October 6, 2023 — What IF…?

What if The Disciples Slept In On the Day of Pentecost?

“When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him.” And he testified with many other arguments and exhorted them, saying, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” Acts 2:1-21, 37-42

The Day of Pentecost was originally a harvest festival – in fact one account of this festival states that this is the one day that those in Jerusalem to celebrate the festival could drink as much as they wanted – all day. Perhaps that is why the by-standers thought the disciples were drunk. But I am getting ahead of myself in the story.

According to the Old Testament (Exodus 23 and 24, Leviticus 16, e.g.) you will discover that Pentecost was one of the Jewish feast days – but it wasn’t called Pentecost. Pentecost is the Greek name – it literally means 50th day. The Jews called it the Feast of Harvest or the Feast of Weeks. It was the celebration of the beginning of the early weeks of harvest. In Palestine there were two harvests each year — the early harvest came during the months of May and June; the final harvest came in the Fall. Pentecost was the celebration of the beginning of the early wheat harvest, which meant that Pentecost always fell sometime during the middle of the month of May or sometimes in early June.

So this was a pilgrimage festival for the Jews, and as such there were people from all over the territory there for a party. And it sounds like it was quite the party – especially of the by-standers thought the disciples were already drunk at nine o’clock in the morning. So, what if the disciples were so tired, or had partied too much and slept in that morning?

I know it is almost sacrilege to suggest that the disciples were partying instead of involved in prayer and fasting every day, all day, since the Ascension of Jesus. But we cannot forget that the disciples were human beings, just like you and me. All along the process of their discipleship they have proven their humanness – by misunderstanding Jesus, arguing about who was the greatest disciple, and forgetting to show up to important events. And if they slept in this day, they would have missed the seminal moment of their Apostleship. Once Jesus Ascended into heaven, forty days after his resurrection (or the thirty-ninth day after Easter Sunday), the “Disciples” (which means those being taught, those who are learning) become Apostles (which means “the sent-out ones”). And the most important event of their Apostleship, we can say, is receiving the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. It is from this moment forward where their actions, as Apostles, grow the Christian church in amazing ways. It is because of the Day of Pentecost that we sit here today as Christians, talking about the importance and life-defining moment of the Resurrection of Jesus.

The disciples may often come across as the equivalent of first century “Keystone Cops” – but they sure showed up when G-d needed them – and would all be martyred for the church and their faith.

Pastor Dave