40-day period. When the apostles asked Jesus regarding the timing of the coming of the kingdom of God, they appear to indicate that they know the kingdom will be set aside for a time: So when they had gathered together, they began to ask him, Lord, is this the time when you are restoring the kingdom to Israel? (Acts 1:6). Fourth, the Holy Spirit is portrayed as the Author of the Old Testament Scriptures.He is the One who inspired the words of David in the psalms: 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 (Acts 1:16). And the tomb was empty, and the disciples had seen Jesus, and the authorities were beside themselves trying to figure it out, looked for the body. After Pentecost, the selection of leadership (as well as the seeking of divine guidance) is heavily dependent upon the presence and power of the Holy Spirit: But carefully select from among you, brothers, seven men who are well-attested,full of the Spiritand of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this necessary task (Acts 6:3, emphasis mine). In 2 Peter chapter 1, 2 Peter chapter 1, Peter writes, "Grace and peace be multiplied to you and the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. (2 Corinthians 3:4-11). Some say that they wound up in the temple precincts; could very well be. I wonder if more people came to Jerusalem for Pentecost in that year because of what had happened 50 days earlier, plus three, and they had heard about that. And what was the key to that? 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. 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. 12 Then when the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, because he was greatly astounded at the teaching about the Lord. Furthermore, He no longer comes and goes but rather remains permanently. 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. Peter was quoting Scripture and applying it to something that had happened and that is Jesus, His death and His resurrection. As the first volume ends with the Great Commission, the second volume begins with it (verse 8). 5 For John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. 6 So when they had gathered together, they began to ask him, Lord, is this the time when you are restoring the kingdom to Israel? 7 He told them, You are not permitted to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. The Giving of the Holy Spirit: On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Disciples and those with them. In the Great Commission of Matthew 28, Jesus claimed all authority, and He based His command to proclaim the gospel to all nations on this authority: 18 Then Jesus came up and said to them, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. And yet, they had not been able to completely separate the fact that now what they were part of was the real, the real thing, because Christ had died. 1. There were several festivals, celebrations, or observances that took place before Pentecost. Pentecost is a happy festival. After Pentecost: Every believer has received the Holy Spirit. Let us consider what some of these lessons might be. They stood there, transfixed. I think there are two things that are clear, and that should dominate our thinking. 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." When you read what Peter said about these prophecies from Joel and the Psalmstrust me, folks, Peter's sermon would not have passed doctrinal review by the Jewish doctrinal committee of that day. 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? If we can learn to take on the divine nature and drink that in, in our lives, then we can banish doubt, uncertainty, and fear, unbelief, that will creep in at various times as we go through our lives, and stages in the developments of life. It sounded like a very strong wind, and it looked like tongues of fire. And therein, lies a key to the understanding of what had taken place with these individuals here. And this dramatic miracle took place, of wind, and fire, and language, and hearing, and people took notice. The apostles were all Galileans (see Acts 1:11; 2:7; see also Matthew 26:73), so they could not stay in their own homes. What do I do about calling a priest father at my Catholic University? Peter's Life Before Christ. Articles that are published in our magazine or scripting for our television programs goes through a very, very thorough review process. John has another set of accounts, and then he kind of ends and he leaves it wide open. 13 When they had entered Jerusalem, they went to the upstairs room where they were staying. "And they looked steadfastly in toward heaven," verse 10, "as He went up, and behold two men stood by them in white apparel." You remember what Ruth said to Naomi when Naomi, in the book of Ruth, had lost her husband and children, and these two daughters-in-law, Ruth and Orpah, tried to follow her away from Moab, and Orpah decided to leave. Now, it was all beginning to come together. What we are seeing here is again, the power of the Word of God. I do not think that verses 12-14 describe only the activity of the believers during the 10-day gap between our Lords ascension and Pentecost, however. Many Christian denominations provide a special liturgy for this holy celebration. "Makeover" programs turn proverbial ugly ducklings into swans. What Is the Meaning of Pentecost? What Happened at Pentecost? Then follows a marvelous after photo, which displays a beautiful person, so different from the before photo. 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. Then what looks like tongues of fire rests on the followers of Jesus, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Pentecost was the occasion which God chose to bestow this power on His apostles. But they were terrified, and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit." Jesus promised authority within the boundaries of what God purposed, because the coming of the Spirit was the promise of the Father (verse 4). The Holy Spirit is the third part of the Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit that is the way Christians understand God. The church acknowledged the leading of the Spirit and laid their hands on these men, and then sent them off. 2 Suddenly a sound like a violent wind blowing came from heaven and filled the entire house where they were sitting. We, again, don't necessarily always pause and think about this, in these hours and days following Christ's resurrection. They sought authority that was outside the boundaries God had established. And this dramatic miracle, but beyond that, 3,000 people being added to the Church, and then a community being developed. Simply because there were 10 days of waiting, watching, and praying before Something Big happened to the church. About 10 days earlier, Christ had finally ascended for the final time and they were left alone. In Revelation chapter 14, we are given an image of the firstfruits, called the 144,000 in this part of the Revelation. Peter says, "Repent, believe, be baptized, you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." They sold their possessions, they divided among them, they shared among those who had need. 1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. When Did the Holy Spirit Come Down on the Apostles? - Learn Religions Sunday Before Pentecost - 1517 The publication of this material is a grace ministry of Community Bible Chapel. He certainly became one of the boldest witnesses for the faith. It was originally an agricultural festival, marking the beginning of the wheat harvest. United Church of Godis a501(c)3organization. And speaking about the deep things of the Kingdom of God to prepare them for what they were to take part in, and what they were to be a part of. 7 Days after the Ascension of Jesus. Not only did Jesus give them 40 days of continual confirmation of His resurrection; He also gave them His Spirit, who likewise bears witness to the resurrection through them. This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. 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. We are no exception today, as we wait and look for the time when the Kingdom will be restored. 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. Like others, I have pointed to Paul as the most likely candidate for Judas replacement. 6We can easily deduce this since Pentecost was 50 days after Passover. That is what caused them to banish their fear, trouble, doubt, and unbelief: Christ in them through the Holy Spirit. 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. Four fishermen - Peter, Andrew, James and John - are landing their catch when they are approached by Jesus. 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. 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. Because they were seeing Christ risen and they saw Him in a bodily form, but then they were attributing something different to that. Because Easter is a moveable feast without a fixed date, and Pentecost. We know that unified prayer preceded this process (1:14); indeed prayer was a part of the process (see 1:24-25). Let us never consider going back to the old. Let me explain why I have reached this conclusion. And so I made a certain few inquiries, I got on the bus, didn't miss it. Now all of a sudden, as Peter steps forward, and of course, you know the story of Peter. So if I can come back to the question that I asked, what was going through their mind on that morning of Pentecost?
Malibu Grand Prix Columbus, Ohio,
Hollister Jeans Size Guide Uk,
Texas Trust Cu Theatre Covid Policy,
Articles W