CSSA 1-5-02 - THE DAY OF PENTECOST

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102. THE DAY OF PENTECOST

"Repent and be baptised everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins"

Aim

To show how the apostles received the power of the Holy Spirit and used this power to teach the Gospel to the visitors who had come to Jerusalem for the feasts.

It was Passover time when Christ was crucified. Fifty days later another feast was held in Jerusalem. This was called Pentecost (meaning 50th in Greek). Jewish visitors from all over the world had come there to keep the feast. The apostles were there too, for the Lord had told them a few days earlier to wait in Jerusalem.

Acts 2

THE OUTPOURING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (vv1-4)

The apostles were all together on the day of the Feast. Suddenly, with a sound like a mighty rushing wind, which filled all the house where they were sitting, there appeared in the room cloven tongues like fire, which rested upon each of them. This was a sign that God had given to them the power of the Holy Spirit. Then the apostles began to speak in other tongues or languages.

WHAT IS THE HOLY SPIRIT?

The word "holy" means "set apart" or "separate" and the "spirit" is God's power. When God gave the Holy Spirit to the apostles He was giving them power which was "set apart" especially to help them preach the Gospel. Which the apostles first received the Holy Spirit they found that they could speak in languages which they had never learned. So they could preach to people of different lands in their own languages. They could also heal the sick, the lame and the blind and even raise the dead. These miracles were a sign to the people that God was with the apostles.

THE APOSTLES SPEAK IN OTHER LANGUAGES (vv 6-13)

Because of the Feast there were Jews from many parts of the world in Jerusalem. News of what had happened spread quickly and soon a great crowd came together. They were absolutely amazed when they realised that each one of them could hear and understand what the apostles said.

They said among themselves, "Behold, are not all these which speak Galileans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?" Although the people were all Jews, many of them had spent their lives in foreign lands and had only learned the language of those lands. A list of the lands from which the people came is given in verses 9-11. See if you can find them on the map.

This certainly was an amazing thing to happen. Some in the crowd asked, "What does this mean?" Others mocked and said that the apostles must be drunk! But there were not: it was a miracle.

PETER EXPLAINS (vv 14-41)

So Peter stood up and spoke to all the people. He showed them from the prophets that Jesus of Nazareth, whom they had crucified, was really the Messiah (that means, Christ, the King). They did not have to think back very far to remember some of the wonderful miracles he had done before their very eyes. Those miracles proved that God was with him and yet they had stubbornly refused to believe in him. Instead they had allowed wicked men to put him to a cruel death, hoping to be rid of him.

Peter now told them that God had raised him from the dead. This was something that had never happened before. Even great King David, whom they honoured so much, was dead and buried and his sepulchre was there in Jerusalem to prove it. David was certainly dead, sleeping in the dust of the earth. David had never ascended into heaven. Yet this man Jesus, God had raised from the dead and he would never die again. Surely such a wonderful event, which the apostles themselves could prove (for they had seen him alive and spoken to him), would make them believe that he was truly the Messiah. Peter spoke for a long time and convinced many of them that what he said was true. When the people heard these things, they were "pricked in their hearts" and asked Peter and the other apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" (v 37). They felt ashamed when they realised how wrong they had been.

Peter told them, "Repent, and be baptised every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (v 38).

The word "repent" means "to change your ways". Not only must we be sorry for what we have done, but also we must change our ways to do that which is right in God's sight.

The people were glad when they heard Peter's words and that day about three thousand of them were baptised. God blessed the apostles with the power of the "Holy Spirit" to show that He was with them and this caused so many to listen to their message. What a wonderful beginning to the preaching of the Gospel.

LESSON FOR US

You are learning the Gospel as you read the Bible and do your Sunday School lessons. As you learn you will see that we all need to repent and to obey God. When we believe this we must be baptised and continue in His ways, until the Lord Jesus Christ returns.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

Today the power of the Holy Spirit to speak in tongues and perform miracles is not available to people. God gave this power only to the apostles and their immediate followers, so that they could do signs and miracles to convince people that God had sent them. Only the apostles could pass on this power to those whom they saw to be worthy disciples. So, when the apostles died, the passing on of the power of the Holy Spirit ceased. Today we have the Bible, which is God's Word, instead.

The Bible was written by men who were inspired by the Holy Spirit (see Instructor questions 6 and 7). God wants us to read and study His Word so that we will understand the Gospel and be saved. The Lord Jesus Christ told his disciples: Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel: He that believeth and is baptised shall be saved" (Mark 16:16).

QUESTIONS

Short Answers

Which feast was held 50 days after the Feast of Passover?
How did the apostles receive the Holy Spirit?
What could the apostles do when they first received the Holy Spirit?

Why was the Holy Spirit given to the apostles?
What did some of the people think had happened to the apostles?
What things had Jesus done before which should have proved he was the Messiah?
They had crucified Jesus, but what wonderful thing had God done?
Where is King David now?
When Peter had spoken to the people, what did they ask the apostles?

What did Peter tell the people to do?
How many people were baptised on the Day of Pentecost?

Detailed Answers

12.

What wonderful things happened to the twelve apostles in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost?
Why were the visitors to Jerusalem at the Feast of Pentecost amazed when the apostles spoke to them?