Acts: Part 5 – Thanksgiving for the Harvest of Souls
The Day of Pentecost reflects the Jewish celebration of Shavuot, meaning “weeks”. Fifty days after Passover, the Jewish population would come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Weeks, which was the season of the wheat harvest, and a time of giving thanks for the harvest of God’s provision. This outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost also marked the first harvest of souls. After Peter preached his first Gospel sermon, Luke records the following in Acts 2:41: Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all. And so today marks a good day to give thanks for the Holy Spirit and for the harvest of souls.