Posts Tagged ‘ascension’

Happy Birthday Church

The birth of the church is known as Pentecost. It happened 53 days after Jesus’ crucifixion: After three days was the Resurrection. Then Jesus appeared to his disciples and at least 500 people for forty days after the resurrection. He told His followers to remain in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit came on them with power. Ten days after He ascended into Heaven, the disciples gathered in an upper room. The Holy Spirit appeared as flames of fire over each of the apostles and enabled them to proclaim the gospel in the languages of all who were present.

“Aren’t these men from Galilee?” asked one man. “How is it we understand them in our own language?”

“They have had too much wine,” responded another.

Peter stood and said, “We are not drunk as you said. It is only nine o’clock in the morning. What you see is evidence of the Holy Spirit just as Jesus told us it would happen,” and he convinced many of the good news. More than three thousand people repented of the way they lived that day and were baptized.

Because Peter and the apostles were faithful to preach the gospel, we know the truth today about God’s  grace and a relationship with a living God who loves and cares about us.