Pentecost: What Does It Mean? Have You Missed It?
- MHBPC Admin
- Jul 25
- 17 min read
Updated: Jul 27
Date: 27 July 2025, 11 am
Speaker: Mr Lee Pang Wee Sermon Text: John 7:37-39, 20:19-23
TRANSCRIPT
INTRODUCTION
Today we celebrate Hermon’s 37th anniversary - and we give thanks for God’s faithfulness through all these years.
And as we celebrate, we find ourselves in today’s passage that also celebrates an occasion. Acts chapter 2 tells of another anniversary - not of a church but a Jewish event known as the Feast of Weeks. It was a yearly celebration - what the New Testament calls Pentecost. But on that Pentecost, something new happened. God poured out his Spirit, and the church was born.
Let’s begin with Passover. It is a day the Passover lamb was slain. It is Friday. Then comes First Fruit on Sunday, when the OT priests wave part of the first-fruits as a way of saying, “This land and harvest - it’s all from God”. Seven weeks after that Sunday - on the fiftieth day - the next feast comes : Pentecost. A time of gathering, of harvesting.
This is the traditional and Reformed view - and also Mt Hermon’s view - Jesus was crucified on Passover - Friday. He rose from the dead on First Fruit - Sunday. Fifty days after his resurrection, on Pentecost, a miracle happened: three thousand souls were harvested. That’s the beginning of the church.
What was meant to be just another annual event to celebrate harvest, something phenomenal took place. 120 disciples were together - young, old, ordinary people. And then: a sound of a mighty rushing wind filled the place. People from all the nations - devout Jews who came to Jerusalem for the feast - rushed out to see what was happening.
And what do they find? Tongues like flames of fire resting on each disciple. And these disciples were proclaiming the gospel. And what was amazing? Each was speaking in the hearers’ own language! Bewildered, the people asked, “What does this mean?”. Luke tells us, “They are filled with the Holy Spirit”.
It is no surprise anyone today who reads Acts 2 would be captivated by the dramatic event centered around the Holy Spirit. And it was indeed dramatic and true, as there were eyewitnesses’ accounts.
Of course the best eye witnesses accounts would be from the disciples of Jesus themselves. They are the ones who felt the wind, experienced the tongues of fire on them, and spoke languages they never learned. It was the Holy Spirit speaking through the disciples, giving them real words in real languages, understood by real people. It is an unique event in the history of the church.
But let's get back to the disciples. What could be going on in their minds?.
They remember - Jesus had promised the Holy Spirit just 10 days ago, in Acts 1:8. What they didn’t know was when or how. For didn’t Jesus say that the Spirit is like the wind that blows, and no one knows where it comes from? (John 3:8)
And they remember, in John 14, Jesus said the Spirit, whom the Father will send, will teach them and remind them all things he said to them. (John 14:26).
So now, when we put Luke’s perspective in Acts, together with John’s perspective, we can understand what could be on the minds of the disciples that day as the event of Pentecost unfolded in a dramatic fashion before their eyes.
So let’s follow the thoughts of the disciples. Let’s recall from the most recent event to the earliest.
So, 50 days earlier, the evening Jesus rose from the dead, he appeared to the disciples. John 20 tells us Jesus breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit” They remembered wondering, “Where is the Holy Spirit?” But nobody asked. (John 20:19-22).
And then they would have also remembered what Jesus said in John 16, “It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper would not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.” And Jesus did leave them. They saw him ascend into heaven. (John 16:7)
Even earlier, in John 14, Jesus promised, “And I will ask of the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever….” They didn’t fully grasp it then, but a promise was made. (John 14:16)
And going back 2 years before Pentecost to John 7, Jesus stood up in the temple and cried out, “If anyone thirst, let him come to me and drink. For whoever believes in me, out of his heart will flow rivers of living waters”(John 7:37-39). Now, I don’t think anyone really understood what Jesus meant at that time. But it seems John understood - he says Jesus was talking about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive. Then John continues - “for as yet the Spirit had not been given…”. John knew about the Holy Spirit, but even he could not fully picture what was coming.
You see, in the OT, the Spirit was with God’s people. But after Jesus’ glorification - His death, resurrection and ascension - the Spirit is now in God’s people. But for John then, he could only say, “For as yet the Spirit had not been given”.
