Pentecost

Did you know that Pentecost was celebrated for hundreds of years before the outpouring recorded in Acts? Let’s jog your memory for a moment. Can you answer some basic questions about Old Testament Pentecost? What? Who? Where? When? If you have trouble, refresh your memory by reading Exodus 19. This account records the nation of Israel receiving the law on Mt. Sinai 50 days after the Passover.This event was to be memorialized yearly with The Feast of Pentecost. The New Testament Pentecost outpouring of the Holy Spirit is recorded in Acts 2. There are amazing similarities between the Old Testament Pentecost and the New Testament Pentecost when you compare them side by side.

Old Testament Pentecost                            New Testament Pentecost

Expect a visitation                                           Expect a visitation

Prepare yourself                                              Prepare yourself

Gather at the foot of the mountain         Gather in Jerusalem

Fire                                                                        Fire

Sound of a trumpet (wind instrument)  Sound of wind

Voice of God                                                      Holy Spirit spoke through people

Received the Law                                            Received the power to obey the living Word                      

The supernatural and spectacular giving of the law and God’s presence atop the mountain was an event and a clue of what He was going to do after Jesus paid the penalty for sin. The Old Testament Pentecost sets the tone for the outpouring of Holy Spirit in the New Testament; An event that is not frozen in time like a glacier. God's promised present came to do more than visit believers; He came to fill them.

Pentecost is a noun. It is both an event that occurred and a person that was introduced to the world. If you only know the historical Pentecost as an event, you are missing the real meaning of Pentecost. It’s more than a place we visit historically or a shrine in our tenants of faith. Pentecost must be a living reality if we are going to reap its benefits.

You can celebrate an event without understanding its meaning or enjoying its benefits. This fact is exemplified by the way some individuals celebrate Easter with only eggs and bunnies. But you can’t have the person of Pentecost, precious Holy Spirit without the verbs of Pentecost- go, do and be. When Holy Spirit comes He is like the wind, moving, energizing and transforming. He is the catalyst that energizes and inspires. He is the wind that catapults and brings life. The primary focus of His voice and His presence is to show us Jesus. The more we know Jesus, the more we love Him and are transformed by that love.