Introduction

Every culture and religion has certain festivals and dates which they want to prioritize and remember. Even if you do not live in America, you may know that the 4th of July is important to Americans. In South Africa, the 27th of April is very significant since that is the day for remembrance of the first democratic elections following Nelson Mandela’s release from prison. Festive occasions are found throughout the world and they are considered imported because they help to form identity and promote social cohesion. They instruct us in what it means to be citizens of a particular country or adherents of a particular religion.

Every Lord’s Day serves a similar purpose for us as Christian believers. Not only is it the day on which we gather to meet with God, but it is also the day when we rejoice and remember the great redemption from sin through Jesus Christ. Again and again, week by week our identity is formed and our unity is fostered through this meeting.

As we remember the work of Jesus Christ there are many aspects to consider. There is his birth, the moment in time where the Son took on flesh. Then there is his baptism and the beginning of his ministry. There is also his triumphal entrance into Jerusalem, his suffering on the cross, his burial in the grave, resurrection, ascension, and (future) final return in glory. His work of redemption is rich and multi-faceted and it culminates in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, at Pentecost.

The Spirit comes at Pentecost

• Explain: summarize the details of Acts 2:1-13. Mention that Pentecost was a Jewish festival. Explain that the languages spoken were normal languages (not angelic tongues) and that the apostles spoke to people in the streets around them. Also mention that the purpose of languages was to confirm the presence and coming of the Spirit.

The Spirit comes as a firstfruit and after Christ’s ascension

• Explain: the Spirit was sent on the day of Pentecost as a firstfruit of the full harvest to come.

• Explain: the Spirit is sent after Christ’s ascension to confirm that sins must be forgiven before we can enjoy life in God’s presence.

The Spirit is now present in a greater manner than before

• Explain: there is great continuity between the Spirit’s work in the old and new covenant and yet also some significant difference—a difference in terms of our union with Christ and the abundance in which the Spirit has come and is now working (compared to the past). 

• Apply: it is a wonderful privilege to have our sins forgiven and the Spirit dwelling in our hearts.

• Apply: since we have been filled by the Spirit (we are Christian believers), let us seek to be filled more and more (grow in our knowledge of God’s Word, not looking for a special experience).

Conclusion

The coming of the Spirit at Pentecost was a momentous occasion in the history of redemption—an event which we can remember not just once a year but every Lord’s Day when we meet for worship. You might think that we are missing out as Christians because we do not have an annual feast like the Jews where we all come together. But remember, we have been given another feast to celebrate the great deeds of God. The sacrament of holy communion. That is a meal which brings us together as God’s church, a meal in which we are wonderfully nourished by the Spirit with the body and blood of Christ. A meal that the Spirit will use to comfort us in our weakness and strengthen our faith. A meal that will help us to rejoice in our salvation as we see God’s promises visually displayed.

Old covenant believers celebrated Pentecost to remind them that God has provided bread for their daily living. We celebrate holy communion to remember and commune with the living bread who came down from heaven, even our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us therefore make sure that we participate in the festivals of God so that our identity can be formed, so that we can grow in our rejoicing and be filled with the Spirit.