It is no longer news that Pentecost is familiar to several Christians. Even the non-Christians hear about the wonders in the upper room among the disciples. Today, you will be learning about a very important event that took place after the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ, that is, the Pentecost. Open your Bible 1to Acts 2:1-14 and 37-41.1
Question 1: What is the meaning of Pentecost?
Answer: Pentecost means ‘fiftieth.’ It is the completion of the grain harvest held on the fiftieth day. That is, nine weeks after the Feast of First Fruits (Passover). It was the second of the Jewish national festivals in which all the males were required to appear before the Lord.
Question 2: What happened on the Pentecost after the ascension of Jesus Christ?
Answer: On the day of Pentecost, the disciples were all together in one place. Suddenly, there was a sound like the blowing of a violent wind from heaven
Question 3: Wow! So, what then happened?
Answer: They saw what looked like tongues of fire which separated and rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in tongues.
Question 4: What is speaking in tongues?
Answer: It is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Question 5: Were there people around there, how did they feel when they heard the sound and the people speaking in tongues?
Answer: Yes, there were some God-fearing Jews there. When they heard the sound, they were very surprised because they heard the disciples speaking their native languages, though they were Galileans. On the other hand, some people made fun of them thinking they had had too much wine.
Question 6: What did the disciples then do?
Answer: Peter stood and addressed the people. He told them what happened was a fulfillment of the prophecy in Joel 2:28-29. (Let a child read these verses). Then, with many other words, he pleaded with them to repent from their sins and be baptized in the name of Jesus. That day, about three thousand people accepted Jesus and were added to the disciples.
Invitation: The disciples were filled with the power of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Do you also desire to be filled with the Holy Spirit? (Lead children to pray for the infilling of the Holy Spirit. However, let them know that the first step they need to take is to accept Christ as their Savior and Lord).
Challenge: The infilling of the Holy Spirit is a continuous experience. So, always pray for continuous infilling of the Holy Spirit.
Growing More: Lead people to pray for a great revival in your church as a result of the infilling of the Holy Spirit you have experienced.
The Pentecost is a symbol of a feast
The Pentecost is a replica of feasts that binds people together to celebrate certain feasts. What happened is that people were in harmony and had one voice.
Exodus 23: 16-17 “and the Feast of Harvest, the first fruits of your labors which you have sown in the field, and the Feast of ingathering at the end of the year, when you have…”
Exodus 23: 14 “Three times you shall keep a feast to me in the year”
Numbers 28: 26 “Also on the day of the firstfruits, when you bring a new grain offering to the Lord at your Feast of Weeks, you shall do no customary work” Read further Deuteronomy 16: 16, Deuteronomy 16: 9-10, Exodus 34: 22,
The Pentecost is happening in the upper room.
As the Bible recorded in the Book of Acts 2: 1- 42 when the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accod in one place. After that powerful sound struck from heaven, the Holy Spirit descended on them and all of them were speaking with other tongues. All Christians must learn lessons about the Pentecost. If the Spirit of the Lord would have room to work in our gathering, we must be in unity and oneness.
Acts 2: 46, “So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity.”
Acts 20: 16, “For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus so that he would not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hurrying to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the Day of Pentecost.
1 Corinthians 16: 9, “But I will tarry in Ephesus until Pentecost.”
The coming of the Holy Spirit is a sign of the Pentecost.
The Bible also recorded in the Book of Acts 1: 8 that we should receive power once the Holy Spirit comes upon us and a witness throughout the world. This means we experienced the manifestation of the Holy Spirit at the Pentecost. If we shall experience the manifestation of the Pentecost, we have to first experience the manifestation of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 1: 8, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witness to Me in Jerusalem, and all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Acts 1: 4-5 “And being assembled with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father…”Romans 8: 14, “For as many as are by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”
Luke 24: 49, “Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.
Read further 1 Corinthians 12: 7-10, John 14: 16-17, Acts 5: 32, 1 Corinthians 2: 10-14.” Ephesians 4: 3-6, Luke 3: 16, Romans 8: 9-11.
The Pentecost is Togetherness and in One Accord
No matter how powerful the gathering is and how amazing the plan and structure of the meeting are, if such gatherings or meetings lack togetherness both spiritually and physically, they cannot experience the power of Pentecost. The congregation that will experience the wonders of the Pentecost must ensure that they have connected hearts. Also, the hearts that will experience the Spirit of the Pentecost must be pure and forgiven.
Acts 2: 1-42, “When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting…”
The Pentecost is a replica of the Sabbath.
The Sabbath day as recorded in the Bible is a day chosen to celebrate the goodness of God in the Olden Testament. It is a day of joy that everyone will bring offerings to appreciate the faithfulness of God, wave offerings, grain offerings, firstfruit offerings, sin offerings, peace offerings, etc. For us to connect to the power of Pentecost, we have to attend the church or any gathering of the children of God to celebrate the goodness of God in our life and all that concerns us. Not only this, based on your ability, you have to bring offerings to the house of God to testify to the greatness of God. There are many kinds of offerings: money, harvest, dance, joy, laughter, songs, etc.
Leviticus 23: 15-22, “And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering: seven Sabbaths shall be completed. Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall offer a new grain offering to the Lord. You shall bring from your dwellings two wave loaves of two-tenths of an ephah…”
