In Jewish culture, our “Pentecost” is called the “Festival of Weeks” or “Day of First Fruit”. It was one of three major Jewish pilgrimage festivals (Passover and Tents/Booths were others). In ancient times, all males who lived within a certain radius of Jerusalem were required to make a pilgrimage to these festivals. The fact that so many took these pilgrimages helps explain why there were throngs of people in the city of Jerusalem during these festivals.
The Festival of Weeks was probably the most attend in Jerusalem – even more so that Passover. The Festival of Weeks took place during a time of year when the weather was warmer, dryer and more suitable for travel. And since the festival started after the harvest of first fruits, food was plentiful….making the atmosphere celebratory.
Christians “adopted” the time period around the Festival of Weeks and made it a Pentecost celebration. And since the first Pentecost celebration happened at such an early date, it is sometimes referred to as the “birthday of the Church”. The term “Pente” means “50” referring to the time between the crucifixion and descent of the Holy Spirit upon the church. As recorded in scripture, Jesus (in a bodily resurrected form) continued to appear and counsel the disciples for 40 days after the resurrection. The Gospel of Luke tells of a very real ascent of the resurrected Jesus after 40 days. And 10 days later, as also recorded in scripture, the Holy Spirit descended upon the early church during what was to be later regarded as the first recorded sermon (by Peter) of the early Church. The scriptural account is very detailed, noting there were 109 in attendance including the mother of Jesus. But as fascinating as the worship service at Pentecost is, I want to step back from that scene just a little bit….to a time that set the stage of the birthday of the Church. This scene takes place in Acts 1:1 – 12
The Book of Acts, written by Luke, is actually a continuation of the Gospel of Luke. In fact, Luke reminds Theopholis (whom Luke addresses in verse one) of that fact from the very start. The biggest difference between the Gospel of Luke and Book of Acts, is that Luke tends to be about Jesus of Nazareth’s ministry on earth, whereas Acts tends to be about the Holy Spirit’s ministry on earth.
There has been much speculation as to who “Theopholis” really was. Since the name means “lover of God”, some have speculated that the name was symbolic of all believers (at that time called “Followers of the Way” as the term “Christian” was not being used yet). More than likely, however, Theopholis was a real person since it was very customary during that time to address specific individuals in letters or writings. It’s quite possible that Theopholis was a patron of Luke and assisted Luke (financially) in his ministry.
Early in this passage of Acts, the risen Jesus instructs the disciples to wait in Jerusalem and not do anything. This must have been incredibly difficult for the disciples. Human beings, in general, aren’t very fond of waiting. “We want it now.” So to see the risen Jesus and not be able to act on it must have aggravated the disciples to no end. Fortunately….the wait would not be long….as they would only have to wait for ten days.
But there was a reason why he wanted the disciples to “stay put”. The Holy Spirit would be introduced as the first Pentecost worship service and the risen Christ did not want his disciples (now apostles) to miss it.
Well….the disciples were a curious bunch. We know this, because in verse six we find the disciples trying to guess what the “big surprise” was going to be. The first guess was right off their wish list…..a restoration of Israel and rebuke of the Roman Empire. They still didn’t get it. Still didn’t completely understand what Jesus was all about. Jesus reminds them, with no lack of clarity, that knowing that information was “above their pay grade”. However, he did tell them that they would be a “witness” which means to “share the gospel with others”. It is interesting that the risen Jesus mentions “Samaria” in verse eight….a signal that the gospel would be intended for everyone…not just the Jews.
After he sets the disciples straight, Jesus starts his ascension. Scripture tells us that two men (angels) accompanied Jesus as he was taken into the clouds. The disciples’’ necks must have been straining as they gazed upward because one of the angels asked why they were looking up. I can almost picture one of the angels asking (in my best New York City accent): “What you looking at?” The angels promptly let the disciples know that Jesus would be coming back the same way he left.
This passage in chapter one lays the foundation for arguably the most important event in the life of the Church and the lessons we can take away from this part of Scripture are many:
The promise will come. Just like John in his Gospel (John 14:6), Luke reminds us that His promises are kept. While we may not know why or what we wait for sometimes, we can rest assured that God has a plan and his promises will not falter.
Being baptized with the Holy Spirit is the heart of a healthy, functioning church. For generations, Christians have differed as to what it means to be “baptized in the Holy Spirit”. Is it a supernatural event? Of course it is. But being baptized in the Holy Spirit is a personal event….not a corporate one. And whether it’s a visible, charismatic expression….or a private moment between an individual and the Holy Spirit…..one thing is for sure….nothing can happen until folks are convicted, touched and moved by the Holy Spirit….in whatever way the Holy Spirit is revealed in each person’s heart.
Stop looking up and get to work. Through the years, there has been an on again/off again fascination with end times and all thing apocalyptic. But this passage is a healthy reminder that the Holy Spirit is not interested in our obsession about things to come. Jesus explicitly told the disciples that (in effect) it was “none of their business”. And the angels deliver a message that basically says “stop looking up here and start looking around you”. The Holy Spirit baptized people in the early church so that they would have power and strength that could be used right away….not in the future. The time for the Church is always now.
Toward the end of Acts chapter 2, Luke describes the environment of the early Church. Verses 45 – 47 read:
45 They sold their possessions and property and distributed the proceeds to all, as anyone had a need. 46 Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple complex, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with a joyful and humble attitude, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And every day the Lord added to them those who were being saved.
This is the end game of what God did leading up to Pentecost. This is the purpose of the church. This is why we exist. Jesus did not “pour himself out to us” only to have us save those blessings for the end time. He poured himself out so that we can, in turn, pour ourselves out….starting right now.
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