Shavuot Sunday

Shavuot Sunday Dr. Mike Fogerson June 27, 2012

Introduction:

A You may not know it (or its significance) but today is Pentecost Sunday.

1 It has been faithfully celebrated at Catholic & liturgical (formal/high) churches for centuries but many Protestant/Evangelical congregations do not give it as much as a nod.

a FYI: “Evangelical” is a buzz word that is often thrown at Christians/Churches around election times but what does it mean?

aa Evangelicals stress personal conversion experience (Born-Again)

bb Evangelicals believe in the Bible is the authoritative word of God

cc Evangelicals emphasize the death, burial, & resurrection of the Son of God, Jesus Christ.

dd Evangelicals actively share the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

b Pentecost/Shavuot is the last of the Jewish spring festivals (or feasts)

aa Passover (Crucifixion), Unleavened Bread (sinless nature of our Savior), First Fruits (Resurrection Sunday)

bb Where does Pentecost fit the story?

2 15 'You shall also count for yourselves from the day after the sabbath, from the day when you brought in the sheaf of the wave offering; there shall be seven complete sabbaths.16 'You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh sabbath; then you shall present a new grain offering to the Lord.17 'You shall bring in from your dwelling places two loaves of bread for a wave offering, made of two-tenths of an ephah ; they shall be of a fine flour, baked with leaven as first fruits to the Lord.18 'Along with the bread you shall present seven one year old male lambs without defect, and a bull of the herd and two rams; they are to be a burnt offering to the Lord, with their grain offering and their drink offerings, an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the Lord.19 'You shall also offer one male goat for a sin offering and two male lambs one year old for a sacrifice of peace offerings.20 'The priest shall then wave them with the bread of the first fruits for a wave offering with two lambs before the Lord; they are to be holy to the Lord for the priest.21 'On this same day you shall make a proclamation as well; you are to have a holy convocation. You shall do no laborious work. It is to be a perpetual statute in all your dwelling places throughout your generations. Lev 23:15-21 (NASB)

a Fast Facts about Pentecost

aa Jews brought the first of the wheat crop to the Temple to offer it to the Lord on Pentecost. Symbolized w/ waving two laves of leavened bread (Lev. 23.17)

bb They thanked God for the rains that allowed the wheat to grow; God finishing what He started.

cc They prayed that God would send rain during the summer months on the crop that was in the ground now. (Lit. Thanking God for the early harvest and trusting Him for the latter harvest)

dd “Pentecost” was the word used by Greek speaking Jews and non-Hebrew speaking Christians to name this Hebrew feast.

ee “Shavuot” (Hebrew for ‘seven’ or ‘weeks’) and “Pentecost” (Greek for ‘fiftieth’)

ff “Seven full weeks” is 49 days . . . on the next day is Shavuot/Pentecost.

gg Jews understand that Moses received the Law from God on top of Mt. Sinai fifty days after Passover, Shavuot. (The bread is ladder shaped because Jewish tradition says that Moses climbed a ladder to heaven to receive the Law.

hh Jewish tradition says that the soul of every Jew throughout history was present at Mt. Sinai when the Law was given, and each person heard the giving of the Law in their native tongue.

ii Jews believe that King David’s was born & died on Shavuot (The book of Ruth is read because she took on the yoke of the Law/ became Jewish on Pentecost & because David was her descendant)

jj It is customary to eat an entire meal of dairy during Shavuot (Land flowing with “Milk & Honey.”

kk Going to the Synagogue on the first day of Shavu'ot, is powerful, we all read the commandments, the second day is YIZKOR, the day we remember those who are no longer with us and make a special prayer. (Memorial Day)

b 3 To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God.4 Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, "Which," He said, "you heard of from Me;5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."Acts 1:3-5 (NASB)

aa We know that 40 days after Easter Sunday, Jesus ascended into heaven.