Pentecost: strength for the gospel

Jesus promised his disciples: “Behold, I send upon you what my Father has promised. But you are to remain in the city until you are treated with strength from on high ”(Luke 24,49). Luke repeats the promise of Jesus: «And when he was with them at the supper, he commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which you - so he said - had heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not long after these days »(Acts of the Apostles 1,4-5).

In the Acts of the Apostles we learn that the disciples received the promised gift on the day of Pentecost because - they were baptized with the Holy Spirit, who endowed them with the power of God. "They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to preach in other languages ​​as the Spirit told them to speak" (Acts of the Apostles 2,4).

The Jews traditionally associate Pentecost with the transfer of the law and the covenant made with the people of Israel on Mount Sinai. Thanks to the New Testament, we have a more complete understanding today. We connect Pentecost with the Holy Spirit and the covenant that God has made with people from all nations who belong to his church.

Called to be witnesses

At Pentecost we remember that God has called us as his new people: “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy people, a people owned, that you should proclaim the favors of him who called you the darkness into its wonderful light »(1. Petrus 2,9).

What is the purpose of our calling? Why does God designate us as a people to own? To proclaim his favors. Why does he give us the Holy Spirit? To be witnesses of Jesus Christ: "You will receive the power of the Holy Spirit who will come upon you, and will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth" (Acts of the Apostles 1,8). The Holy Spirit empowers us to preach the gospel, to proclaim the good news that people are in God's kingdom by God's grace and mercy and what Christ has done for us.

God made a covenant, an agreement, with us. God promises us eternal life, whereby the Holy Spirit represents an inalienable expectation of our salvation (this is a right whose condition has not yet been fulfilled). God's promise is his part in the agreement. She is characterized by grace, mercy and the Holy Spirit. We are called and endowed with the Holy Spirit - here and now our part begins - that we may witness the mercy of God that came to us in Jesus Christ our Savior. This is the mission of the church, its purpose, and the purpose to which every member of God's church, the body of Christ, is called.

The church is charged with preaching the gospel and teaching people about the redemption that was bought for us through the sacrifice of Christ: “It is written that Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day; and that repentance is preached in his name for the remission of sins among all peoples. From Jerusalem onwards you are witnesses to this »(Luke 24,46-48). The Holy Ghost was given to the apostles and believers on Pentecost to become empowered witnesses of Jesus Christ.
The mission of the church is part of the picture that is made clear to us by the day of Pentecost. On the day of Pentecost we celebrate the dramatic beginning of the New Testament Church. We also think of our spiritual acceptance into God's family and of constant renewal, as well as of the strength and courage that God gives us through the Holy Spirit. Pentecost reminds us that the Holy Spirit guides the Church in truth and guides, inspires and equips God's people so that we "may be like the image of his Son, that he may be the firstborn among many brothers" (Romans 8,29) and that he stands for us at the throne of God (v. 26). Likewise, Pentecost may remind us that the Church is made up of all those people in whom the Holy Spirit dwells. Every year Pentecost reminds us to maintain unity in spirit through the bond of peace (Ephesians 4,3).

Christians celebrate this day in memory of the Holy Spirit, whom they received together at different times. The church is not simply a place where principles of healthy and virtuous living are taught; it exists for the purpose of proclaiming the favors of Jesus Christ and emphasizes again: “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy people, a people for the property that you are to proclaim the favors of him who has called you the darkness into its wonderful light »(1. Petrus 2,9).

While we all want to become spiritually changed people, that is not the only goal we have. Christians have a mission - a mission that is empowered by the Holy Spirit. He inspires us to proclaim the Lord Jesus Christ and to carry the message of reconciliation through faith in his name throughout the world.

Pentecost is the result of a life led by the Holy Spirit - a life that testifies to the righteousness, power, and mercy of Jesus Christ. A faithful Christian life is a testimony of the gospel. Such a life proves, it reveals the truth, that God is working in us. It is a walking, speaking testimony of the gospel.

