Pentecost - What Does This Mean? (VIDEO)

Pentecost is all about the coming of the Holy Spirit.  This raised a lot of questions for those who saw and heard what the Spirit was doing.  First of all, there were the “tongues of fire,” which were a visible representation of the presence of the Spirit on the disciples.  And then the Spirit caused them to “speak in other tongues.”

With repetition of the word “tongues,” it’s understandable why some people might mistakenly think that the disciples were exercising the spiritual gift of “speaking in tongues.”  But that’s not the case.  The disciples were speaking real languages.  Luke explicitly says, “each one heard them speaking in his or her own language.”

Those who heard the disciples speaking, explained that “we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!”  The standout thing here is not so much the phenomena of the disciples speaking in other languages, but more about what they were saying in these different languages – the message they were sharing.

What was the Holy Spirit’s intention here?  To put on a good show?  Well, it certainly got people’s attention.  But that’s only a means to an end.  The goal here is for people to hear the Good News about Jesus.  To proclaim the greatest miracle of all: the resurrection of Christ and his victory over sin and death!

Finally, what does Pentecost mean for us here at Good Shepherd?  It means that the Holy Spirit is continuing to pour his power over our lives so we ourselves can believe in Jesus and then share that message with others; The Spirit is continuing to renew our hearts and change our lives so that we become more like Jesus and share his love with those around us; and the Spirit is filling us with peace and hope, so that we can persevere during this time of vacancy with determination and confidence.  The Holy Spirit is continuing to do what he’s always doing: drawing people into God’s Kingdom and growing God’s people in faith and love.

Pastor Richard Haar