Pentecost: Opening a New Era of the Holy Spirit

Pentecost (Greek: πεντηκοστή ['ημέρα], pentekostē [hēmera], "the fiftieth day") is an important feast in the Christian liturgical year, celebrated the fiftieth day after Easter Sunday (the tenth day after Ascension Thursday.) Symbolically related to the Jewish harvest festival of Shavuot, it commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and the followers of Jesus as described in the Book of Acts, Chapter 2. Pentecost is also called Whitsun or Whitsunday in the United Kingdom and other English–speaking areas.

This year it falls on May 27 (Sunday) and Christians around the world have commemorated this event with grace and thankfulness. On Pentecost the Holy Spirit came down on the believers, who had gathered in one place. It was like a voilent wind and it loosened their tongues, they started to speak to one another in their own native languages but everyone understood what others were speaking about. And some sort of commotion was heard from outside, many onlookers gathered around them and wondered if these people are drunk.

However, Apostle Peter got up and defended them saying that it is only nine in the morning, these people are not drunk but it is the fulfillment of what was spoken through Prophet Joel long time ago. Prophet Joel has prophesied that in the later time God said, "I will pour out my Spirit on all people.Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions." – Acts 2:14–24 [NIV]

The prophet further prophesied, "Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days." Such is the impact of the arrival of the Holy Spirit. Servants were not counted as humanbeing those days. But the advent of the Holy Spirit changed it all. This also heralded in the Protestant view of Priesthood of all men. If the curtain of the temple was torn on the death of Jesus, that opened up salvation for everyone, it is the advent of the Holy Spirit that confirmed God's gracious presence with men without any discrimination of men on the basis of sexes, colors, races, etc. Joel 2:28–32 [NIV].

When two disciples on the road to a village called Emmaus (Luke 14:13–49) realized that the death of their teacher was not a failure but it was the sacrifice made for the salvation of sinners, they returned immediately to Jerusalem and informed the rest of the disciples; they wanted to proclaim immediately about the salvation through Jesus Christ. However, Jesus told them not to leave Jerusalem (Acts 1:4) but to wait for the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the arrival of the Holy Spirit was something the disciples had anticipated.

Going back to the public address made by Apostle Peter, the onlookers now are afraid and they asked what they must do. And they were told that they must repent and receive Jesus Christ as their Saviour and be baptized. On that day, 3000 of them were added to the believers.

The advent of the Holy Spirit truly heralded in the great increment of the number of the followers of Jesus. It was a phenomenon that no one could have imagined; disciples were unknown people, they are shabby, unschooled, ordinary people, some tax collectors, some other fishermen, who would trust such gathering! However, these few disciples led the mega movement that changed the world forever.

And after the arrival of the Holy Spirit, disciples were empowered much with the Holy Spirit, they performed miracles (Acts 3) – healed the crippled man, and became a witnesses of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

Pentecost, therefore opens up a new era in the history of God. From the era of Son, the era of the Holy Spirit opens up. Therefore, whoever we are, if we pray and seek the presence of the Holy Spirit, it is available. He is there to help us and guide us.

Therefore, believers can never forget this grand event.