Reflection on readings for 12th June 2011 Pentecost

Year A The Day of Pentecost 12 June 2011
Acts 2: 1-21 Psalm 104: 24-34, 35b 1 Corinthians 12: 3b-13 John 20: 19-23

A weird thing happened in Jerusalem. There was the sound of rushing wind, what appeared to be tongues of fire and then the believers all speaking in strange languages. People thought that maybe the believers were drunk – even though it was only nine in the morning.

There were people from many surrounding districts, who spoke different languages, staying in Jerusalem for the feast. It was a Jewish feast which took place 49 days after Passover. Passover is the feast that coincided with the Death and resurrection of Jesus – Not coincidentally. The feast of Passover celebrated the time that Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt - before doing so, he had to convince Pharaoh to let the people go. Pharaoh would not listen to the many signs and wonders so God declared that he would send the angel of death to Passover the land. If a household had painted the door way of their house with the blood of a lamb, then the Angel would Passover that household and leave it in peace, but if not, the eldest born male would die. This was the final sign which signalled the exodus of the Israelite people from slavery and death into freedom and the promise of a land provided by God.

Passover is significant and no coincidence that Jesus was crucified on this feast. Jesus is the Lamb of God, whose blood covers us and protects us from death. His sacrifice enables us to Passover from death to eternal life.

Pentecost is 50 days after Easter. Our reading from Acts tells us that people were again gathered in Jerusalem – they were celebrating another feast. This feast is known to the Jewish people as Shavu’ot – otherwise known as the feast of weeks. The Jewish people were to count off 7 week’s (49 days) after the Passover and celebrate a sacred day signifying the day that God gave the Law (the Torah) from Mount Sinai.
In the words from a Jewish website (http://www.jewfaq.org/holidayc.htm) “The counting reminds us of the important connection between Passover and Shavu'ot: Passover freed us physically from bondage, but the giving of the Torah on Shavu'ot redeemed us spiritually from our bondage to idolatry and immorality. Shavu'ot is also known as Pentecost, because it falls on the 50th day.”

From that same site I discovered that the people would gather on the eve of the feast and stay up the entire night and study the Torah (book of the Law) and then pray as early as possible. I assume that this is why the early believers were all gathered in one place and in prayer when the Holy Spirit came.

Acts 2:1-4 “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.”

God had said through His prophets that He would write His law on His people’s hearts and in their minds so that no one would need to be taught.... It seems to me that it is significant that the day of the giving of the Holy Spirit is the day when the giving of the law/ word of God/ Torah was celebrated, as the Holy Spirit himself becomes our teacher. The Holy Spirit is God with us and in us.

In the Gospel of John, Jesus commissions his followers by urging that they receive the Holy Spirit. John 20:22, “And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” I found it interesting that the Jewish feast of Shavu’ot is the celebration of God giving the Torah as opposed to the receiving of the Torah, as I think the explanation that is given holds true for the giving of the Holy Spirit also.

From http://www.jewfaq.org/holidayc.htm : “It is noteworthy that the holiday is called the time of the giving of the Torah, rather than the time of the receiving of the Torah. The sages point out that we are constantly in the process of receiving the Torah, that we receive it every day, but it was first given at this time. Thus it is the giving, not the receiving, that makes this holiday significant.”
The same is true for us with the Holy Spirit, we receive it every day, but the celebration is to commemorate that the Holy Spirit has been given.

But what does it mean for us personally?

The celebration of Pentecost is also a celebration of the birth of the Church. When Peter stood up and addressed the crowd, although there were some who were critical, about three thousand become believers. The commissioning of Jesus to his followers when he urged them to receive the Holy Spirit relies on the Holy Spirit being given at Pentecost to accomplish the commission.
The necessary component, or the power, to carry out that commissioning is the Holy Spirit.

Today we are still commissioned. God has given the Holy Spirit. Today we are still urged to “receive the Holy Spirit”. The Holy Spirit has been given, but to receive it is something that only we can do.... it is our part of the deal. I remember when I was being prepared for my confirmation at the age of 11 or 12, being told that the Holy Spirit comes when you ask him. The implication is that the Holy Spirit has already been given, Pentecost has happened already and we don’t need a repeat, but we do need to respond as the receiving is up to us.

Way back in the first chapter of Genesis we read about the Spirit hovering as the earth was created. The spirit is often synonymous with breath and with life. So Jesus breathing on the followers and saying, “receive the Holy Spirit” is a meaningful action that spoke more than mere words to those who understood. With this breath of God new life was created – eternal life. This is the pinnacle of the Holy Spirit power – to impart eternal life.

Acts 2:17-21, “‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’


The Holy Spirit comes with many gifts, some are subtle, like the gift of faith, and others are dramatic, like the gift of healing. One thing for certain, each gift is given for the benefit of the whole community. And the most important role in all the gifts from the Holy Spirit is to enable Christ to be known so that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord is saved. People won’t call on the name of the Lord unless they know him, and they won’t know him without us fulfilling our commissioning. We need to take a good hard look at ourselves and ask ourselves whether or not we are accomplishing this..... Is it possible that we ceased to rely on the power of the Holy Spirit?

The celebration of Pentecost is a time to repent of our self efforts and once again really and fully receive the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has been given – The Holy Spirit is with us and in us..... Receive the Holy Spirit!