The Pentecost Sunday
May 24, 2026, is Pentecost Sunday – the birth of the Church, 2000 years ago. It also happens to be Aldersgate Sunday for the Methodists worldwide, who are commemorating their founding leader John Wesley's pivotal spiritual milestone on this day in 1738.
Now let us get to know more about the Pentecost Feast of Israel.
The word "Pentecost" in Greek means “50th” day. 'Shavu'ot' in Hebrew means 'weeks'. It is the “Feast of Weeks” – 7 full weeks after the First-fruits Feast plus one day for 50 days – also one of the three pilgrimage festivals (a harvest party) of Israel.
In Acts 2, Luke recorded the phenomenon that happened at the Pentecost Festival held in Jerusalem 2000 years ago. There was an outpouring of the Holy Spirit on 120 disciples of Jesus who experienced a mighty phenomenon on that day, and Peter explained to the massive crowd that God has poured out His Spirit on all His people in the Last Days as prophesied by Joel of Old. The motifs and patterns narrated by Luke are no stranger to the Jewish believers.
We have
- The Audible Sign – Heard a sound like a mighty, rushing wind (Acts 2:2). Wind = Spirit
- The Visible Sign – Saw like tongues/flames of fire (Acts 3).
- Fire = Presence of God
- The Verbal Sign – Speaking in tongues (Acts 2:4).
- They were hearing great things God has done or praises to God (Acts 2:11).
The signs that happened seemed to be alluding to the event on Mt Sinai when God was giving out His Laws to Moses. They indicated the presence and the power of God. In this Upper Room event, God was giving out His Spirit to His New Covenant people. God's united people from all over the world are now empowered to be a new movement of Christ to go to every part of the world to make disciples for Jesus and to teach everything Jesus has taught them. They were to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to every creature till the return of Christ.
What an exciting and momentous milestone for the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ!
Let us not be a people of religious form that only can appreciate the history of our Church, but instead let us know how to live our present lives that manifest the presence and power of God wherever God has placed us.
May we keep on being filled with the fullness of the Holy Spirit to go forth with the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world.
A House of Missions to all Nations
Together in Missions
Rev Leslie Lim
