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Hello my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
In America, this is an important weekend, leading to Memorial Day Monday, the day of remembrance for the hundreds of thousands of American military who have died fighting for the freedom of people around the world over the years. Historically they have been called “gold star families” and particularly during WWII a gold star was hung in the window of any home which had lost a family member in battle, so neighbors and friends would be reminded of the ultimate sacrifice paid by that family. We salute you today if you are the member of a ‘gold star family’.
Yesterday we looked at Acts 1:12-26 which explained to us what those friends and family of Jesus did after He left them and ascended back to heaven. Have you ever considered that in some ways, Mary and her other children were the ultimate ‘gold star family’, since Jesus had paid the price of sacrificing Himself so EVERY human being could have freedom from their sin condemnation, the ultimate bondage?
This weekend, let’s look closely at one of the most amazing moments in human history. It’s recorded for us in Acts 2:1-4. There’s a 10 day gap between Acts 1:9 and 2:1. During those 10 days Jerusalem filled to overflowing with hundreds of thousands of Jewish pilgrims from all over the middle east, north Africa and central Asia. Look closely at vs. 6-10 and you’ll see some of the languages and ethnic nationalities of those pilgrims. The “Feast of Weeks”, of which Pentecost was the high-point, was one of three major annual festivals for the gathering of Jews, from around the world, in Jerusalem.
May I give you some perspective of the significance of this? Way back in the days of Moses and Joshua, God knew His people were going to multiply and become very numerous. They would spread out all across the land that He’d given to Abraham, much of which is known today as Israel. But they would go beyond those borders, eventually all over the world. As a means of helping these people retain their identity and unity, as a distinct people of God, God established several annual festivals which all Jews, anywhere in the world, would celebrate on specific dates on the calendar.
These celebrations each have their own specific focus and all of them have one general purpose… to draw the Jewish people to celebrate their uniqueness as a people of God, and worship Him in profound gratitude for all that He has done for them through their history. Deuteronomy 16 and Leviticus 23 give details of these festivals and proclaim that, if possible, Jews should come TO Jerusalem for these festivals, and include “sacred assembly’s” as they worship the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Jehovah God, together as His grateful people.
Jesus often went to Jerusalem for these festivals, as did His followers. But please see this my friends: God is the greatest strategist of all time. Time is very significance for God. The Passover festival of course, was the festival in which the Jewish people celebrated their ancestors’ escape from Egyptian slavery bondage, as Moses recorded in Exodus 12-14. Books have been written, movies made of this remarkable miracle of more than 1 million slaves fleeing Egypt, with Moses leading them. But please notice God’s perfect timing… it was that Passover weekend that Jesus was crucified and became the “Passover Lamb” for the rescue of ALL peoples from our inescapable sin slavery!
Sunday, the day after the Sabbath of Passover weekend, was a special day of celebrating ‘firstfruits’ each year. The Jewish pilgrims thanked God for new life seen in the first sprigs of the spring harvest, and a ‘sheaf’ of new grain was to be waved before the LORD in great thanksgiving, that HE is the giver and sustainer of ALL life. (Leviticus 23:9-16) But for the strategic, time sensitive God, this special day was also a celebration of the great day their Jewish ancestors had arrived in the Promised Land with Joshua, at God’s perfect timing, just as harvest was beginning, and they would no longer need to depend on a daily Manna delivery from heaven, which had sustained them for 40 years in the desert! Please take a moment and read these few verses of that spectacular, historic event: Joshua 3:14-16 & 5:10-12!
Now don’t miss this, my friends. . .the Sunday after Passover weekend was RESURRECTION Sunday for Jesus! Do you see the strategic timing of God’s plan? The power of the resurrected Jesus, is our hope for a New Life in Jesus Christ, set free from our sin condemnation, and living each day in full reliance upon a resurrected Jesus! Does this sound familiar: “Therefore if anyone is IN Christ, they are a new creation, the old has gone and the new has come. All this is from God…” (2 Cor. 5:17,18)
The waving of this ‘sheaf’ of new grain was a great celebration that GOD had brought new life from the dead seeds which had been planted! Can you see the symbolism of Jesus rising from the dead on the very same day when Jews were in the Temple area celebrating the “Feast of Firstfruits”, and waving their sprigs of new harvest in thanks to God? Isn’t God’s perfect timing amazing, even though that first “firstfruits” celebration in the new land and Resurrection “firstfruits” Sunday are almost 1450 years apart!! Now think about that friends! Isn’t God amazing in His attention to details?
50 days after this powerful Passover weekend of both festivals of Passover and Firstfruits, came another very important Jewish festival…the several day Feast of Weeks. (Lev. 23:15-21 & Deut. 16:9-12) This festival was a celebration of the bounty of God’s provided harvest. It would perhaps be similar to our “Thanksgiving” festival. The highlight of this festival was to be exactly 50 days after the waving of the first ‘sheaf’ of new grain, following Passover. This special day was called “Pentecost”!!
In my study, I’ve just discovered something. I’ve included a link to a detailed article which explains that this great celebration (Pentecost) called “SHAVUOT” was also memorializing the gathering of the Exodus Hebrew slaves at Mount Sinai, when God FIRST met with them, in a great display of God’s power seen in an earthquake, a volcano like fire & smoke on the mountain, and the actual voice of God heard by the more than 1 million escaping Hebrew slaves as God proclaimed His 10 Commandments audibly to them. (Exodus 19.20) https://www.
Now keep that in mind as we today read the powerful description of what happened in Jerusalem on Pentecost, “Shavuot” 10 days after Jesus ascended back to heaven, and remember that the first “Shavuot” at Mount Sinai was almost 1600 years before!! Luke records it this way in Acts 2:1-4. “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…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 empowered them.”
Now friends, all of these were Jewish people, who knew the story of Moses and their ancestors very well. On this Pentecost day, they were planning to thank God for His great power displayed to His people at Sinai, as recorded in Exodus 19&20, by the shaking, on fire mountain, and God’s loud voice proclaiming His Holy Commandments, which would become the major principles of life for His people. Do you see the perfect, strategic timing of God again? In a very powerful way, God the Father sent the Holy Spirit of God upon those who had believed in and followed Jesus Christ as their Messiah, just as Jesus had promised (Acts 1:4-8). And God did it in very similar fashion to what He had when He came to His people in power at Mount Sinai!
I’d like to stop right there today, and urge us all to ponder these questions this weekend:
1. Are you a member of God’s ‘gold star family’? Jesus, the Son of God’ paid the ultimate sacrifice with His life as he paid the full price for your freedom from sin. Have you trusted in Jesus and has God brought you into His “gold star family”? If so, how will you celebrate Jesus this weekend! If not, why not join the family this weekend?
2. Are you celebrating your new life in Christ and do you regularly thank Jesus for the dramatic difference He is making in your life as HE supplies you with new life every day? What will your thankful celebration be like this weekend?
3. Have you experienced the powerful work of God in your life as He has placed His Holy Spirit in you? Is the Holy Spirit alive and vibrant in your life guiding you, empowering you to live your life for the glory and honor of God, walking your life path in lock step with Jesus, your Savior and your King?
Oh I urge you to spend some special spiritual time this weekend with Jesus!! Maybe write me and tell me how these truths are wonderfully at work in your life, I’d love to hear from you!
Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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