Pentecost is Approaching – May 15th
From the Field May 3, ’16
Pentecost Celebration
It is a sad commentary that among some Christian churches, the big thing about Pentecost seems to be the miracles: sound of a mighty rushing wind, tongues of fire over the heads of apostles, and speaking in tongues. This year as with every year we celebrate Pentecost above all in that the Word, as if by an explosion, started to be cast far and wide. The miracles were to get the people’s attention and to show that God was behind the spread of His glorious message of a Savior slain for our sins and raised to prove our justification. Peter pointed up that the message is for all, “It shall be that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Sometimes we refer to the first Pentecost as the birthday of the New Testament church.
Jesus prophesied of the spread of the Word across continents, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do…” Jn. 14:12 No one did greater ‘miraculous’ works than Jesus. Stilling a storm, raising the dead, healing instantly and so on, these are unsurpassed. Jesus did speak the Word faithfully and even to Gentiles like the Syro-Phoenician woman. But His apostles and those who followed their example spoke to vast multitudes beyond the numbers who heard Jesus. They covered much more territory than our Lord did in His three year ministry. These are the ‘greater works’ of preaching to more people, in more places, and over longer periods of time.
And this is still going on today. It comes back to the Word. As at the first Pentecost the people said, “We hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” Today literally thousands are scattered throughout our world translating the Scriptures into the language of the people. Then these productions are printed and distributed that each one may read for himself about our loving Lord.
May God allow all of us, using our God-given talents, and led by God’s Spirit to declare the wonderful deeds of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light.