We celebrated Pentecost Sunday a few weeks ago. Many would mark the birth of the Christian Church to this day one thousand nine hundred and ninety years ago when, fifty days after Jesus’ resurrection the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples, filling them with divine power and enabling them to speak in different languages.

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that God chose the Jewish feast of Pentecost to pour out His Spirit as foretold in Joel 2:28-29. This was one of the pilgrimage feasts where all of Israel was to travel to Jerusalem for the Feast of Weeks or Feast of Harvest. It was also referred to as “Pentecost” since it was to be celebrated 50 days after the Passover. The purpose was to celebrate the grain harvest and renew their covenant with God. This feast, unlike so many of God’s regulations specifically included the use of yeast or leaven (Lev. 23:17).

As Jesus traveled throughout his area, he had compassion for people who were like sheep without a shepherd and exhorted his followers to see. What were they to see? The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few (Matthew 9:35-38; Luke 10:1-12). Who is the harvest? People: Democrats and republican and independents too; day laborers and CEOs; atheists and fundamentalists. It really doesn’t matter who you are – Jesus is seeking relationship with you. Without Him, we can do nothing (John 15:5).

On that first Pentecost Peter was empowered to share the good news. The disciples were able to speak in languages they did not know to reach everyone within ear shot in their own native languages. The book of Acts isn’t so much about the accomplishments of that first group of believers as it is about the Holy Spirit using ordinary people to spread an extraordinary message. A. W. Towzer wrote, “God is looking for those with whom He can do the impossible — what a pity that we plan only the things that we can do by ourselves.”

A movement has started among some Christians that is focusing on the year 2033 as a goal date to complete the task Jesus left for all of his believers to accomplish – make disciples of all people groups (Matthew 28:18-20). How awesome would it be if we could say the task of sowing the gospel from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth were completed two thousand years after Jesus’ resurrection? What if on Sunday, April 17, 2033 a person from every tribe, tongue and ethnos were able to celebrate Easter?

Question to ponder:
How are you participating in the disciple making harvest?