The Feast of Pentecost and Its Meaning For All Mankind – Arthur Suckling ucg.org

Among Jews, the most popular name for Pentecost is the Feast of Weeks, or Shavuot in Hebrew. When celebrating this festival, many Jewish people recall one of the greatest events in history, God’s revealing of the law at Mount Sinai. That said, Pentecost doesn’t just picture the giving of the law; it also shows (through a great miracle that occurred on the first Pentecost, within the early New testament Church) how we should be living by the spiritual intent of God’s laws. God chose the first Pentecost, after Jesus Christ’s resurrection, to pour out His Holy Spirit on 120 believers (Acts 1:15). Humanly speaking, no matter how hard we try not to, we still sin (1 Kings 8:46; Romans 3:23). Acknowledging this inherent weakness of humanity, God laments “Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments that it might be well with them and with their children forever!” (Deuteronomy 5:29) Here God explains that humankind has a heart problem. Academic knowledge of the law does not enable us to think like God. Becoming godly in our thoughts, attitudes and actions is beyond the comprehension and ability of men and women without an additional ingredient—God’s Spirit. The receiving of the Holy Spirit dramatically changes the lives of Christians.