The Feast of Pentecost is among the seven annual Holy Days of God. Though it is mainly known to commemorate the pouring of the Holy Spirit to the people of God, it has a surprising connection to the great commission Jesus Christ has given Christians.

In this post, let us take a deeper look at the undeniable connection between Pentecost and the Preaching of the Gospel.

What is the Feast of Pentecost?

Historically, Pentecost pictures the time when the ancient Israelites would offer the first fruits of their harvest. Also known as the feast of first fruits, Pentecost gave the Israelites the opportunity to recognize the true Source of their blessings and wealth. Offering their first fruits was a physical manifestation of their gratefulness to God and their trust in Him that He will continue blessing them.

Today, the Feast of Pentecost serves as a yearly reminder for the children of God about the time when God made the Holy Spirit available. The day of Pentecost in year 31 AD marked the start of the New Testament Church when God poured down His Holy Spirit to His people.

The great commission of Christ

After witnessing the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, there was no question in the mind of the Apostles that He is indeed the promised Messiah. They have firmly believed that their Teacher, Leader, Master, and Friend is indeed the very SON OF GOD.

He is God in the flesh and now, He is seated at the right hand of God of the Father.

After knowing all these things, there is one burning question that weighed so heavy on the minds of the Apostles and the early Christians:

WHAT NOW?

What are we supposed to do now that we know Jesus Christ is truly the Son of God?

Jesus Christ gave us the answer. Shortly after His resurrection, Jesus instructed them not to depart from Jerusalem but to wait for the Promise of the Father.

We can read in Acts 1:4-8 about the instruction of Jesus Christ.

“And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father… you shall receive POWER when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

After receiving the Holy Spirit, what must we do? Jesus said that YOU SHALL BE WITNESSES TO ME, not just in Jerusalem, not just in Judea, not just in Samaria, but to the ends of the earth!

A yearly reminder of our God-given mission

The Feast of Pentecost is an annual reminder for us Christians today that the Church that JESUS CHRIST BUILT STILL EXISTS TODAY.

But we are NOT just a church of spectators and bench warmers. Jesus Christ gave us a marching order and that we must be all witnesses to Him. The Greek word for witnesses is martus from which we derive the word martyr. Therefore, we must all be witnesses of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ even IF WE HAVE TO SUFFER AND DIE FOR OUR BELIEFS.

Preach the Gospel to every creature

Before Christ ascended into heaven, we can read His marching order for all those who would follow Him. Matthew 28:18-20 tells us:

“And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  GO THEREFORE AND MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL THE NATIONS, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen.”

Today, after nearly 20 centuries later, the marching order is still the same. Nothing has changed. The instruction of Jesus remains the same. We are to make disciples of all the nations. The Gospel of Mark added to “go into all the world and preach the Gospel TO EVERY CREATURE.”

This is the mandate that Jesus Christ gave to His disciples.

Pentecost and the future harvest of God

The feast of Pentecost is more than just offering the first fruits of our harvest. The events surrounding 31 AD on the Day of Pentecost has extraordinarily MAGNIFIED the meaning of this festival. Pentecost teaches us that it is no longer about the harvest of the Israelites, but it is now about the HARVEST OF GOD.

God made it very clear that the feast of Pentecost is about His first fruits. It is about the men and women He has chosen to receive the Holy Spirit. With the New Testament Church established and having the divine and limitless power of the Holy Spirit, we are now ready to take on the work of God.

You and I are given a job to do. The Feast of Pentecost should remind us that we are the Church of God. We are not an ordinary group of people convening every week as a social club. We are more than that. WE ARE THE VERY BODY OF CHRIST THAT HAS BEEN COMMANDED TO DO THE WORK OF GOD.

And what is the work of God? We have already read that we must go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. It is our job to teach them how to live this life according to the commandments of God.

Will you preach the Gospel?

So what are the things that you are doing to accomplish the work that has given us? Are we too busy in doing God’s work? Are we consumed with the burning desire to preach the Gospel to every creature, to make disciples of all nations, and teach them the commandments of God?

Or are we too busy with all the cares of this world?

Brethren, we must all realize that we are not here to just warm our seats every Sabbath service. We are not just here to enjoy the pleasures of life. We are not here just to earn a living. WE HAVE A MUCH GREATER WORK BEFORE US. This is not just the work of our pastors or church leaders. This is the work of the whole church.

The Apostle Paul said, “WOE is me if I don’t preach the Gospel.” The same can be said about us. We must feel remorseful, miserable, and frustrated if we don’t preach the Gospel. Preaching the Gospel is the MOST IMPORTANT WORK on the face of the planet.

Yes, it is true that the instruction of Jesus about preaching the gospel to every creature seems to be impossible. Imagine going to every end of the world just to preach the gospel. But that is NOT an excuse for us to stop preaching the Gospel. Let us do our part and Let God do the rest.

Will all these being said, it is my sincerest hope that we understand the powerful connection between the Feast of Pentecost and preaching the Gospel.