Pentecost

We live in the age of the Spirit, when God, through Christ, forms and shepherds his church by the Holy Spirit's work. Although the Spirit worked in Old Testament times we now see far more of that work. He formed and blessed his saints then on credit - Christ being the surety of a better covenant. We see his worldwide work now that Christ has atoned for sin and has been glorified. The signs on the Day of Pentecost indicated a supernatural work - the stamp of heaven on the message that followed. And we should pay more attention to the apostles' words in the New Testament than to any miraculous sign. Their message was - Jesus. It was Jesus who had poured forth the promised Spirit. Jesus was the one they had rejected though he is God's chosen one. His resurrection and ascension show he is the Lord and Christ. We (humanity) now have evidence that Jesus is Lord of all, that he is able to save and to Judge. The Old testament pointed forward to Pentecost; the Feast of First Fruits had its fulfilment as the harvest of Jesus' death began to appear (John 12:24), along with the promise to Abraham of blessing to all nations. It brings the call of the gospel close to ourselves. For Jesus' apostles the wait was over; they were now equipped for the task Jesus had given them and they would have the Spirit working alongside them in their hearers. We, too, can expect his help, both to empower us for Christian living and to give our message success. Pentecost had a special significance for Jesus. It was the final act of his saving ministry. From that time on he would work in the world through the Spirit of God poured out on men. It was the beginning of the Father's promised reward.