5 of 12 Christian Basics: Go

The Christian faith is a going faith. We Christ-followers are not satisfied with having the peace and joy that Jesus brings. We want to share the living presence of Christ with others so they, too, can know Jesus and his “abundant life.” We want to reach out, just as Jesus did. The Jewish faith was more of a coming faith (for example, see 1 Kings 10:1-13). The emphasis in the Christian faith is more on going.

Ironically, in the New Testament the big kickoff of the Christian faith was the feast of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-41), celebrated by God-fearing Jews from across the ancient world who were coming to Jerusalem. Because these Jews came to Jerusalem, after the feast they then went back to their homes. So the good news about Jesus traveled with them.

The Jewish feast of Pentecost, sometimes known as the feast of weeks, was a celebration of the abundance of the harvest (Deuteronomy 16:9-12). First-century Jews knew well the ancient commandment:

And rejoice before the Lord your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name—you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, the Levites in your towns, and the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows living among you. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt, and follow carefully these decrees.

Everyone was to celebrate, including the non-Jews who were living in the area. So when, on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2, people heard the message of Jesus in their own, heart languages, God confirmed his intent: “Go! Reach out!” he seemed to be saying, and thousands of people responded by giving their hearts to Jesus (Acts 2:41). What a kickoff!

This first-century day of Pentecost was a grand fulfillment of the words of Jesus: “‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.’”(Matthew 9:36-38)

From the first century to 2025, Christians have continued to reach out, despite hardships and danger (please see my article about St. Patrick). Today, the Bible has been translated into 3,756 languages, so people can hear about the Good News of Jesus in their own, heart language. Christians from across the globe contribute financially to the needs of translators and missionaries so Christ’s word can continue to spread.

The harvest continues to be plentiful and Jesus followers continue to “Go!”

You can see the entire study on the 12 basics of Christian theology here.

Subscribe to receive an email notice when I post a new blog article.

Please leave a comment below if you like.