Some Christians acknowledge Easter as a single day with lasting significance. Others celebrate Easter as a whole season. Some Christians “mark” the day Christ ascended into heaven (Ascension Thursday). For others, it is one day indistinguishable from another. Luke’s description (Acts 1) of the event (40 days after Easter) includes a repetition of Jesus’ explanation that the disciples won’t know when God will establish the kingdom for which they yearn. Luke also repeats Christ’s promise that the disciples will be clothed with power from on high (Luke 24:49) - in a matter of days. In accordance with Christ’s instructions, the disciples, both men and women, wait in Jerusalem for this gift of the Holy Spirit, which arrives on Pentecost.

Originally, Passover coincided with the beginning of the barley harvest, and Pentecost, “a week of weeks after the morrow” of Passover (50 days after Passover), was set aside as a thanksgiving for the wheat harvest. As time passed, Pentecost became a celebration of God’s gift of the Torah to Moses, a commemoration of Moses’ having received, on behalf of the Israelites, God’s law, God’s “love letter,” and God’s commission - God’s “power of attorney,” so to speak. Even today, every Jew is thus commissioned to represent God’s interests (God’s will) on earth - an awesome responsibility!

Our Christian Pentecost (50 days after Easter) expands this commission to include the power of the Holy Spirit. The apostles were given the ability to speak EFFECTIVELY to the hearts and minds of many individuals, from many nations, who had gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate the Jewish Pentecost. The apostles were empowered to present - and even represent - Christ in such a way that 3,000 persons were brought to conversion!

May we be so empowered - probably NOT to convert thousands, but to exercise a faith and a hope that the Holy Spirit will use our words and our actions in ways that surprise us and delight our heavenly Father. “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done - on earth, as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). May we participate in that holy process, and may we find comfort and encouragement in Jesus’ promise that “your Father has chosen GLADLY to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32).