Pentecost Pentecost a feast Pentecost the fiftieth day

Pentecost

Pentecost: a feast • Pentecost "the fiftieth day") is one of the prominent feasts in the Christian liturgical year, commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples of Christ (Acts of the Apostles chapter 2). . The feast is also called Whitsun, Whitsunday, Whit Sunday, and Whitsuntide, especially in the United Kingdom. Pentecost is celebrated seven weeks (50 days) after Easter Sunday, hence its name. Pentecost falls on the tenth day after Ascension Thursday. • Pentecost now also commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and other followers of Jesus as described in the Book of Acts, Chapter 2 in the New testament.

The Birth of the Church • The Day of Pentecost is the day the Christian Church was born. • After Jesus’ resurrection he gave the apostles a message; to go to Jerusalem for a ‘gift’. The gift was the Holy Spirit. In Jerusalem an extraordinary event took place. • On the day the apostles went to Jerusalem they saw the Holy Spirit and knew they had to spread the word of God. • The apostles began to speak in another language. This meant they could spread the word of God. When people heard them, some believed and other people did not believe them. Peter, the leader of the apostles asked those who did not believe the be free from sin, be baptised and receive the Holy Spirit.

Pentecost • Pentecost always takes place on the Sunday that falls on the fiftieth day after Easter, and in fact the word “Pentecost” means “the fiftieth” in Ancient Greek. • It was originally the Greek name for the Jewish festival of Shavuot which celebrates the harvest and remembers when God gave Moses the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai fifty days after the Jews had escaped from slavery in Egypt. “Shavuot” means “weeks” because it always takes place seven weeks after the festival of Passover. Which is fifty days. • “The Fruits of the Spirit”: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. • On the day of Pentecost, the Church is decorated with red banners and red flowers to represent the flames that surrounded Peter and his friends as the Holy Spirit poured into them. The priests wear red robes and some churches will encourage their members to wear red to the Sunday service as well. • Another important symbol for Pentecost is the dove because the Holy Spirit is described as descending from heaven like a dove to settle on Jesus when he first started to preach and teach.

Write an article about the events of the day of Pentecost. • What happened? • Draw a picture of the disciples. • Interview a witness and a disciple. • Research all of Acts 2 from the bible. • Biblegateway. com

What if… Pentecost did not happen?