What is Pentecost all about?

The word 'Pentecost' means fiftieth day and in the Christian calendar it refers to the Sunday that occurs fifty days after Easter Sunday. It is also called Whit Sunday.

Enter the Holy Spirit

More importantly, Pentecost commemorates the day when the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples of Jesus. After his resurrection, Jesus told his disciples, "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised . . in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."

And that is exactly what the disciples did. They stayed in Jerusalem, they prayed and sorted out a few administrative matters but otherwise kept a low profile. The religious authorities tried to silence Jesus and his disciples by arranging the execution of Jesus and for a few short weeks, they appeared to have succeeded. That is, until Pentecost, when the promise of Jesus was fulfilled.

Dramatic Transformation

Jerusalem was already in high tension, overflowing with visitors from across the empire. Then it happened. The noise of a tornado, along with tongues of fire and the disciples were transformed like men possessed. And so they were, they were possessed, or filled, with the Holy Spirit.

No longer timid, there was no holding them back. They poured onto the street, making such a racket that in no time thousands of people crowded around them. The people were dumbfounded, hearing the disciples crying out in all the languages of the empire. Pandemonium broke out in Jerusalem.

Birth of the Church

That event marked the moment when the church was born. Not a building, not an organisation, but a band of men and women, called by God, commissioned by Jesus Christ and fired up by the Holy Spirit.

That day, three thousand people became Christians and that was just the start. The church continued to grow against all the odds. Religions couldn't stop it, philosophies couldn't stop it, armies couldn't stop it, it just carried on growing with only love, compassion, forgiveness and godliness, along with the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome every obstacle.

Today, the church appears to be in a sorry state in many western countries, but worldwide it is still growing. Evolution cannot stop it, Islam cannot stop it, Communism cannot stop it and western Materialism cannot stop it either. They may slow the growth, even set it back for a time but eventually the church overcomes them all, because none of them has an answer to the overwhelming love of God.

Same Power Today

In spite of the church's success, the bible tells us that most people will reject its appeal because the message isn't attractive to them, but the appeal still goes out to everyone.

That message is the Most Important Thing. You can read it here or why not call into a local church near you and talk to the people. Ask what is their message and if it isn't revolutionary, then try another local church down the road.

The true message hasn't changed over two thousand years - it still transforms people today as it did on that first Pentecost and it can transform you.