The Story of Pentecost

After Easter Jesus gave this command to his disciples,

“Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait to be empowered

by the gift my Father promised…

For John baptized with water, but in a few days

you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit…

you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you,

and you will be my witnesses (starting here from) Jerusalem

 … to the ends of the Earth.”

Jesus left his disciples and us with this promise:

 “The Spirit of Truth, the Holy Spirit,

whom the Father will send in my name,

will teach you all things and will remind you

of everything I have said to you.”

Now let us listen

to the surprisingly dynamic story from Acts chapter 2.

How the Holy Spirit is poured out on every kind of people.

How our identity as Jesus’ disciples,

and the church’s identity and calling is born,

not of human ingenuity, but of the divine energy of God.

 At the Feast of Pentecost, just 50 days after Easter,

Jesus’ disciples were all together in one place.

Suddenly, without warning there was a sound like a strong wind,

gale force—no one could tell where it came from.

This wind filled the whole building.

Then, like a wildfire, the Holy Spirit spread through their ranks,

and the disciples started speaking

in a number of different national languages

as the Holy Spirit prompted them.

Visitors and pilgrims from every known nation of the Roman world,

who had gathered at Jerusalem, came running at the sound.

“How come we’re hearing them talk in our various mother tongues?”

they kept saying.

“Aren’t these all Galileans?

Yet they’re speaking our languages,

describing God’s mighty works!”

Their heads were spinning;

Confused they talked back and forth: “What’s going on here?”

Others joked, “They’re drunk on cheap wine.”