And do you realise that, when we reach Christmas, it will be another 365 days to the next Christmas?
The Jews have a number of special feast-days throughout the year. I wonder if Jewish children count up the days.
Some feasts, like the Passover, were a time of remembering how God had rescued their nation in the past. Seven weeks after Passover - "a week of weeks" later - was the Feast of Weeks. That was a right-up-to-date time to say "thank you" to God for this year's harvest. It was when the "first-fruits of the wheat harvest" (Ex. 34.22a) were presented to God. We call it Pentecost from the Greek word meaning "fiftieth".
Our reading from Acts 2 talks about "when the day of Pentecost came". But it wasn't just any annual day of Pentecost. The original Greek has a word that indicates that this year was special. Pentecost was "completed entirely". From that time on it would mean something new, because God was doing something new. For the Jews who accepted and became part of the new things God was doing, Pentecost would never again be simply a festival of the wheat harvest - or even a celebration of the giving of the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai, as in later Judaism.
Up to this point in human history, people have thought of themselves as knocking on God's door - trying to find a way to get into heaven. Then Jesus came - the Son of God himself - came to give his life instead of our lives, to give his life as a sacrifice for our sins, to open the door of heaven to us. Jesus said he had come to seek and to save the lost and to give his life as a ransom for many. He called on people to turn away from their sins because the Kingdom of heaven was at hand.
The Jewish leaders tried to get rid of him - thought his way of getting to God should be nailed to a cross, that his whole agenda would be best dead and buried in a tomb. It looked as if they had been successful - except that he came alive again! Now he has told his disciples that the message about repentance and forgiveness of sins has to be taken everywhere - "But you must wait in the city until the power from above comes down upon you."
Now all is ready. It's the day of Pentecost. They are in the upper room praying and - suddenly! - the door of heaven is blown open and the Holy Spirit is poured down on believers. They testify about the mighty things of God in many different languages and three thousand people repent of their sins and believe the good news.
We still call it the day of Pentecost, and we still keep it seven weeks after Easter. But there is a difference now. We remember that the door of heaven has been blown open, that anyone who repents and believes in Jesus Christ is part of God's family and can freely come into the Father's presence, and that the Holy Spirit is now poured out on all who believe in Jesus.
Now it is the Lord Jesus who comes knocking. The day salvation came to Zacchaeus Jesus said he had come "to seek and to save the lost". And he is still knocking. He says, "Listen! I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he will eat with me" (Rev. 3.20).
Have you heard him? Don't leave him standing there! He gave himself for you on the cross. Now he wants to share your life.
Peter said, "God's promise was made to you and your children, and to all who are far away" (Acts 2.39). The door of heaven is open. Take him at his word!
Back to Sermons