Acts 2:1, 4
Pentecost is the complement of Calvary
Without Pentecost, Calvary would have been ineffective to redeem a last world.
The Jewish feast of Pentecost was dependent on the Passover. It was held fifty days after that event.
Had there been no Passover, there could have been no Pentecost.
It follows then that had there been no Calvary, then could have been no Day of Pentecost.
Calvary opened the fountain from which all the blessings of Pentecost flowed.
The feast of Pentecost heralded the beginning of harvest, the two wave loaves were waved before the Lord.
On the Day of Pentecost, the beginning of the Gospel harvest were garnered, when 3,000 souls were presented to the Head of the Church.
Augustine designated the Day of Pentecost as the … of the Holy Spirit.
This concept is in harmony with Scripture.
1. In the opening of human history the Father came down to earth for the purpose of man’s creation.
2. Several millenniums later there was another Visitor from glory – the Lord Jesus, God’s Son. He came to accomplish redemption.
3. On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came to earth to achieve man’s regeneration.
The Advent. Acts 2:1-6
The sound of a mighty wind.
Cloven tongue like as fire
Miraculous tongues
There was no doubt that He had come
There was no doubt that He had fallen upon the 120 praying disciples. By a mighty baptism He had formed them into one united body.
Were those believers excited – of course they were. They were so excited that the world thought that they were under the influence of new wine.
The meaning:
“And they were all amazed and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?”
The first meaning was that it was God’s seal on the Messiahship of Jesus. It was God’s vindication of Christ to the Jews and was a fatal blow to them.
Secondly, it was the formation of the Church into a living organism.
There were doubtless believers before Pentecost but it was not till then that they became an organic entity.
The Church was thus formed spontaneously and without human organization.
Thirdly, Pentecost meant the possession of a new power by the disciples, given them for the discharging of their new responsibilities.