What is Pentecost? Pentecost 2015 is Sunday, May 24, 2015

Pentecost is the day, almost 2000 years ago, that God began pouring out His Spirit.

God loves us so much that He took on the form of man to pay the price of death for our sins. Because of our love for Him, we repented and were baptized in His name Jesus, washing our sins away by the blood He shed for us. It is because God paid the price for our sins that He was able to begin pouring out His Spirit upon us.

"And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." - Acts 2:1-4

This was prophesied by the prophet Joel in Joel 2:28.

"But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:" - Acts 2:16-18

On this day of Pentecost, Peter stood up with the eleven apostles, speaking with divine inspiration, full of the Holy Ghost. He preached the gospel – the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

"Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it." - Acts 2:22-24

"Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ." - Acts 2:36

The Jews that were gathered in Jerusalem for Pentecost from around the world were convicted in their hearts when they heard Peter preach the gospel of Jesus.

"Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?" - Acts 2:37

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." - Acts 2:38-39

"And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation." - Acts 2:40

"Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles." - Acts 2:41-43

"…And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." - Acts 2:47

What is Pentecost? The Sound of the Wind and the Spirit.

Jesus commanded the apostles that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, the baptism of the Holy Ghost. (Acts 1:4-5) The Holy Ghost is the Spirit of Jesus in us. (John 14:17-18)

"If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you." - John 14:15-18 KJV

"And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place." - Acts 2:1 KJV

Jesus had told Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, that except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. (John 3:5) Jesus compared being born of the Spirit to the wind.

He said the wind blows wherever it wants. You can’t tell where it is coming from or where it is going. But you hear the sound of it. (John 3:8)

On the day of Pentecost, there was a sound of wind - a rushing mighty wind.

"And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting." - Acts 2:2 KJV

Just as Jesus said, when those in the upper room were born of the Spirit, there was a sound as a wind. The Bible says the sound came from heaven. This sound from heaven was the sound of other tongues (other languages) as the Spirit gave them utterance.

"The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit." - John 3:8 KJV

No one could see where the Spirit of Jesus came from, and where it went as it filled each of the disciples, but they heard the sound!

"And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." - Acts 2:4 KJV

Why did they speak in tongues on the day of Pentecost?

On the day of Pentecost, there were Jews from every nation under heaven in Jerusalem. As commanded by God, they were there for the Feast of Weeks (Shavuot). They were there to appear before the Lord and give an offering at the Temple. (Deut.16:10, 16)

These Jews all became witnesses of the amazing fulfillment of the prophecy of the prophet Joel: God had begun to pour out of His Spirit on all flesh! (Acts 2:16-17)

The Jews marveled when they heard the hundred and twenty disciples speaking in the tongue of the countries they were born. These Galilaeans didn’t understand the words they were uttering, but the Jews that were present from around the world did. The disciples were speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. The Jews heard them speaking in their languages the wonderful works of God! (Acts 2:4-11)

God spoke through them as they allowed God to change their words into another language. (Acts 2:8) This was the beginning of tongues as the sign of receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. (Acts 2:4, Acts 10:45-46, Acts 11:15, Acts 19:6) God’s promise had begun to be fulfilled. (Acts 1:4, Acts 2:33, Acts 2:39)

In what language was the gospel preached on the day of Pentecost?

The Jews that were gathered in Jerusalem that day not only knew their native language from the country they were from, but as Jews, they also knew the Hebrew language. They most likely knew Greek as well, as it appears to have been the universal language at that time. Because all those that were gathered were devout Jews, it is most likely Peter was preaching in the Hebrew language. (Acts 2:5)

The gospel message on the day of Pentecost was preached by Peter, not by the hundred and twenty speaking in tongues. The Bible clearly records the preaching that day, and it was by Peter. (Acts 2:14-40)

"But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:" - Acts 2:14

The conclusion of his gospel message: what we must do to obey the gospel.

"Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?" - Acts 2:37

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." - Acts 2:38

"For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." - Acts 2:39