And now, on Pentecost, the disciples realize, perhaps in different degrees, what Jesus spoke symbolically about in the last 3 years has now become a reality.
But amongst the disciples who are seeing the reality in different degrees, one stands out: Peter. Just 50 days or so ago, he had denied even knowing Jesus - three times. He once even rebuked Jesus when he told them that he would be killed and after three days rise again (Matthew 16:22). But everything Jesus said came true. He was crucified. And he rose on the third day.
And now, on the day of Pentecost, the crowd asks, “What does this mean?”
Peter, having now grasped a large degree of the meaning of Pentecost, he stands up to explain what it all means. And you would expect Peter to tell us about the Holy Spirit.
But from Peter’s sermon that follows, what Pentecost is telling us is not so much about the Holy Spirit but about Jesus Christ. We note that his sermon was minimally on the Holy Spirit and maximally on Christ. Peter, whom Jesus has given the key to the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 16:18-19), he now, by way of his first sermon, opens the door of the kingdom. And three thousand souls that day came through the door. And this forms the framework of our sermon today.
At this point, let me thank God for our pastors and other bible teachers for their teachings on Acts and the Holy Spirit.
For example, Ps Daniel, in his sermon on Acts chapter 2 on 19 Feb 2023, he said,
“At the last Passover, Jesus the Lamb of God offered the once for all sacrifice for the sins of man. Now 50 days after, Jesus sends the Holy Spirit on the disciples as the first-fruit, as a reminder that this is the empowerment for the harvest of souls.”
I also must thank the members of New Life CG. I learned much from our collective study on Acts 2 years ago. I also find the two resources - Acts by Merida and the Holy Spirit by Ferguson very helpful - I’d recommend them for your reading.
In this sermon, I am building on what I have learned from all of them.
Our sermon title is: “Pentecost: What Does It Mean? Have you missed it?”
WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
What does it mean? Let’s listen to Peter and let him tell us what it means.
Peter made three proclamations in his sermon, and we shall follow them as our three main points today:
Verse 14, “Let this be known to you”
Verse 22, “Hear these words”
Verse 36, “Know for certain”
Pentecost tells us the Scriptures concerning Christ are being fulfilled.
First, v14, “Let this be known to you…” What does Peter want you to know?
Peter wants you to know this: Pentecost means Scriptures concerning Christ are being fulfilled.
Now, Luke in v40 tells us Peter spoke with many other words - more than what’s written down in Acts.
Remember - after his resurrection, Jesus spent 40 days with the disciples, teaching them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. And didn’t their hearts burn within them? (Luke 24:13-15, 27, 32).
So imagine: Peter’s heart is burning with passion because he finally understands what Jesus has taught them - from Genesis to the Prophets - the whole of OT Scriptures - the redemptive plan of God was always pointing to Christ.
Let’s walk through a few of those Scriptures that Peter might have had in mind.
Think of Genesis 3:15: The curse on the serpent at the Fall was also the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Even in the Fall, God planted a seed of hope.
Or Gen. 15 and 17, God promised Abraham that he shall be the father of a multitude of nations, is now being fulfilled as devout men from all nations under heaven gathered on that day of Pentecost.
Then Genesis 22, God provides the lamb for sacrifice for Abraham in place of his son Isaac, pointing forward to the day when God will provide His Son. That promise? Fulfilled in Jesus!
And now Peter turns to Joel, the prophet. Joel says in the last days God will pour out his Spirit on all flesh, and sons and daughters, and male servants and female servants, and they shall all prophesy.
But wait. Do we all prophesy? That’s a fair question. Peter says Joel’s prophecy is fulfilled. But do we all prophesy?
If you say no, then you are saying Joel the prophet was not speaking the truth. Which means God’s word is not true. But is God’s word not true? Maybe the issue is how we understand the word ‘prophecy’.
We often think of prophecy as predicting the future - foretelling. But in the bible prophecy is also forth-telling - declaring God’s word in the present. In fact, most of the prophets in the Scriptures were forth-telling - speaking truth into their moment, calling people back to God.
