The Day of Pentecost
(Acts 2:1-41)
Fifty days after Passover comes the great Jewish festival called Pentecost. Jerusalem is packed with visitors from countries all over the known world: Parthians, Medes, Elamites, people from Egypt, Libya, Rome, Arabia, and more. The one hundred and twenty believers are all together in one place when it happens. Suddenly, a sound comes from heaven like a mighty rushing wind. It fills the entire house. Then what look like tongues of fire appear and settle on each of them. Every single one of them is filled with the Holy Spirit, and they begin speaking in languages they have never studied or learned.
The crowd outside hears the roaring sound and comes running. What stops them cold is this: people from a dozen different regions are all hearing these ordinary Galileans speaking in their own native language. They are stunned. Some ask, "What does this mean?" Others sneer, "They have had too much wine." That is when Peter stands up.
This is not the Peter who denied Jesus three times. Something has changed. He stands before thousands of people and raises his voice: "Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning!" Then Peter points the whole crowd straight at Joel's prophecy and straight at Jesus of Nazareth. He says clearly: this Jesus was handed over to you, you put Him to death, and God raised Him from the dead. Peter declares that God has made this same Jesus both Lord and Messiah.
The crowd is cut to the heart. They cry out, "Brothers, what shall we do?" Peter tells them, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." That day, about three thousand people believe and are baptized. The church is born.
A Curious Question
People from countries all over the world heard the believers speaking in their own languages. Everyone understood, no matter where they were from. Why do you think God chose to do it this way instead of just having everyone hear in one common language?
Old Testament Connection
Peter's whole sermon at Pentecost was built out of the Old Testament. He started with Joel 2, a promise sitting in the Scriptures for about eight hundred years, that God would pour out His Spirit on all people, young and old, men and women, not just kings and prophets. Think of a dam holding back an enormous river. The Spirit had only trickled to a few select people in Israel's history. Pentecost was the day the dam broke. Peter also used Psalm 16 and Psalm 110, both written by David, to prove that David himself was pointing forward to a coming Messiah who would rise from the dead. The Day of Pentecost was not a surprise to God. It was the plan all along.
Discussion Questions
- Peter had denied Jesus three times just weeks earlier. Now he was standing in front of thousands preaching boldly about Jesus. What do you think changed inside Peter? What do you think made the difference?
- The crowd asked, "What shall we do?" when they heard Peter's message. If someone asked you that same question today, what would you tell them?
- Three thousand people were baptized in one day. That is an enormous number. What do you think those three thousand people's lives looked like different the very next morning after they believed?
"So What?" What Can I Do?
Peter stood up and told the truth about Jesus even though it was hard and even though he knew some people would mock him. This week, look for one moment when you can say something true about Jesus to someone else. It does not have to be a long sermon. It can be as simple as telling a friend why you go to church, or saying you prayed about something and God helped you. Practice what you would say out loud before that moment comes.
Memorize God's Word
Acts 2:38: "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."
Hand Motions:
- Repent: Turn your whole body around to face the opposite direction.
- and be baptized: Dip one hand below the other as if going underwater.
- every one of you: Sweep your arm in a wide arc pointing around the whole room.
- in the name of Jesus Christ: Bow your head slightly and fold your hands.
- for the forgiveness of your sins: Hold both hands up with palms facing out, then lower them slowly as if releasing something.
- And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit: Cup both hands open in front of you as if receiving something precious.
Praying with Kids
Father, thank You for keeping Your promise. Thank You for sending the Holy Spirit just like You said You would. Thank You that Jesus did not stay in the grave, and that on the Day of Pentecost, the whole world started hearing the good news. Help us to be brave enough to tell people about Jesus the way Peter did. Fill us with Your Spirit so that our words are not just our own. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Craft: My Pentecost Flame
Children create a flame figure to remember that the Holy Spirit came to live inside every believer, not just a select few leaders, on the Day of Pentecost.
Materials Checklist
Instructions
- Pre-cut tissue paper into strips about two inches wide and six inches long. Give each child several strips of each color.
- Have each child draw or trace a simple outline of a person's head and shoulders on their cardstock.
- Layer and scrunch the tissue strips together above the head to form a flame shape, then glue them in place.
- Write Acts 2:38 in bold letters at the bottom: "You will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."
- Have each child write their own name on the figure to remember: the Spirit came to live in me, too.
Effective Teaching Techniques
Begin this lesson with sound. Before children arrive, look up a recording of a strong rushing wind and have it ready to play. When the class is settled, say nothing. Just play the wind sound for about fifteen seconds. Then ask: "What would you think if you heard that sound coming from inside a building with all the windows closed?" That simple sensory hook will prime the class for the most dramatic moment in Acts 2.
When you get to Peter's sermon, help children feel the contrast with who Peter was before. Remind them briefly that this is the same man who sat by a fire in the high priest's courtyard and said three times he had never met Jesus. Ask: "What do you think changed?" Let them wrestle with it before you name the answer. The most likely difficult question in this lesson is about speaking in tongues. Be straightforward: God gave the believers the ability to speak in real human languages they had never studied, so that people from everywhere could hear about Jesus in their own language. That is the clear meaning of the text.