Acts 2:1-21—When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. ² And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. ³ And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. ⁴ And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

⁵ Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. ⁶ And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. ⁷ And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? ⁸ And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? ⁹ Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, ¹⁰ Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, ¹¹ both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians – we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” ¹² And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What is this all about?” ¹³ But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”

¹⁴ But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. ¹⁵ For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. ¹⁶ But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:

¹⁷   “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares,

that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,

and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

and your young men shall see visions,

and your old men shall dream dreams;

¹⁸   even on my male servants and female servants

in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.

¹⁹   And I will show wonders in the heavens above

and signs on the earth below,

blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke;

²⁰   the sun shall be turned to darkness

and the moon to blood,

before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.

²¹    And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be

saved.’

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Pentecost.  The Jewish festival of Pentecost existed before the day of Pentecost.  God had instituted a feast called the Feast of Weeks which was celebrated a week of weeks (7 weeks of seven days), fifty days, after Passover and later became called Pentecost.  The ‘Feast of Weeks’ or Pentecost was a harvest festival—it was a feast similar to our Thanksgiving.  Pentecost was a time for people to rejoice because of God’s provision in the past, to be thankful for God’s provision in the present, and to look forward to God’s provision in eternity.  The festival in the New Testament days, and even for Jews today, had a strong focus on the last days where God would provide for His people.

The Christian Church today is sometimes overly focused on the supernatural events of Pentecost—the wind, the fire, the tongues—to the detriment of the significance of that day for you and I, the Church.  Those amazing, terrifying events—the mighty rushing wind, the tongues of fire, and general commotion of God pouring out the Holy Spirit—are only signs to what God does each and every time the Gospel is proclaimed.

Fifty days after Jesus was raised from the dead, the disciples were all together in once pace sitting.  “Suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house.”  They didn’t stay sitting very long.  They were “all filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages as the Spirit gave them utterance.”  They were speaking specifically about “the mighty works of God.”

The Tower of Babel was reversed.  Yahweh had previously confused the languages of mankind to disperse them.  Now He is un-confusing them in order to unite them in what Christ has done for all mankind.

Speaking in these different languages, the disciples were proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus.  Peter’s sermon is focused completely on Christ.  Peter spoke about Jesus’ miracles (which many of the crowd would have at least heard of if not seen), about Jesus’ deliverance to Pilate, about Jesus’ crucifixion and death, and about Jesus’ resurrection from the dead.

These are the “mighty works of God,” and they all focused on Christ.

After being accused of being filled with new wine to the point of being drunk, Peter begins to preach.  He declares that these, indeed, are the ‘last days’ as described by the prophet Joel.  God is pouring out His Spirit upon all flesh.  Sons and daughters are prophesying.  Young men are seeing visions; old men are dreaming dreams.  Even male and female slaves are receiving the poured-out Holy Spirit and prophesying.  This is the time, as God had declared, that He would act in a new, awesome, and very visible way.  God is acting—just as He acted in the past.

Take the time to read about Israel at the foot of Mt. Sinai as Moses went up to receive the Ten Commandments (Ex. 19-20); or Elijah being taken into heaven (2 Kgs. 2:1-14).

Look at the sending of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost in light of our Old Testament text (Ezek. 37:1-14) Ezekiel in the Valley of Dry Bones.  As Ezekiel stood in that valley, God told him to prophecy over the dry bones and to the wind.  The bones were joined bone to bone with sinews and flesh.  And those bones were given the breath of life.

God says the same happens to all believers.  God hears His people dead in sin and crying out that their bones are dried up, hope is lost, and they are cut off.  But God says, “No.  The day will come when I will open your graves, I will raise you from your graves, and I will bring you into the Promised Land.  Then you will know that I am the Lord, when I put My Spirit within you.  Then you shall live.  I, Yahweh, have spoken, and I will do it.”

That day is Pentecost.  At Pentecost, the Father poured out His Spirit.  Jesus sent the Counselor, the Comforter, the Protector, the Helper to you.  It is done, and yet it continues.

The Holy Spirit was given on that day of Pentecost and we celebrate that coming today.  But while we celebrate this as a historical event, we recognize this is an event that happens continually.  Every Sunday is a little Easter.  Every Sunday is a little Pentecost as Jesus’ Spirit comes by water, by Word, and by bread and wine.  Every time Christ is proclaimed, there is another Pentecost.

Pentecost—that harvest feast—happened corporately for the church 2000 years ago.  The harvest continues individually in the lives of believers as God sends His messengers to proclaim all that Jesus has done.

The first Pentecost was, as Peter said, a “great and magnificent day.”  Imagine the signs, sounds, and words of that day of Pentecost.  We wonder, “Why God don’t we get to see some of those signs today?  Why don’t we get to have this amazing and awesome experience that they had back then?”

One theologian commented, “We too often get distracted by the fireworks of Pentecost to know what the celebration is all about.”  Don’t let the signs distract you from the real meaning of Pentecost.  Jesus has come, died, and risen again—all for you and your salvation.

As you call upon the name of the Lord, you are saved.  In baptism, God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit places His name upon you.  In faith, you call out to God as your Father Who created you, God the Son Who has redeemed you, and God the Holy Spirit Who sanctifies you.

Pentecost happens daily, as you call out to Him in repentance, “Forgive me of my sins.”  It happens repeatedly as you hear the Gospel message of what Christ has done for you.

By your own reason or strength you cannot believe in Jesus Christ your Lord or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called you through the Gospel, enlightened you with His gifts, and sanctified and preserved you in the true faith; in like manner as He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth, and preserves it in union with Jesus Christ in the one true faith; in this Christian Church, He daily forgives abundantly all your sins and the sins of all believers, and at the last day will raise up you and all the dead and will grant everlasting life to you and to all who believe in Christ.  This is most certainly true.  Amen.