How to Celebrate the Day of Pentecost with the Christian Bible

In the Old Testament Pentecost is the celebration of God's giving Torah and the First Fruits of Harvest. In the New Testament it is the day the Church was established.

We look at a lot of the religious feast and festivals of the Old Testament as "Jewish feast" and obsolete festivals. And, pretty much ... they are.
As a New Testament Christian I'm not bound by the Old Testament Bible "Law". Since I'm not Jewish, and I did not grow up celebrating Passover, Pentecost, or the Feast of the Tabernacle it is sometimes confusing. But, there is a rich heritage in those events that the Bible teaches. As Christians, there are many wonderful things about the God we love that we too can teach our children.

Things You'll Need

• a Bible
• cheese blintzes and honey cakes

Instructions

1. 

   Pentecost is May 31 in this year of 2009. It is officially 50 days after the Feast of First Fruits otherwise called Passover. Passover begins at twilight on the 14th day of the 1st biblical month. The Passover feast is to remember that God rescued the Israelites from the Egyptians.

2. 

   Pentecost was first ordered to be celebrated in Exodus but we are given more details in Leviticus 23:13 - 22.
   The men were told to bring two large loaves of bread made with about 4 quarts of fine flour and the variety of animals listed to the tabernacle, as sacrifices to the Lord. On Sunday, the day after the Sabbath (Lev. 23:16) the priests were to wave the bread before the Lord and offer the sacrifices. They were to order a sacred assembly and do no work. In Numbers 28:26 - 31 and in Deuteronomy 16:9 -12 the Israelites are reminded again to celebrate this feast.
   They are to celebrate the Harvest, "seven weeks after they begin to put the sickle to the standing grain." To this day, there are people of Jewish heritage watching the barley grain as it ripens in Jerusalem to begin the celebration.

3. 

   In the New Testament we find that the Church was started on the Day of Pentecost. In Acts 2, the 12 Apostles were all together in one place. (Matthias had just been chosen to replace Judas). They were filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking, so that even the Jews from other countries could understand the Apostles in their own language (2:11) Peter got up and preached the first sermon. He told these devout Jews about Jesus who died for them and rose again. At the end of his sermon (that is all recorded in chapter 2) they were "cut to the heart" or convicted and wanted to know what they needed to do to be saved. Peter told them, "Repent and be baptized everyone of you for the forgiveness of your sins and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." About 3000 people were baptized that day.

4. Today, Messianic Jews (who have accepted Christ like those in Acts 2) celebrate Shavuot. It is to remember the gifts of the Harvest(Pentecost), the Torah (Old Testament/Ten Commandments) and the giving of the Holy Spirit (New Testament/the Church).

5. 

   Even if you are not Jewish and especially if you are a Christian, we have much to celebrate on the day of Pentecost. It is not a command from God. We can celebrate that God gave the Jewish people the Torah. The Ten Commandments are an intricate part of our US History. Even if they cannot be posted in a classroom, they are carved into hundreds of courtrooms and state houses around our country and especially at our Nations Capital, because of their significance.
   Teach them to your children.

6. We can celebrate the Harvest, by being thankful for every good thing that God has given to us. Instead of bringing a tithe (10th) of what God has given us once a year because it is a command. Christians should bring this every week out of love. In the book of Acts, the early Christian set money aside on the first day of each week and we do this at our church to follow the pattern set by the Apostles.
   In Numbers 8, the Israelites were told to bring an offering that reflected the blessings God had given them. The Day of Pentecost was also called the Day of First Fruits (not the Day of What You Have Leftover). God was to take First Place in the Israelite's lives and in ours.
   Teach this is your children.

7. 

   The Jewish people today celebrate by not working and with a special holiday meal. They eat dairy products, like cheesecake and cheese blintzes and sweets to remind them that the Torah is like Milk and Honey. Jewish people do not believe that Jesus is the Messiah promised in the Old Testament. They are still waiting for a Savior so their ideas and beliefs about Pentecost are not going to be at all, like a Christians. We don't celebrate the Old Testament festivals because they are a command. We believe Jesus fulfilled all those OT promises.

8. Pentecost also is a special day for Christians because the Holy Spirit was sent to be our Teacher, Comforter and Guide. We receive the Holy Spirit at baptism, just like they did.
   We celebrate Christ every day.
   We celebrate His resurrection every Sunday when we share in the Breaking of Bread or Communion like the first Christian did in Acts 2:42.

9. 

   Pentecost is a special day to remember all the good that the Lord has done. Enjoy some cheese blintzes and honey cakes to remember the Bible phrase "the land of Milk and Honey. Play games with your children and see how many of the Ten Commandments they (and you) can name. Go to church and give back to the Lord as He has given to you.

Tips & Warnings

• The Old Testament is the "school teacher" to teach us the way who the Messiah is. The New Testament teaches us that the Messiah is Jesus.

• There are major differences in the beliefs of the Jews and the Christians, this article is not saying that the celebrations are the same.