Even books we label ‘history’ in our bible - Joshua, Judges, Samuels, Kings - are under Books of the Prophets in the Jewish bible. What would this tell you?
So yes, we do prophesy today. Not by predicting the future, but by speaking God’s Word into the now. When we teach the bible, when we share Christ, speak gospel conservations in CGs, in 3-2-1s, in 1-to-1s, or when we sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to one another, we are forth-telling God’s word in the present. So we all prophesy. God’s Word through Joel is true.
And what happened on that Pentecost day? The three thousand were saved. And they forth-tell - through their repentance, baptism and transformed lives. To you who are baptised today - your testimony - it is prophecy. You are declaring what Jesus has done for you - through his Word, by his Spirit, right now!
And what does this mean? It means Pentecost tells us that Scriptures concerning Christ are being fulfilled. That the Word of God is true.
But listen closely. If all you do is believe that Scripture is true - and stop here - you have missed the point of Pentecost.
Let us continue to follow Peter’s sermon.
Pentecost tells us Jesus lived and died for our sins and rose again according to the sovereign plan of God.
Peter continues in verse 22, “Hear these words…”. (v22-23)
So what does he want you to hear? He wants you to hear that Jesus lived and died and rose again.
But first - He wants you to tell who Jesus is.
He wants to tell you about Jesus of Nazareth - the real historical person.
He wants to tell you Jesus is a man. He is fully man (v22). But not any other man. He is, in v23, ‘this Jesus’.
He is a living man. He lived and He lives.
He is a miracle working man. He healed many, and did mighty works.
He is a crucified man. He is a crucified man in the hands of wicked men - but then, Peter said something very striking in v23 - “This Jesus, whom you crucified…. by the plan and foreknowledge of God”. Peter wants you to hear that the death of Jesus is not a tragic thing, not a failure. It was God’s sovereign plan. It was not a thing of pity, but a thing of praise!
He was a dead man. He died. His death was a death to sin (Rom. 6:10). Why? Because God’s law is when sin is done, the wages is death (Rom. 6:23). So in his death, Jesus fulfills God’s law. The death he died, he died for our sins.
But He is not a rotting man (v27). We decay after death. But not Jesus the man. Death cannot hold him. Why? Because he was without sin. So death has no legal claim on him.
He is a risen man! How do we know? The disciples saw him. Jesus appeared to them on the first Sunday. And again on the second Sunday. And he appeared to them for the next 40 days.
He is an ascended man. Really? The disciples saw his ascension. Why? Because He came to us from God and he has gone back to God (John 13:1,3). Why? Because Jesus is fully man and fully God.
He is the Son of God. Jesus said, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. I am in the Father and the Father in me.” (John 14:9,11). The Christian faith has three Persons in the Godhead - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Each is God divine. There is nothing in the Father that is not in the Son, and there is nothing in the Son that is not in the Spirit. Yet there are not three Gods but only One God.
Jesus came to take our place as a sacrifice for our sins, just as God provided Himself the lamb for Abraham’s sacrifice. “For our sake, God made Jesus to be sin who knew no sin, so that we might be right with God” (2 Cor. 5:21). This is the great exchange. God put our sins on Christ, and Christ’s righteousness on us. This is the only righteousness God accepts. Believers are as righteous before God as Christ is. Hallelujah, what a Savior!
Pentecost tells us Jesus lived and died for our sins and rose again according to the sovereign plan of God.
But just like Point 1 - if all we do is know this, if we stop at believing that Jesus died and rose again, you still have missed the point of Pentecost.
Pentecost tells us that Jesus is exalted as Lord.
Peter ends his sermon with this strong statement in verse 36, ”Know for certain that this Jesus God has made him both Lord and Christ….”
What does Peter want you to know for certain?
That the same Jesus - crucified, buried, rose again and ascended - is now exalted.
He is not just alive - he is enthroned, crowned (v33)
Do you know for certain that Jesus is now seated at the right hand of God? Do you know for certain God has made him both Lord and Christ? (v36).
He alone is the Lord of lords. He alone is the King of kings. He alone shall every tongue and tribe and people and nation call him Lord.
What does it mean for you that Jesus is Lord?
Some countries call their leader ‘Supreme Leader’. But the leaders’ sphere of influence is only limited to who and where he can control. And when he dies, the supremacy dies with him.
