[1] 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.(Acts 2:1–6)
From a worship perspective the two most popular dates each year are Christmas Eve and Easter. If only Pentecost could annually be raised to this same level!
“Pentecost” was originally a Jewish harvest festival. God the Father and God the Son choose Pentecost as the date to fulfill the promise of sending God the Holy Spirit. This fulfillment launched God’s work to share Jesus with all nations. This makes Pentecost the single greatest date each year for a mission festival.
Yet Pentecost has never attained the same level of worship participation as the Nativity or the Resurrection of our Lord. Maybe the name “Pentecost” isn’t catchy. Maybe the special gift of the Holy Spirit makes some of us a little nervous. In the United States, Pentecost has plenty of competition with graduations, weddings, and Memorial Day Weekend.
While all of this is true, I will continue to advocate for Pentecost to be treated as the third major festival each year:
Christmas Eve: We celebrate Jesus coming into the world.
Easter: We celebrate Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, guaranteeing the salvation of the world.
Pentecost: We celebrate the launch of God’s work of sharing Jesus with all nations.
(A Second Look devotions are written for the congregations of the Ohio District LCMS.)
Kevin Wilson 360 