Pentecost – Acts 1-2 ~ 20240519 ~ Pastor Rodney Zedicher ~ Ephraim Church of the Bible ~ www.ephraimbible.org
04/19 Shavuot (Pentecost); Audio available at: http://www.ephraimbible.org/Sermons/20240519_pentecost.mp3
He is Risen! (He is Risen indeed!) Y’all look a little confused. Do you know what day it is? Today is Shavuot (which means weeks). Do you remember back to resurrection Sunday? Seem like a long time ago? That was a week of weeks or seven weeks ago. Leviticus 23 lays out the feasts of Israel, starting with Passover (which we now celebrate as Good Friday, and then Firstfruits, which was the day after the Sabbath, the Sunday following Passover (Jesus was the firstfruits of the resurrection). Leviticus 23 goes on to describe Shavuot
Leviticus 23:15 “You shall count seven full weeks from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering. 16 You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath. Then you shall present a grain offering of new grain to the LORD. 17 You shall bring from your dwelling places two loaves of bread to be waved, made of two tenths of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour, and they shall be baked with leaven, as firstfruits to the LORD. ...
Seven sevens after Sunday firstfruits of barley was another Sunday presentation of firstfruits, this time the first of the wheat harvest. Why does this matter?
Jesus’ 40 Days of Appearing
Luke begins his Acts of the Apostles this way:
Acts 1:1 In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3 He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.
Think back to resurrection Sunday. Think about what you did that day. Think about any conversations you might have had. Think about how many conversations you have had since. Jesus appeared to his disciples during the forty days following his resurrection. ‘He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs’. The resurrected Jesus spent time with his disciples before he ascended to the right hand of his Father.
Acts 1:9 describes ascension Thursday, 40 days after Jesus’ resurrection:
Acts 1:9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
Pentecost Fully Fulfilled
Jesus ascended to the right hand of his Father, having finished the work he sent him to do. Ten days later, Acts 2 reads:
Acts 2:1 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place.
Pentecost is the Greek name for the Hebrew holy day Shavuot; it means ‘fifty’ because it is the fiftieth day after Resurrection Sunday, or the Firstfruits that fell within Passover week.
Luke uses an interesting word that is translated ‘arrived’; the KJV translates it ‘when the day of Pentecost was fully come.’ Young’s Literal Translation reads ‘the day of the Pentecost being fulfilled’. This word filled or fulfilled means ‘to fully fill, to fill completely, to accomplish’, or ‘to complete’. Only Luke uses this word; it is found here and in two places in his gospel, once in Luke 8:23 of the boat being fully filled, and again in 9:51 he speaks of the days being fulfilled for Jesus to be taken up, as he set his face to go to Jerusalem. Earlier in Luke 9, on the Transfiguration mount, Jesus spoke with Moses and Elijah about his Exodus he was about to fulfill at Jerusalem. At the end of Luke’s gospel, Jesus:
Luke 24:44 Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”
15 times Matthew says something like
Matthew 1:22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:
Jesus said:
Matthew 5:17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.
Luke is pointing us to the fact that the feasts of Israel were prophetic, pointing to Jesus, and that they were fulfilled in Jesus. ‘Christ our Passover Lamb has been sacrificed’ (1Cor.5:7). Christ the firstfruits of the resurrection (1Cor.15:20, 23). When the day of Pentecost was fully fulfilled…
Pentecost and Sinai
So what was Shavuot or Pentecost, and in what way was it fulfilled? Jews throughout much of history connect Shavuot with God’s giving the Law at Sinai after the Exodus. They calculate 50 days from Firstfruits after the original Passover event to Moses receiving the law, God’s covenant contract with his people.
Exodus 19:16 On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. 17 Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. 18 Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the LORD had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly. 19 And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder. 20 The LORD came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. And the LORD called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.
