ACTS 2:1-13 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”
Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”
Let’s excavate!
1. They were already gathered for Pentecost …at Pentecost?
Every year, Jews would gather in Jerusalem for a celebration of Pentecost (Hebrew name: Shavuot) – a festival which remembered the giving of the Torah on Sinai.
This year probably felt wild. Only 10 days ago, Jesus had ascended, promising a Helper. 30 days before that, they had gathered for a big Passover feast, stayed up past midnight, and then Jesus was arrested and THEN He was crucified (horrific!) and they wrestled with total devastation and on top of that thought His grave got robbed but then He showed up in the middle of a locked room and then He disappeared again and kept appearing in different places and oh man I can only imagine that His disciples were processing a LOT.
Let’s back it up even more to build some context about what they were gathered for in Acts 2…
A quick history recap:
| Exodus 19:4 | GOD rescues the Israelites from Egypt & at this point in the story, has sustained them in the wilderness for 40+ days. |
| Exodus 19:3-6 | GOD proposes to Israel and the mixed multitude who had left Egypt with them |
| Exodus 19:8 | Israel responds with faith enough in this God who has worked miracles before their eyes to say yes no matter what the terms are |
| Exodus 20+ | Covenant established with the giving of the 10 commandments and the law |
2. Tongues of fire!
“And all the people saw the voices and the torches…”
– Exodus 20:18 [literal Hebrew rendering]
This is the coolest thing. Most English translations smooth this out to “heard the thunder and saw the lightning,” but the Hebrew literally says they “saw the voices” (or “sounds”). Jewish children grew up hearing this story explained as the voice of God becoming visible as a flame as each commandment was given, going around to each person present at Sinai. While this is a midrash (creative interpretation) that may not be perfectly outlined in Scripture, what’s worth noting is that all the people present at Pentecost would have heard this retelling over and over, because they were Jewish.
So when tongues of fire actually appeared? Mind BLOWN.
“Is not my word like fire,” declares the Lord, “and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?
– Jeremiah 23:29
3. The curse of Babel is reversed
That is why it was called Babel—because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth.
– Genesis 11:9
At Babel, languages were given to confuse and scatter the nations. But at Pentecost (I guess really even before, with the Great Commission), we have God reversing that divide and reinforcing the commissioning of His people to go to all nations and bring all people back to the worship of Him, the one true God.
What had been divided, He restores.
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
– Matthew 28:19-20
4. God didn’t start a church. He calls people & keeps His promises.
You’ve heard it: “Pentecost is when the church was born.”
But God doesn’t need a church. And He didn’t establish one. He desires ekklesia: called-out ones.
For those who abandon the world to follow His call, He promises a Helper.
And on the day of Pentecost, that Helper came in dramatic, unmistakable fashion.
But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.
– John 14:15-21
“If you love Me, keep My commands. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.”
– John 16:7
5. What can this mean?
God is big.
God is GOOD.
God wants to be with us ALL forever.
I have so much to learn.
…God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time.
– I Timothy 2:3-6
Now, about the date…
The date is calculated 50 days from Nisan 16 on the Biblical calendar.
In my mind, it’s pretty simple: If we’re celebrating God’s times, we should use God’s calendar. Church tradition has been divorced from this for a long time, but I sense a returning to the Biblical calendar, and I’m here for it.
Spicy take: Rome was dead wrong to change the calendar.
He shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and shall think to change the times and the law…
– Daniel 7:25
Isn’t it fun that the God of all creation likes parties?
Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.
– Psalm 119:18