In today's lesson, we explore the Feast of Weeks holiday. The holiday is called Shavuot in Hebrew, and in Greek, Pentecost. 

This is the holiday we see in Acts chapter two when God delivers the Holy Spirit as a gift from Heaven. 

What's going on at this event? What does this event tell us about the power of community? 

We see tonight how in a very concrete act, God is showing us that His presence has moved out of the "Temple" in Jerusalem and now resides wherever there is a group of "living stones" (1 Peter 2:4-5) gathered together in worship. 

Finally, we explore evidence from the first-century Jewish culture that helps us build a foundation for the background of this event and some of the traditions surrounding the events of God coming down on Mount Sinai.

For more on Act 2 Pentecost in light of first-century interpretation of the events on Mount Sinai (Exodus 20), see this journal article from Scandinavian Jewish Studies:

Theresa Abell haynes, "Voices of Fire: Sinai Imagery in Acts 2 and Rabbinic Midrash"

https://journal.fi/nj/article/view/102389

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Today's lesson explores the "counting of the omer."
 
This is a ritual that happens during the time between Passover and the next major holiday – the festival of Weeks. This holiday is called Shavuot in Hebrew or Pentecost in Greek.
 
The ritual is a 49-day countdown leading you to the Festival of Weeks.
 
In Jewish tradition, Pentecost celebrates God delivering a gift from heaven - the Torah - at Mount Sinai. 
 
In Acts 2 - on the same holiday - God delivers another gift from heaven in the form of the Holy Spirit. 
 
Each year, this celebratory ritual provides the opportunity to prepare ourselves and our communities to receive God's Word and his Holy Spirit once again during the "counting of the omer" that leads up to that holiday.

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Today's video continues our exploration of the Passover holiday and takes us into the evening after the Passover meal.

According to Exodus 12:42, this evening is a "night for watching," a vigil to be kept by the Israelites for all generations.

The events of this night happen at a place called Gethsemane.

But does the Bible call it the "Garden of Gethsemane" as we do in our Christian lingo?

The short answer is no.

Then what is a Gethsemane, and how does it connect to what is happening with Jesus that evening?

​Join us and be enlightened by learning about a Gethsemane - the place of Jesus' agony.

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Jesus heals a blind man with his saliva! What are we supposed to make of this miracle?

Why does Jesus use saliva to heal eyes, and what would that first-century audience have thought about his use of spittle?

And what would be the message for a Jewish audience?

​Join us as we explore the cultural context of the first-century to see what others would have thought about healing eyes with spittle.

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In today’s lesson, we explore the meal that Jesus had with his disciples – what we refer to as the Last Supper – and see how it compares to the elements found in the traditional Passover celebration meal that today we call a Seder.

We’ll also look at a seating chart of the meal and see how knowing the basic seating arrangement in the first century helps us understand some things going on in the Gospels.
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In particular, we will see the absolutely genius manner in which Jesus interacts with Judas. I believe you will find it most enjoyable once you understand the Passover table and the references from the Old Testament. 

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