But that is not the meaning of ‘Lord’. The word ‘Lord’ Peter used is ‘kurios’ (Strong’s 2962), it means supreme authority. This authority does not die with Jesus because he lives forever. He is from everlasting to everlasting Lord of everything and Lord everywhere.
Phil. 2:9-11 “Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
We have seen glimpses of this truth - in overseas missions trips. Even when we don’t share a common language, we share a common Saviour. Our worship of Christ transcends all languages and cultures, all tongues and tribes, all people and nations. Jesus unites what the world divides. That’s what happens when Jesus is Lord.
Pentecost fulfills Psalm 2. The Father says to the Son, “I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill… Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, and the ends of the earth your possession.”
Jesus, having obeyed perfectly, returns crowned, enthroned - and He asks the Father for the promised Spirit (v33, John 14:16). And at Pentecost, the Spirit is poured out on the church (v28).
This tells us two things:
One, the sending of the Spirit to his disciples is evidence that Christ is enthroned (Acts 2:33; Ps. 2:8). Pentecost proves Christ is King.
Two, Pentecost is the visible expression on earth of the invisible coronation of Jesus in heaven (Acts 2:36; Ps. 2:6). It means we can’t have Jesus as Savior without having him as Lord.
So, to recap, Pentecost tells us:
The Scriptures concerning Christ are being fulfilled
Jesus came to live and die for our sins, was buried and rose again
Jesus ascended, and now crowned, enthroned, exalted, as Lord and Christ
WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR US - Yet-Believers
Now, if you are here today, and you are not yet believing in Jesus Christ - let me ask you: What does all this mean for you?
Today you have heard the gospel. You heard that Jesus lived, died for our sins, rose again, and is now Lord of all.
God’s Word invites you - today - to come to Him through faith in Jesus Christ.
But what is faith? Once I learned that faith is 3 things, and it helped me to understand it more clearly.
Faith is knowing.
Today you have come to know who Jesus is.
But if you just know who Jesus is, you don’t yet have faith.
Faith is believing.
Faith is believing that Jesus - the Son of God - came, was crucified, died, buried but rose again.
But many people stop here. Even demons believe that, and shudder.
So faith must go one step further.
Faith is trusting.
Faith is trusting Jesus, it’s resting on him.
It’s putting all your weight on him for salvation - depending on Him fully, surrendering to him as your Saviour and Lord.
Let me give you a picture. Right now you are sitting on a chair. But you are not checking on your chair every few seconds if it will hold you, are you? You are completely resting on it - with your full weight. That is what it means to trust in Jesus.
Or picture this. Two world-class surgeons. Specialists in a certain disease. Both think they are the best. One day the worst news came. One of them came down with that disease. He went to the other doctor, “You are the one I trust. Help me”. He knows the other doctor. At that moment, he not only knows and believes the other is good - he entrusts his life into the other’s hands.
So faith is knowing, faith is believing and faith is trusting, completely resting, dependent and surrender to Jesus as Savior and Lord.
To trust is to act on your belief. On that day of Pentecost, three thousand men and women acted on their belief. They asked, “What shall we do?” And Peter answered “Repent”.
What is to ‘repent’? Imagine you are driving, heading towards the wrong way. You check Google map, and it says, “Make a U-turn”. You trust it, you U-turn.
That’s repentance. It means you realize, “I’ve been living the wrong way - living in unbelief, living for self, or for idols” And you turn. You turn towards faith in Jesus Christ. And your sins are forgiven.
God’s Word today tells us we are in these ‘last days’. The last days begin from the resurrection of Jesus, to the time he will return again. He will return to judge the world. We may not be in the last of last days, but we are certainly in the last days. Let me ask you - if someone told you these were your last days, what would you do?
Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest”. The same Jesus, who is the Lord of lords, the King of kings, is also gentle and kind. He offers rest for your souls. Do you trust him?
The words of the hymn -
My faith has found a resting place - not in device nor creed:
I trust the Ever living one - his wounds for me shall plead.
I have no other argument, I need no other plea;
It is enough that Jesus died, and that he died for me.
