I didn’t grow up paying much attention to Pentecost, but embracing sacred seasons like Advent and Lent (celebrating, meditating on and mourning key events in Jesus’ life) as more than a single event holiday has become a special part of my entire year. Honoring these seasons are not forced out of legalism, but given to us by God’s grace. In His sovereignty, God knows that we need intentional times of quiet reflection and regular reminders of His faithfulness, otherwise one day flows into the next month, into the next year.
I thank God for the seasons that act as bookends for the entire year. Lent typically begins in February (depending when Easter falls that year), with a 40-day fast and daily reflection on Jesus’ sacrifice. For me, participating in Lent begins a new year in a fresh way, re-orienting my spirit and asking the Lord to draw me close and purify my heart. Interestingly, the Lent season is nearly 10% of three hundred sixty five days--like a tithe to the Lord, the first fruit of a new year.
Likewise, the calendar year ends perfectly with the celebration of Advent, the anticipation of our Savior’s birth and His second Advent when He returns. As we begin and end our year pondering the birth and death of our Savior, it can be tempting to view the other months (post-Easter through Thanksgiving) as simply “normal” life, but that’s the beauty of understanding the Christian calendar. There’s so much more to celebrate!
Pentecost is celebrated yearly, on the Sunday that falls fifty days after Easter. As we see in the Old Testament (in Exodus 23-24, Leviticus 16, Numbers 28, and Deuteronomy 16), Pentecost was one of the Jewish feast days, called the Feast of Harvest or the Feast of Weeks, celebrating the beginning of the wheat harvest during the middle of May or early June. Jewish history has much to teach us about times of intentional reflection throughout our year, as we look at the observances throughout their year.
You might be wondering if the Day of Pentecost is still relevant to us? Absolutely! More than tradition (which certainly has its place), Pentecost is the celebration of quite literally the beginning of “the Church” as we know it. In John 14:26 Jesus promised His followers that He would send a helper to them, after He rose from the dead and went back to the Father. As recorded in Acts 2, the believers were gathered for the Feast of Harvest (Pentecost), and the Holy Spirit, (that promised Helper), came upon the believers, filling them and pouring out His power in their lives. In the power of the Holy Spirit, Peter preached the gospel and thousands believed and were baptized! The church was forever changed--we are forever changed!
We have been given the very same Spirit that Jesus prophesied would be with us--that very same Spirit that raised Him from the dead. May we never get over that fact! May we celebrate with our whole hearts the wonderful gift of the Holy Spirit, with us every second of every day--the living God, in spirit form, residing in all believers.
If Christmas is the celebration of the Father sending His Son to save the world, and Easter is the celebration of the Son willingly giving His life, Pentecost is the celebration of the blessed Holy Spirit indwelling all believers. May we lean into the sacred seasons, allowing our year to have set-apart moments reflecting on the goodness of our God.
“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” 2 Corinthians 13:14
Meet the Author!
Heather McAnear is a wife, mom, author and speaker with a passion for sharing God's truth to help women understand their uniquely beautiful design and how to use it for God's glory! In fact, Heather hosts the Uniquely Beautiful Stories podcast on iTunes in hopes do just that! She loves teaching young married couples with her husband, time with her three teen-aged children, traveling, enjoying good chocolate and long conversations in coffee shops. CRBC has been her church home for more than two decades and serving on the Women's Ministry team has been one of her greatest joys!