Pentecost: the Birth of the Body, the Church

Pentecost: the Birth of the Body, the Church                May 20, 2018

We are celebrating a birthday party today, Pentecost (or Shavuot), and what comes to your mind about Pentecost?

There are many different things comes to mind and it is all good.

We are celebrating a birthday, the birthday of the Church or the Body of Jesus, which is the Feast of Pentecost (means 50), also known as Feast of Shavuot, or Feast of Harvest or Feast of Weeks.  Pentecost is the festival when Christians celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit and it is celebrated on the Sunday 50 days after the Wave Sheaf Offering during the Passover season.  I would like to cover one part of Pentecost we have not really covered before.

After his resurrection, Jesus appeared to his disciples and instructed them  to do what:

Luke 24:49 Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry {wait} in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued {or clothed} with power from on high." {Luke said to wait and in Acts, History of the Church}

Acts 1:1-5 The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, (2) until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, (3) to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. 

(4) And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, "which," He said, "you have heard from Me; (5) for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."

For 40 days Jesus was with them, after which he ascended to heaven. Remember, From Passover to Pentecost was 50 days, so they waited 10 days until Pentecost.  At what time did Jesus say this, our date for Jesus ascension day to heaven would be May 10, for this year.

While Jesus was with them, he said: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised that, baptism of the Spirit would be called the birthday of the church or the Body.

Notice, all, one accord usually in prayer together.  Look at

Acts 1:14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.  {Jesus physical half-brothers were there}

The Holy Spirit Descends, let’s look at this a little closer.  

Acts 2:1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

Did they do this for the nine days leading up to Pentecost

Acts 2:2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.

Acts 2:3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them.

Acts 2:4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit gave them that ability.

Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." 

Think about it this, when the Holy Spirit, the Power of the Holy Spirit, came to the 120, Jesus considered this a baptism for His followers at the time and the Holy Spirit came upon those 120 in the upper room, a laying of Jesus hands on them.

Acts 1:15 And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples (altogether the number of names was about a hundred and twenty), and said,

Jesus laid hands on the 120 disciples in the upper room when they became the body of Christ by the receiving of the Holy Spirit. 

As far as I can tell, none of these 120 had to be re-baptise in water and had the laying of hands on them again.  Jesus did it by baptise them with the Holy Spirit and they received the Holy Spirit.  A truly miracle just happen.  

The upper room is large enough to hold 120 brethren, not like we have here.

Let me ask, why 120.  Have you ever ask yourself, why.  Is this one of the things we need to dig deeper to understand why, a Remez. 

Remember, King David wanted to build the Temple, but God would not let him because his hands were covered in blood, but God allowed Solomon to build the Temple.

King Solomon at this point in his life represents a “type” of Christ in that King Solomon (who is a son of David) builds an earthly Temple made by human hands, and Jesus (we know is a son of David) builds a heavenly Temple not made by human hands.

Hebrews 8:1-2 Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, (2) a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man. 

120 priest’s preparation for cleaning and purification rituals of Solomon Temple for the Spirit of God.  Right hand of the Father.

Let’s compare.  There were 120 priests blowing trumpets at the dedication of Solomon’s Temple, when the Spirit of God filled that Temple. There were 120 disciples in the upper room when the Spirit came to human Temples.

We are the Temple of the Holy Spirit.

2 Chronicles 5:11-14 And it came to pass when the priests came out of the Most Holy Place (for all the priests who were present had sanctified themselves, without keeping to their divisions), (12) and the Levites who were the singers, all those of Asaph and Heman and Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, stood at the east end of the altar, clothed in white linen, having cymbals, stringed instruments and harps, and with them one hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets—

(13) indeed it came to pass, when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD, and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the LORD, saying: "For He is good, For His mercy endures forever," that the house, the house of the LORD, was filled with a cloud, (14) so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the LORD filled the house of God.

We find there were 120 priests blowing trumpets when the Spirit of God filled the Temple of Solomon and to notice that the Spirit of God came down after they all came into one accord, or harmony, making “one sound."

We just read, just as the 120 priests in Solomon’s day were all blowing their trumpets in harmony and praising, so also the 120 disciples were “with one accord." The Christians had no need of trumpets, however, for their mouths were filled with the voice and words of God, Spirit gave them utterance. 

King Solomon is overseeing the dedication of the temple and he did assigned 120 Priests to perform the required purification.  We (Believers) had to be purified or cleansed.

1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

We notice the 120 priest could not continue praising God because the glory of the LORD filled the house of God, while in the Upper Room there are 120 individuals praising God and waiting for the Promise of the Father, The Holy Spirit to come down upon them.

In the Temple, the Glory of the Lord fills the Holy of Holies, while in the upper room, the Glory of the Lord (the Holy Spirit) rests upon each of the 120 individuals in the form of tongues of flame.

Only the High Priest, once a year could enter the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement.  When Jesus died, the veil of the temple was torn in two and now all Saints have access to the Holy of Holies, year around.  When the Holy Spirit came upon the 120 individuals, they all became Saints. 

Matthew 27:51 Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split,

We know when we are saints, we have Jesus living in us and our bodies become the Temple of the Holy Spirit.

Philippians 1:1 Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:

1 Corinthians 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 

2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?--unless indeed you are disqualified.

The Holy Spirit was given to New Testament saints and this symbolized the end of the Old Testament system of worship and the beginning of the Church of our Lord Jesus.

Church or the body is born.

Colossians 1:18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.

1 Corinthians 12:13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free--and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.

When we have the Holy Spirit in us, We are considered Saints.

If we did not have the Holy Spirit in us, we would not be a saint.

Before the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was with men and women and gave great skills for them to serve God. (for example, the constructing of the Tabernacle) But He did not permanently indwell all believers.

Psalms 51:11 Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.

In the Upper Room, Jesus had told the disciples that He would send the Holy Spirit to be with them forever. He added, "You know Him because He abides with you and will be in you" 

John 14:16-17 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever- (17) the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.

The Holy Spirit was not free to be in the Believers until after Jesus was glorified. The arrival of the Holy Spirit was the proof.

John 7:39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

The Holy Spirit did not come until the Day of Pentecost. The coming of the Holy Spirit on that day assures us that Jesus had arrived back at the Father's throne.

John 14:20 At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.   {a new creation}

"in you": We covered the Holy Spirit was here on earth before Pentecost, but on the Day of Pentecost He came to, in believers. This is a unique fact of this age in which we are living. This was the thing which was new.

"...you in me, and I in you": To me, this is one of the most profound statement in the Gospel of John or in the whole Bible.  They are easy words so that a little child can understand them.  

They were meant for us today, you and me, His Body, His Church.