The Purpose of Pentecost

Pentecost means “the fiftieth day,” and it occurs fifty days after the Passover. In biblical times, it was a festival when people came each year from all over to Jerusalem bringing with them the first fruits of their wheat harvest as an offering to God in the Temple.

Pentecost is identified as the time when Moses received the Law on Mount Sinai, and Israel became married to God. (Exodus 24:12-18) The first Pentecost was a reflection of the future Day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came, and the church of Lord Jesus Christ was born in Jerusalem. Pentecost is “the birthday of the church.”

In God’s economy, everything has a purpose. Pentecost, too, has a purpose. When Jesus gathered His disciples together before His ascension, He told them, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you…” (Acts 1:8)

The disciples had their own interpretation of what they would do with the power. They were very much interested to know whether Jesus would overthrow the then Roman dominion and establish His earthly kingdom. But as we know that Jesus had clearly explained to Pontius Pilate that His kingdom was not of this world. (John 18:36)

Lord Jesus clearly mentioned that the purpose of Pentecost was so that we would be His witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea, Samaria, and to the end of the earth. (Acts 1:8)

What does it mean to be a witness?

To be a witness is, to tell the truth of what one has seen, heard, and experienced. To be a witness for Jesus is to share the good news about who He is and what He has done as our Savior. The Holy Spirit longs to use us to proclaim the goodness of God’s love to this lost and dying world.

There was a time in my life when I was on the verge of committing suicide. That's when someone shared the gospel of grace with me on the street. I was then invited to a service and that is when my life turned around completely. What if that person had not witnessed to me about the Lord? I shudder to even think about it. This is the true purpose of Pentecost.

The Purpose of Pentecost

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