Pentecost
Pentecost is a Christian celebration that occurs fifty days after the Christian celebration of Easter. It is also a celebration for the Jewish religion but under different circumstances. For Christians, when counting the fifty days, Easter Sunday is included in the count. Therefore, Pentecost occurs on the seventh Sunday after Easter Sunday. The foundation of Pentecost arises from the Israeli people.
History
Before the arrival of Jesus, Pentecost, or the Feast of Weeks, began as a celebration day for the Israeli people. In the Book of Leviticus 23:15-16, the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “You shall count therefore from the morrow after the Sabbath, wherein you offered the sheaf of firstfruits, seven full weeks.
Even unto the morrow after the seventh week be expired, that is to say, fifty days, and so you shall offer a new sacrifice to the Lord.” The ‘new sacrifice’ mentioned was an offering to the Lord in the House of God as a thanksgiving for the harvest. The Pentecost celebration within the Jewish community is also known as the “Giving of the Torah” or a spiritual redemption from bondage to idols and immorality.
The Christian population incorporated the Pentecost celebration into their religion based on the accounts from the New Testament of the Bible. After Jesus died on the cross, He rose from the tomb on the day Christians call Easter Sunday.
He remained on Earth for forty days, walking with His disciples and teaching them the word of God. In the Book of Acts 1:3, the Bible states, “To whom also he showed himself alive after his passion, by many proofs, for forty days appearing to them, and speaking of the kingdom of God.”
On the fortieth day, Jesus spoke again, according to the Book of Acts 1:8, stating to His disciples that “you shall receive the power of the Holy Ghost coming upon you…” The disciples returned to Jerusalem and stayed in the “upper room” along with Mary, the mother of Jesus, and other persons numbering about one hundred and twenty.
Suddenly, the room was filled with the sound of a mighty wind, “And there appeared to them parted tongues as it were of fire, and it sat upon every one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they began to speak with diverse tongues…” This event is known in Christian communities as Pentecost.
The day of Pentecost for some churches is the celebration of the beginning of the modern church, one in which the Holy Spirit was sent. When the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples, they began to speak many languages. This miracle was given so that the disciples could spread the word of Jesus to many people throughout different lands, and these people would understand the word of God given to all by Jesus.
Color used for Pentecost
The color red is used mainly in Western churches. Red signifies the tongues of fire of the Holy Spirit that settled upon the disciples of Jesus on Pentecost Sunday. The vestments worn by ministers and priests are the color red.
Some Western churches place red flowers within the church and some include red banners to signify the blowing of the wind when the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples.
A different color, green, is used within the Eastern Churches. Greenery, such as branches or shrubbery, is carried throughout services. The color green depicts “life and growth,” which the parishioners experience spiritually through the coming of the Holy Spirit.
Whitsunday or White Sunday
Pentecost is also known as Whitsunday or White Sunday in some communities. The origin of the term is unclear. One idea is that White Sunday refers to the baptizing on this day of followers who have converted to the Christian religion.
When the baptizing occurs, those involved wear white garments, hence the name “White Sunday.” Another theory suggests that Whitsunday means “Wisdom Sunday,” as this is the day when the Holy Spirit imparted the Wisdom of God to the disciples.
Conclusion
Pentecost is a day of celebration occurring fifty days after Easter. It is a celebration of a new beginning for all, whether it is for the celebration of the new church, a renewal of spirit within oneself, or a celebration of the Holy Spirit imparting God’s wisdom to the disciples. Churches throughout the world celebrate this day, whether by the Jewish faith or Christian faith, Pentecost is a day of new spirit, a day of new beginnings.
