Pentecost Sunday, May 23, 2021 - by Jim Tharp

When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2:1-4, NKJV)

Before Jesus was crucified, He told His disciples that the Holy Spirit would come after Him. Jesus said: And I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you (John 14:16-18).

Jesus remained on earth for 40 days after His resurrection from the dead. Just before He ascended to His Father in heaven, He commanded His apostles and other believers not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father (Acts 1:4). And then in Acts 1:8, He added, You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. After Jesus had spoken those words, He ascended to heaven.

About 120 believers, including the apostles, obeyed Jesus’ command, returned to Jerusalem, and went to the upper room where they prayed earnestly with one accord. After 10 days, the Holy Spirit came upon those believers giving them the power to preach the gospel. Chapter 2 of Acts gives the account of the Day of Pentecost.

The outpouring of the Holy Spirit came 50 days after Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. Pentecost is observed on the seventh Sunday after Easter and 10 days after Ascension.

Christians will be commemorating the day when the Holy Spirit came upon those believers who were gathered in the Upper Room in Jerusalem. Christians consider Pentecost as the birth of the church.

Prayer: Dear Lord, help us this day to realize our need of power for preaching the gospel and for seeing revival in the church of Jesus Christ. I fear that in recent years we have failed to emphasize the power of the Holy Spirit in the life of the church. Forgive us, Lord, for depending too much on human efforts alone in winning the lost to Jesus Christ. I pray for more hungry hearts who feel the need to obey the command of Jesus to get filled with the Holy Spirit for the powerful praying that would prepare the church to successfully spread the gospel. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen!