Numbers are important in the Bible. For instance, the number “7” represents completeness and divine power. It was on the 7th day of creation God rested – the Sabbath. Seven series of sevens equals 49, so the number “50” is kind of like a Sabbath of Sabbaths. In Jewish tradition, every 50th year was a Jubilee year, in which all debt was wiped away. And every year, on the 50th day after Passover, Jews gathered in Jerusalem for the festival of Pentecost, at which they celebrated the gift of the Law on Mt. Sinai 50 days after their liberation from slavery in Egypt.
Fifty days after Jesus’ resurrection, the Holy Spirit was poured out on Jews from all the known world who were gathered in Jerusalem for Pentecost. Tongues of fire danced above the heads of the disciples and suddenly they could understand other languages. It was a miracle of unity – but it was much more than that. As Jeremiah prophesied, the Law would no longer be something external to believers, but written on our hearts.
Join us in worship this weekend as we celebrate the intimacy we have with God through the Holy Spirit and explore what that means to us in the church!