Moses received the covenant documents outlining the conditions of the relationship, as well as detailed instructions on the construction of the Tabernacle, God’s tent where he would dwell in the middle of his people. God appeared on Mount Sinai in fire. When the Tabernacle (and later the Temple) was completed, God’s glory cloud descended and filled the tabernacle and rested on it in fire (Num.9:15-16). The fire was an indication of God’s presence there.
Pentecost and the Spirit
Keep this in mind as we jump back to Acts. In Acts 1, Jesus
Acts 1:4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
John had said:
Luke 3:16 John answered them all, saying, “I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
The disciples seem most interested in Israel and the coming kingdom.
Acts 1:6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”
But God’s purpose for Israel was that they would be his witnesses, a light to the nations (Is.43:10; 49:6).
Acts 1:7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Jesus commissions his disciples to be his witnesses, a light to the nations, to bring his message of salvation to the ends of the earth. But wait. Wait for the promise of the Father. Wait for the promised Holy Spirit. Wait to receive enabling power from the Holy Spirit.
Acts 2:1 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Tongues of fire divided and rested on each of them. Acts 1 lists the 11 Apostles, but it also mentions the women and Mary and Jesus’ brothers. We are not told if the fire rested only on the Apostles, or on the entire group of about 120. Either way, do you see what is happening here? Jesus has inaugurated the New Covenant in his blood (Lk.22:20); he has created a New Covenant people, and he has put his Holy Spirit in them. The fire that indicated God’s presence on Mount Sinai, and on the Tabernacle and Temple now divides and rests on individual believers.
In 1 Corinthians 3 Paul switches from an agricultural (seed planting) metaphor to a construction metaphor.
1 Corinthians 3:9 For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building. 10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
He says that we are God’s building and he warns us to take care how we build because our work will be revealed by fire. Then he says:
1 Corinthians 3:16 Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.
You all are God’s temple. We may not see visible tongues of fire, but now believers in Jesus are a dwelling place for God by the Spirit (Eph.2:20-22). God has created a New Covenant community, the church, no longer under the old covenant law which cannot change the heart, but now empowered by the Holy Spirit who transforms believers from the inside out.
Multi-Ethnic Community
Because Pentecost was one of the three pilgrim feasts where attendance in Jerusalem was required, Jews from everywhere were gathered.
Acts 2:5 Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. 7 And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? 9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, 11 both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” 12 And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?”
Where God scattered man in rebellion against him at Babel, confusing their languages, here he brings people of diverse languages and cultures together supernaturally to hear the good news.
Peter proclaimed the good news:
Acts 2:22 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— 23 this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. 24 God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. ... 32 This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. 33 Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. ... 36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
Peter exhorted them to turn and believe, receive forgiveness and be baptized.
Acts 2:41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
The rest of the book of Acts follows the outline Jesus gave when he commissioned his disciples to make disciples of every nation; in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. The gospel crossed ethnic and cultural barriers, and brought Jew and Gentile together into one body.
Jesus’ promise ‘I will build my church’ (Mt.16:18) began at Pentecost. It is still going on today.
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2024.05.19 Sermon Notes
Shavuot / Pentecost
Jesus appeared and taught his disciples for 40 days after his resurrection
Acts 1:3, 9-11
The day of Pentecost being fulfilled
Leviticus 23:15-17; Acts 2:1; Luke 8:23; 9:51, 31
Luke 24:44; Matthew 1:22; 5:17-18
Christ our Passover lamb has been sacrificed
1 Corinthians 5:7
Christ the firstfruits
1 Corinthians 15:20, 23
Pentecost and Sinai
Exodus 19:16-20; Numbers 9:15-16
Pentecost and the Holy Spirit
Acts 1:4-8; Luke 3:16; Acts 2:1-4
-A new covenant in his blood
Luke 22:20
-You are God’s temple
1 Corinthians 3:9-11, 16-17; Ephesians 2:20-22
-A multi-ethnic community
Acts 2:5-12, 22-24, 32-36, 41; Matthew 28:19
I will build my church
Acts 1:8; Matthew 16:18
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Pastor Rodney Zedicher ~ Ephraim Church of the Bible ~ www.ephraimbible.org