A spiritual harvest

Pentecost was originally a harvest festival. The Church is engaged in a spiritual harvest today too. The fruit or result of the Church's commission is the spreading of the gospel and the proclamation of the salvation of men through Jesus. "Lift up your eyes and look at the fields: they are already ripe for the harvest," said Jesus to his disciples when they were in Samaria. Already here Jesus spoke of a spiritual harvest in which people are given eternal life: "He who harvests receives reward and gathers fruit for eternal life, so that he who sows and he who reaps rejoices" (John 4,35-36).

On another occasion, Jesus saw the crowd and said to his disciples: “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. Therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send workers into his harvest »(Matthew 9,37-38). This is what Pentecost should inspire us to do. We should thank God by helping us see the people around us ready for the spiritual harvest. We should ask for more workers because we want more people to share in God's spiritual blessings. We want God's people to proclaim the benefits of those who saved us.

"My food," said Jesus, "is that I do the will of him who sent me and finish his work" (John 4,34). That was his life, his food, his energy. He is the source of our life. He is our bread, the bread of eternal life. Our spiritual nourishment is to do his will, his work, which is the gospel. We are to follow in Jesus' footsteps and bring out his way of life while he lives within us. We should allow him to achieve his goals in our lives and to live to his credit.

Early Church Message

The book of Acts is full of evangelistic discourse. The message is repeated over and over and focuses on Jesus Christ as Savior, Lord, Judge and King. Even Cornelius, a Roman captain, knew the message. Peter said to him: "You know the saving message that God had proclaimed to the people of Israel: He brought peace through Jesus Christ, and Christ is Lord over all!" (Acts of the Apostles 10,36 Hope for all). Peter summed up the message, which was already so widespread that Cornelius also knew it: “You know what happened throughout Judea, starting from Galilee after the baptism that John preached how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and strength; he went about doing good and healing all who were in the power of the devil, for God was with him. And we are witnesses of all that he did in Judea and in Jerusalem” (Acts 10:37-39).

Peter went on to preach the gospel by mentioning Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection, and then he summarized the commission of the church: “He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he was appointed by God to be the judge of The living and the dead. All the prophets testify of him that through his name all who believe in him should receive forgiveness of sins »(Acts 10: 42-43).
So we preach about salvation, grace, and Jesus Christ. Yes certainly! It is the greatest blessing we have ever received. The truth of our salvation is exciting, and we want to share it with our fellow human beings so that they too can enjoy the same blessings! When the church was persecuted for preaching the message of Jesus, they prayed for boldness so that they could preach even more! “When they had prayed, the place where they were gathered trembled; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness ... with great power the apostles testified to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was with them all »(Acts of the Apostles 4,31.33). The Holy Spirit was given to them so that they could preach Christ.

For every Christian

The Spirit was not given just to the apostles or to the newly established church as a whole. The Holy Spirit is given to every Christian who believes in Jesus. Each of us should be a living testimony to Jesus Christ because our hope in Christ is well founded, for each of us has the opportunity to give an encouraging answer to our hope. After Stephen was stoned for preaching about Jesus Christ, a great persecution came with an even greater impact on the early church. All but the apostles fled Jerusalem (Acts of the Apostles 8,1). Everywhere they went they spoke the word and "preached the gospel of the Lord Jesus" (Acts of the Apostles 11,19-20).

Luke paints a picture of many Christian men and women who fled Jerusalem because of their belief in Jesus Christ. They could not be silenced, even if their lives were threatened! It didn't matter whether they were elders or lay people - each of them bore their testimony of Jesus Christ. As they were roaming around, they were asked why they left Jerusalem. No doubt they told everyone who asked.

That is the fruit of the Holy Spirit; this is the spiritual harvest that was kindled by Pentecost. These people were ready to give an answer! It was an exciting time and the same enthusiasm should reign in the church today. The same Holy Spirit led the disciples then and the same Spirit leads the church today. You can ask for the same boldness to be a witness of Jesus Christ!

by Joseph Tkach