When most people think of Pentecost, they think of the second chapter in the book of Acts when followers of Jesus were gathered in an upper room. The Holy Spirit showed up as a mighty rushing wind, the flames of fire appeared over the heads of those in that room, and they began to speak in languages they never learned.
Pentecost had its roots in an Old Testament feast day called Feast of Weeks. The word Pentecost comes from a Greek word that means "fifty," and Pentecost takes place fifty days after the holiday prior to it, Passover. When the Lord initially instituted this feast, it was connected to harvest festivals, which had the focus of expressing gratitude to God for delivering the Israelites out of Egypt and giving them their own land, according to Jews for Jesus. There are many ways modern Christians can still find meaning in Pentecost today -- here are 4 of them.
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1. A Time to Remember Our Story
1. A Time to Remember Our Story
Pentecost can be looked at as a time of remembering because when originally given, it was intended to be a reminder to the Jews of the miracles that took place along the journey to receiving their own land. So modern-day Christians can look at Pentecost as a way of remembering the journey on which the Holy Spirit led them when they came to know Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. Some Christians have very dramatic stories about how they came to recognize Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior, and for others, it was more of a quiet wooing or drawing of the Holy Spirit that led them to that moment. No matter how a person comes to know that Salvation is by grace through faith and not by works (Ephesians 2:8-9), it's always a miracle. And all of heaven rejoices over each miracle of salvation (Luke 15:10).
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2. A Time to Remember God's Directives
2. A Time to Remember God's Directives
Pentecost is also tied into Exodus 19:16-21. There is an amazing visual there that sounds really familiar to the scripture in Acts. In a nutshell, there was thunder, lightning, a loud trumpet blast, and fire, and the mountain trembled because the presence of God was resting on it. The visuals are similar to what happened in the upper room. Then, in Exodus 20:1-17 God laid out the law. Jesus summarized the law in Matthew 22:34 – 40 when a lawyer asked him, Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?"
Jesus' response was, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."
The law helps us to understand that we're imperfect. Since no one can keep it perfectly, we're all sinners. None of us are righteous on our own, nor are we justified by our own good deeds (Romans 3:1-26). Therefore, the law is a tool that God can use to help us realize that we need Jesus to be our personal Lord and Savior (See also Voice of Judah Israel for additional details on the giving of the law and the Jewish Pentecost).
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3. A Time to Remember the Significance of the Resurrection of Jesus
3. A Time to Remember the Significance of the Resurrection of Jesus
Many people connect the idea of the Resurrection with Easter or Passover, but the reason it's also significant in connection to Pentecost is that Jesus' resurrection from the dead is also symbolic of a Jewish feast day called "Feast of First Fruits" (Leviticus 23:9-11). His resurrection is symbolic of the promise that one day, Christ our Redeemer will return, and there will be a great resurrection of those who have passed away and a great catching away of those of us who are still alive.
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4. A Time to Remember that This Life Is Temporary
4. A Time to Remember that This Life Is Temporary
In the everyday grind of work, family responsibilities, paying the bills, and maybe trying to figure out how to save for future needs, it can be easy to lose sight of the fact that this life is temporary. We're not taking any of the physical things we earn in this life with us when we die. There is another life we'll be stepping into once this one ends, whether we die or we're super blessed with the privilege to still be alive for the second coming of Christ. Remembering this and maybe imagining what we'd like to be "caught" doing when Christ suddenly arrives should bring us a joy that's way beyond any other joy we can ever possibly experience.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 tells us to comfort one another by remembering that Christ will return one day. Verses 15-18 go on to note, "For this, we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus, we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore, comfort one another with these words."
While no one knows the time or day of Christ's return (Matthew 24:36), Jesus did give us some signs to watch, which are stated throughout most of the 24th chapter of Matthew and the 21st chapter of Luke. In fact, Luke 21:28 also gives us these encouraging words: "Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near."
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Originally published May 27, 2025.
