This Sunday, May 24, 2026, the church celebrates Pentecost. Pentecost is not a new idea. It was celebrated by the Jews 50 days after the Passover. At this time Jews from all nations gathered in Jerusalem for the celebration.
After Jesus’ resurrection he appeared to his followers several times. On the day he ascended we pick up the story in Acts 1:4-8. “And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
It was at that time Jesus ascended into Heaven. They (about 120 of them) then went to Jerusalem to the upper room where they were staying, and they waited. The Bible tells us that they devoted themselves to prayer.
We read in Acts 2:1-4, “When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
A good friend of mine, Dennis Hodulick, put it this way, “On that day, ordinary believers were clothed with heaven’s might. They spoke boldly, lives transformed, the church born in wind and flame. It was never about human effort. It was God’s presence breaking in.”
This was the fulfillment of what Jesus had told them would occur. What we read next in Acts 2:5-13 should excite us. “Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”
That’s when Peter stood up with the eleven and explained what had happened. This was the same Peter who not long before denied even knowing Jesus, but he had been restored by the Lord himself and now was humble but spoke boldly to those gathered. This boldness came from the Holy Spirit who worked mightily through his words. Jesus had promised that they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them and that was evident through Peter as he spoke.
As Peter was reminding them of the crucifixion, we read in Acts 2:37-39, “Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”
That promised Holy Spirit gave Peter the boldness to be Christ’s witness and 3,000 believed in the Lord that day. They were told that they too would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For what purpose? So that they too could be witnesses of the lordship of Christ.
As we watch these things unfold many have felt that they have sinned so much that God could never forgive them let alone use them. But here was Peter forgiven and filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. God promises the same for us. When we repent God will forgive through the blood of Jesus shed on the Cross and will fill us with the Holy Spirit and use us for His Kingdom in powerful ways.
The gift of the Holy Spirit wasn’t just for that moment in time but has been given to the Church of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is as powerful today as He was the day of Pentecost.
If you have put your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, you have the same powerful witness that Peter had that day. You have been called to “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to all creation.” (Mark 16:13)
So what does Pentecost mean today for you?
We see that the Spirit is for everyone who has been called by the Lord and believes and puts their trust in Jesus.
We will have power to witness for Jesus just like He said, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
We see in Acts 2:5-13 as we read earlier that the Holy Spirit unites people from every nation. So as diverse as our cultures may be, we are brought together as one when we believe.
The Holy Spirit allows us to live in expectation of the present and the future. Look at 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 (NIV), “Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.”
When the people of God celebrate Pentecost, they are acknowledging that the Holy Spirit has come, and He is present in each one who believes. He is the one who gives us power to be a witness for Jesus. He is the power who gives us life and the expectation of the future eternity with the Lord. He is the power who unites diverse people who believe in Jesus Christ. He is the power who comforts us. He is the power who flows from us like streams of living water. He is the power who teaches us through the Word of God and reminds us of all that Jesus taught. He is the power who helps us life holy lives for the glory of God.
We should never take the gift of the Holy Spirit lightly.