Acts 2:5-13Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. 7 And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? 9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, 11 both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” 12 And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13 But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”
What’s going on here?!? I’ve said that more than a few times as our sons were growing up. They’d be fighting, making or causing a ruckus of one kind or another. And I wanted an answer. Actually I wanted more than an answer. I wanted the comotion to cease and things to return to peace and calm. Indeed, how un-good and unpleasant it is when brothers don’t dwell together in harmony (apologies to David, Psalm 133).
In the eyes of the onlookers on the occasion of Pentecost Sunday 33AD, these goings on were quite an eruption of impropriety and chaos. This was the end of the Old Testament Feast of Weeks celebration. As a result there would be five or six times the normal population of Jerusalem present in the city. That was certainly enough chaos to begin with. Now you have this rushing wind and a rowdy gang of religious outsiders is speaking in languages previously unknown to them! What’s going on here? Where did this gale-force wind come from?!?
I’m sure the Jewish leaders were thinking, this is our feast. This isn’t how we celebrate the Feast of Weeks and the fulfillment of Pentecost. [see note below for a fuller explanation of the Old Testament Feast of Pentecost celebration.] We Christians can easily understand this today as well. What if some Sunday morning such an event would take place? I’d certainly want to know what is happening! I’d be skeptical. I’d be anxious and feel insecure. After all, I am (or was!) in charge. I’m supposed to lead these people! I need to get this back on track.
Something a bit similar did happen in a church I was serving years ago. The children of our church’s Child’s Day Out program sang at our Thanksgiving Eve service. When their song was over utter chaos broke out in the service. I mean, utter chaos. People applauded (nothing different about that). But then parents stood up and were calling out loud for their child. A full-blown ruckus broke out. I remember standing in the front of the congregation and wondering, How am I ever going to get things back under control! It was not the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. But I believe it was from God. He was awakening us to the importance and value parents place on their children. We had a sacred trust in caring for them.
Keeping our hearts and habits open to the fresh wind of the Holy Spirit is a must if we are to follow Jesus. It may mean some very different things happen around and in us. But I’ll quote the Jesus character in the incredibly impactful series The Chosen. When one of the disciples says, “This is different.” The Jesus character says, “Get used to different.” Amen.
Come, Holy Spirit, enlighten the hearts of your people, and guide our paths to follow Jesus!
Pentecost: The Feast in Light of the Old Testament, Part 1 by Canadian Reformed Seminary Professor Emeritus, Cornelis Van Dam:
The Feast of Pentecost did not exist in isolation on Israel’s calendar of special days. It was closely linked to, and dated from, celebrations connected with the Passover. The Passover feast was celebrated at twilight in the evening of the fourteenth day of the first month (Lev 23:5). It was followed on the fifteenth day by the beginning of the closely related seven-day Feast of Unleavened Bread (Lev 23:6). On the next day, the sixteenth, the first fruits of the (barley) harvest had to be brought to the Lord (Lev 23:11, cf. vv. 6-7). Seven weeks and one day later, the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost) was celebrated, during which, among other things, offerings from the grain (wheat) harvest and two loaves of bread had to be brought to God (Exod 34:22; Lev 23:15- 17).
David Bahn - Reflections 
Leave a comment