The Great Feast of Pentecost!

Pentecost


The term Pentecost, from the Greek Πεντηκοστή, meaning "fiftieth day," refers to the fiftieth day following the resurrection of Christ. Thus chapter two of the Book of the Acts of the Apostles can be placed in the context of fifty days after Jesus' miraculous resurrection and appearance to the disciples. In the Jewish calendar, Pentecost was also known as the Festival of Weeks (Lev. 23:16) and was held in celebration of the first fruits of the harvest, fifty days after Passover.

We are told that the believers (about 120 men and women) had gathered in an assembly in unity of purpose and prayer to appoint – with the Holy Spirit's guidance – a new, twelfth apostle (to take the place of Judas). Then, on the day of Pentecost, a sound like a "mighty rushing wind" filled the whole house and the Holy Spirit appeared in the form of divided tongues of fire, each resting upon the present disciples. As each disciple was filled with the Holy Spirit, he began speaking in a language unknown to him – but fully comprehensible to the many various foreign merchants and travelers who overheard them. Note that the disciples did not speak in ecstatic prayer language, but rather "in our own languages we hear them speaking about God's deeds of power." Now Jesus had promised that He would send the "Paraclete" (the "Comforter" or "Advocate") to those who believed on Him as their helper (John 16:7, 13). Earlier, John the Baptist had foretold that Christ would baptize with the "Holy Spirit and fire" (Luke 3:16), fulfilling the prophecy of Joel, which states that God "will pour [His] Spirit on all flesh" (Joel 2:28). These promises were fulfilled at Pentecost.

The descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost marked the real beginning of the Christian Church. As Bishop Kallistos Ware notes, the gift of the Spirit was given to each of those baptized in Christ's Name, not only to the inner circle (although the apostles were still the key leadership). Just as they were individually Spirit-bearers, the Holy Spirit also united them, the many, as one Body in Christ. Indeed, this early Christian community "had all things in common" and was "united in heart and soul" (Acts 2:44, 4:32). Finally, the Spirit was divided and given to each disciple individually. The tower of Babel resulted in the confusion of languages and in disunity; in the Spirit, this diversity of languages ceased to be a cause for separation.

So it should be for Christians today. We should not let our different backgrounds divide us, but rather in the knowledge that we as baptized believers in the Good News of Jesus Christ are bearers of the Holy Spirit, we should seek to assist the Christian community while witnessing to the life-changing nature of the Gospel to those who do not know Christ. Surely, our personal transformation and that of all Creation is the very purpose of Christ having sent the Holy Paraclete – the Comforter, the Advocate – in the first place.