This Sunday is Pentecost. It is on this day that the Church remembers the striking events of that first century Pentecost when the Spirit came upon the apostles. Something dramatic was happening. But what was it? Here’s one answer to that question that is common enough. This is the birthday of the Church. However, a closer look will show that that actually doesn’t work. That isn’t what is going on.
So, why do I say that? Well, the first thing to do is to be clear on what our words mean. Agreed upon definitions are always important. So, what is the Church? A common enough definition might go something like this. ‘The Church is that group of people who believe in Jesus.’ So, it’s obvious, if you define ‘Church’ in that way, that Pentecost has to be the beginning of the Church since people didn’t believe in Jesus before. How could they? He hadn’t come yet.
So, what’s wrong with that? Well, consider this question. What about those saints who lived before Jesus showed up? I’m thinking about people like Abraham, Moses, David, you know, Old Testament saints. If they didn’t believe in Jesus, then they are now in hell, right?
So, why do I say that? Well, the first thing to do is to be clear on what our words mean. Agreed upon definitions are always important. So, what is the Church? A common enough definition might go something like this. ‘The Church is that group of people who believe in Jesus.’ So, it’s obvious, if you define ‘Church’ in that way, that Pentecost has to be the beginning of the Church since people didn’t believe in Jesus before. How could they? He hadn’t come yet.
So, what’s wrong with that? Well, consider this question. What about those saints who lived before Jesus showed up? I’m thinking about people like Abraham, Moses, David, you know, Old Testament saints. If they didn’t believe in Jesus, then they are now in hell, right?
Well, that can’t be right. Listen to Paul.
What does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” Romans 4:3
Abraham is presented as the model of someone who believes and is saved. But how can that happen? Only those who believe in Jesus are saved.
Listen again to Paul.
Listen again to Paul.
And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” Galatians 3:8
Well, Abraham believed the Gospel that was preached to him and was saved as a result.
Now, obviously, the Gospel preached to and believed by Abraham and the other saints of those times didn’t say, ‘Jesus died on the Cross for your sins’. But it had enough about sin and forgiveness through another that it was the true Gospel that saves those who believe it. Here, think about how the Gospel of Jesus is pictured in all those sacrifices at the tabernacle and later at the Temple. There were those who believed the Gospel as it was portrayed there. And they were saved. We’ll see them in heaven.
So, when did the Church begin? The obvious answer is that the Church began when people started to believe the Gospel as it was presented to them. That would mean that the first members were Adam and Eve right after that first terrible sin. That’s when God promised them that a savior would come to destroy the enemy who caused all this sin and then, make things right.
Listen to what God said to the serpent, Satan’s stand in, with Adam and Eve right there listening.
Now, obviously, the Gospel preached to and believed by Abraham and the other saints of those times didn’t say, ‘Jesus died on the Cross for your sins’. But it had enough about sin and forgiveness through another that it was the true Gospel that saves those who believe it. Here, think about how the Gospel of Jesus is pictured in all those sacrifices at the tabernacle and later at the Temple. There were those who believed the Gospel as it was portrayed there. And they were saved. We’ll see them in heaven.
So, when did the Church begin? The obvious answer is that the Church began when people started to believe the Gospel as it was presented to them. That would mean that the first members were Adam and Eve right after that first terrible sin. That’s when God promised them that a savior would come to destroy the enemy who caused all this sin and then, make things right.
Listen to what God said to the serpent, Satan’s stand in, with Adam and Eve right there listening.
I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” Genesis 3:15
Boil it down and that’s a promise about the rescue of humanity. It’s the seed of the woman fighting the seed of the serpent, a persistent theme in the Bible. So, it’s Abel against Cain, Noah against the wicked people of his age, David against Goliath; the seed of the woman against the seed of the serpent. Those were skirmishes that led up to the climactic battle, Jesus against Satan. Adam and Eve believed that promise which looked forward to what Jesus would do. And as a result, they were saved and became the first members of Jesus’ Church.
So, Pentecost was not the beginning of the Church.
That leaves a rather large question. What’s the big deal about Pentecost if it’s not the beginning of the Church? Here’s another popular answer. It’s the time when the Spirit finally shows up.
Well, as I think you can guess, I’m not going to go with that answer either. And just a quick look into what was going on in the centuries before Jesus showed up shows why I say that. Wasn’t the Spirit pretty busy in those days also? Didn’t He speak through prophets, empower kings of Israel and write the first part of the Bible? And what about Zechariah and Elizabeth. Weren’t they ‘filled with the Spirit’ as they spoke when their son, John, was about to be born? And that’s not all. The Spirit came upon Mary so that she would be pregnant with Jesus. And Simeon was ‘in the Spirit’ when sees the baby Jesus and says profound things. I think that it’s safe to say that the Spirit was pretty busy before Pentecost.
So, what’s so special about Pentecost? The Spirit was, in fact, doing something very important. What was it? The Spirit acted in the way that He did because the Church was beginning a new chapter. Before this, the Church was pretty limited. The people of God were almost exclusively Israelites. No Gentiles. And you didn't have any commands about evangelism so that the Gentiles could hear the Gospel and believe. But on Pentecost that all changes. Now, the Church is not only commissioned by Jesus but also equipped by the Spirit to take the Gospel to the (Gentile) nations. And as you work through the book of Acts (and down to our own day) you see the Church obeying, in powerful ways, that commission, with many believing. So, Pentecost really was a big deal.
And here’s one little tidbit that makes this really important to almost all of you. If the Spirit had not come on Pentecost, then the Gospel would have stayed an exclusively Jewish treasure. And what would happen to all of you Gentiles? So, that, by itself, is enough reason for you to celebrate Pentecost.
So, Pentecost was not the beginning of the Church.
That leaves a rather large question. What’s the big deal about Pentecost if it’s not the beginning of the Church? Here’s another popular answer. It’s the time when the Spirit finally shows up.
Well, as I think you can guess, I’m not going to go with that answer either. And just a quick look into what was going on in the centuries before Jesus showed up shows why I say that. Wasn’t the Spirit pretty busy in those days also? Didn’t He speak through prophets, empower kings of Israel and write the first part of the Bible? And what about Zechariah and Elizabeth. Weren’t they ‘filled with the Spirit’ as they spoke when their son, John, was about to be born? And that’s not all. The Spirit came upon Mary so that she would be pregnant with Jesus. And Simeon was ‘in the Spirit’ when sees the baby Jesus and says profound things. I think that it’s safe to say that the Spirit was pretty busy before Pentecost.
So, what’s so special about Pentecost? The Spirit was, in fact, doing something very important. What was it? The Spirit acted in the way that He did because the Church was beginning a new chapter. Before this, the Church was pretty limited. The people of God were almost exclusively Israelites. No Gentiles. And you didn't have any commands about evangelism so that the Gentiles could hear the Gospel and believe. But on Pentecost that all changes. Now, the Church is not only commissioned by Jesus but also equipped by the Spirit to take the Gospel to the (Gentile) nations. And as you work through the book of Acts (and down to our own day) you see the Church obeying, in powerful ways, that commission, with many believing. So, Pentecost really was a big deal.
And here’s one little tidbit that makes this really important to almost all of you. If the Spirit had not come on Pentecost, then the Gospel would have stayed an exclusively Jewish treasure. And what would happen to all of you Gentiles? So, that, by itself, is enough reason for you to celebrate Pentecost.
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