Pentecost -- In many ways, is the birth of the church.
Before the events of the first Pentecost which came a few weeks after Jesus's death, and resurrection, there were followers of Jesus, but no movement that could be meaningfully called "The Church." Thus, from a historical point of view, Pentecost is the day on which the church was started.
Pentecost is a translation of the Greek word which means "fifty." Christians got the phrase from a Jewish holiday known as the Festival of Weeks in which people count seven weeks, or fifty days, from the end of Passover to the beginning of the next holiday.
The day became significant for Christians because seven weeks after the resurrection of Jesus, the Holy Spirit was poured out upon his first followers, thus empowering them for their mission and gathering them together as a church.
On the Old Testament day of Pentecost, Israel received the Law; on the New Testament day of Pentecost, the church received the Holy Spirit.
"Now when the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sate upon each of them. And they were all filled with the HOLY SPIRIT and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance" (ACTS 2:1-4).
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