(Edmunds / Kirkpatrick)
Does it really matter if Jesus was born in December or September, or died on a Wednesday or Friday? What matters is this: Jesus died - and he died for you. That’s enough! So rest in that. Rest in Him.
Now, the good news is this: Faith is a gift. God gives faith to those who are willing to receive it. Because faith always comes with grace. And grace is free.
Today if you like to know more about Jesus, speak with our Pastors, or to brother Zebedee. Brother Zebedee conducts the Christianity Explored course. It is for anyone who wishes to learn more about Jesus through the Gospel of Mark.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR US, CHURCH?
So far, we have asked:
What does Pentecost mean?
What does it mean for you yet-believer?
Now, one final question - church, what does it mean for us?
Let’s turn to the last part of Acts 2 - verses 41-47 - and we get a profound picture of the church after the Spirit was poured out.
Verse 42 says: “They devoted themselves…”
To the Apostles’ teaching - the word (2:42a),
To fellowship - to one another (2:42b),
To the breaking of bread - remembering Christ (2:42c).
And to prayer (2:42d).
That was the heartbeat of the early church. And what was the result?
Radical generosity within the church (2:45).
Daily interaction and shared lives (2:46a).
Worship in both large gatherings and small groups (2:46b).
A spirit of awe, gladness and praise (2:43a,46-47a).
An attractive community that others want to join (2:47b).
And a daily witness to Christ (2:47c).
The church showed such Unity, Oneness, Belongingness that even outsiders found it compelling. How ? The Gospel did it. In Acts chapter 4 we read ‘they believed the gospel’ and the Apostles kept preaching it (Acts 4:32,33). Faith in Jesus made them in one heart and one mind. They didn’t create unity - God did. Their role was to live it out, sharing everything as one.
Can we experience the same today? I think we still can. If not, we have missed the meaning of Pentecost. Maybe the question we need to ask is - Have we forgotten that Christ has given us His Spirit ?
May I suggest 3 reminders for us as we think of Unity, Oneness and Belongingness:
First, remember, Jesus didn’t just save individuals.
He is building a body - the church. And that body is made by one Spirit.
1 Cor. 12:12-13, “For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body…”
Eph. 4:4-6, “There is one body, one Spirit, one Lord, one faith, one baptism and one God and Father of all”.
We are not just connected by shared belief - we are united by a shared Spirit.
Second, remember the Spirit is a Person. Not just as the gift to receive or the power to have, but a Person to know. Do we know who He is? Yes, while Jesus said the Spirit will point to him (John 15:26), will glorify him (John 16:14), it does not mean we ignore the Spirit. Do we know the Person of the Holy Spirit? Do we walk with Him?
Third, remember God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit (Rom. 5:5). This love is not abstract - it is experienced through the Spirit who lives in us.
So - if all the above is yes - what is still missing? I think what is missing here is the question of “are we missing the Spirit”? Or more gently, are we out-of-sync with the Spirit?
Paul puts it this way in Gal. 5. In particular, verse 25. Paul says “keep in step with the Spirit” (Gal 5:25).
Ask ourselves gently - when we look at another, do we (including me) see each other through the eyes of Christ.? The eyes of Christ sees with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Because he is filled with the Spirit and keeps in step with the Spirit.
If we don’t see one another as Christ sees - perhaps we (including me) are not in step with the Spirit?
The same Spirit who indwells the Father and the Son, now dwells in us. There is nothing in the Spirit that is not unlike the Son. He is the ‘another Helper’ sent to be with us - forever.
May the Spirit enable us to keep in step with him - so that we may be a church marked by unity, oneness and belongingness - and in so being, glorify Jesus - our Lord and Christ.
Reflection Questions:
Have I missed Pentecost? Check against the questions if unsure.
Have you ever thought of yourself as a prophet? Why or why not? What impact should the notion that you are meant to share God’s Word have on your Christian witness?
How might you more fully devote yourself to prayer and the study of Scriptures, partake in Holy Communion, participate in Prayer Meetings and fellowship with fellow believers?
How might knowing that the same Spirit who indwells in the Father and the Son, now dwells in you, change the way you relate to another in the body of Christ ? Share one practical way how you may “keep in step with the Spirit” (ref Gal. 5:25)?
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