“Suddenly, a sound like the blowing of a violent wind filled the house; the disciples saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them; they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues…”(from Acts 2)
Pentecost serves as the grand finale of the Easter season. The 50-day period begins with the celebration of the resurrection, and ends with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit - the miraculous event that transformed a group of frightened, uncertain followers of Jesus into bold leaders who publicly shared their faith.
Just 10 days before, Jesus had ascended to heaven, commanding his disciples: “Go and make disciples of all nations…And behold I am with you always to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20) Only with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost did the disciples realize that, instead of Christ’s ministry being tied to His physical presence, it was extended wherever they went. The ascension had exponentially increased God’s kingdom on earth.
“You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, to the ends of the earth.: (Acts 1:8) The ability to speak in tongues enabled and emboldened the disciples to cross divides and build bridges/relationships with people from all walks of life, both Jews and Gentiles.
What does Pentecost mean for us today? Someone noted that there are five gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and each of us. To followers of Jesus, the Holy Spirit, symbolized by a dove, embodies God’s ongoing, active presence in the world and in our lives, empowering our faith, providing daily guidance, and giving us the courage to be His witnesses, spreading the gospel of the risen Lord in our communities.
As we set forth on our mission, let’s first examine our lives to make sure we’re fit for service. Life is all about relationships. Witnessing is built on relationships, and while the adage, “you can learn everything in solitude, except character" (Stendhal), attests to the value of relationships in gaining self–awareness, it’s also true that “he who knows others is wise; he who knows himself is enlightened.” (Lao Tzu)
Alone, in his prison cell, anti-Nazi dissident Dietrich Bonhoeffer asked the prescient question, “Who am I? Am I then what others tell of, or am I only what I myself know of myself? Am I one person today and another tomorrow, or am I both at once? ("Who Am I?")
If we’re honest, we’ll admit that we’re one person with our spouse, another with our coworkers, our children, our tennis partners, our employers, our friends, and still another with our hunting and fishing buddies.
Swiss psychologist Carl Jung noted, “We meet ourselves time and again in a thousand disguises on the path of life.”
It was Plato, building on the ancient Delphic maxim, “Know thyself,” popularized by Socrates, who said, “the unexamined life is not worth living.”
In "That Incredible Christian," A.W. Tozer compiled seven rules that are incredibly insightful in self-discovery. The rules are not a test of how pious or righteous we are, but tools that can reveal truths about ourselves that we’ve never considered. Let’s examine these rules in the afterglow of Easter, as we try to become more Christ-like, so that those we encounter, and to whom we witness, may see Jesus in us:
1. What do I want most? We want lots of things, but Tozer cautions, “Get quiet, recollect your thoughts, wait for the mild excitement within to subside, and then listen closely to the faint cry of desire.” What we want most tells us whether we’re investing our energy exclusively in material things or in spiritual growth and God’s kingdom.
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust doth corrupt…but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.” (Matthew 6: 19-20)
In Psalm 23 we read, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.” If we trust in Jesus, obey Him, and commit our lives to His will, we will not want for anything, for He will supply us with, not what we want, but what we need.
Know thyself. “Go ye…”
Remitly – Pentecost - Meaning,
