In case you missed it, May 14th was Ascension Day—the day Jesus left His disciples and rose to heaven. (By the way, I missed it too.) For some reason, we don’t celebrate Ascension Day, but Pentecost, which occurs ten days later, gets much more recognition, and rightly so; it is considered the birthday of the church.

I often wonder how the disciples felt after Jesus ascended to heaven. Initially, they must have felt excitement, but as the days passed, I imagine many thought, “So now what?” Jesus had promised them the Holy Spirit and power to be His witnesses, but with His absence, uncertainty loomed. They gathered with 120 other believers in prayer, with Peter leading them in decisions, including choosing a replacement for Judas. Still, they had to wait for the Holy Spirit without knowing how long it would take. Waiting can be difficult, and I’m sure many of them questioned what God had planned for their lives.

In ten days, Jesus’ promise came true. “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly, a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” There were God-fearing Jews from all over the world in the same place, and when they heard the disciples, some marveled while others scoffed, thinking they were drunk. But Peter stood up and addressed them all, reassuring them that they were not drunk but filled with the Spirit of God. He began to tell them about Jesus—who He was and how He fulfilled God’s prophecy. Peter urged them, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

On that day, 3,000 believed and were baptized. The church began, and it did not stop there. “They all devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” Quotations from Acts 2

God kept His promise and sent the Holy Spirit to the 120, and the world has never been the same. Thank you, God, for sending Your Spirit to the disciples and giving them the strength to change the world!

Take care, and happy birthday to the church!

Bill R