Pentecost

Jesus speaking to his disciples on his last night with them: "If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you." (John 14:15-18, NIV)

Speaking of the disciples in Jerusalem: When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. (Acts 2:1-4, NIV)

Wow. It's good to go back over stories like this as days, like Pentecost, come throughout the year, marking key moments in the history of the church. For some of us, we've heard or read the story so many times that it's easy for it to fly right past us without any sort of awe-inspiring questions like, "Is that what really happened?" I mean, seriously, did some sort of ancient whirlwind invade this house and enable a group of people to begin speaking in other languages? In one sense, that sounds crazy. Maybe they had been drinking (the accusation comes a few verses later). Maybe it was a dust devil that blew sand and dust in their mouths causing them to slur their words. Or maybe it was exactly as Luke described it - an incredible display of God's power filling them with the Holy Spirit promised by Jesus the night before he died. In any case, it must have been something quite amazing to the disciples. So amazing, in fact, that immediately following this, Peter stands up, gives a sermon to be recorded for all time, and we witness the beginning of the church:

They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2:42-47, NIV)

Wow. So whatever it was that did happen motivated these people to begin a radically new way of life together.

Crazy? Maybe.

Amazing? Absolutely.