Spring Surge: Preparing for Pentecost

4/17/2020

Restoration and Healing

The Feast of Weeks was a Jewish holiday celebrated 7 weeks after Passover. Later this became known as Pentecost (the 50th day after Passover). This was the day that Jesus asked his disciples to wait for the promise of the Father. Jesus prepared his disciples for this day by spending 40 days with them. Jesus prepared them by breathing the Spirit upon them (John 20:21-23), helping them understand the Jewish Bible (Luke 24:44-49), and hanging out with them (Acts 1:2-6). The resurrection happened with or with out the Apostles. Pentecost, however, was a prepared event.

Pentecost 2020 will occur at the end of May. Not only would this have been the time that the Spirit of Jesus was poured out on the Apostles, it is the time that many predict Americans will be given permission to return to work (on a small scale). Small groups will begin to gather, people will slowly connect, and businesses will try to recover.

In the Hebrew Bible God claimed that pouring out the Spirit brought healing, life, and hope to a nation struggling in Babylonian/Persian captivity. A people who were also quarantined, were slowly released to rebuild their city, their faith, and their lives. Seventy years of exile had ended, but the faith would not be the same.

The Jewish nation also felt a different captivity. While this captivity was not geographical, it was social. With Caesar claiming to be Lord and all Jewish currency retaining his image, the people of God once again felt isolated, trapped, and spiritually captive. Yet Jesus came to free these social exiles. On the day of Pentecost the Spirit was once again poured out to show that God welcomes captives and provides relationship, hope, and healing to those under a burden of fear.

What will happen when we emerge this summer? Will the surge focus on businesses, reviving our economy, money, or will it be a time to connect with Jesus?

Join us Monday, April 20, 10am PST as we discuss the Restoration of Pentecost. We want to hear what you are doing, and learn what Jesus is doing in all of us to prepare for June.