In our Gospel reading this morning Jesus appears to the Apostles in a locked room and tells them of the coming of the Holy Spirit. According to tradition, this event occurred in the Upper Room, or Cenacle, where they had the Last Supper.
Tradition also holds that the arrival of the Holy Spirit occurred in the Upper Room. However, many scholars believe that the events of the day actually took place at the Temple and the “house” referred to in the text is the Temple itself. This is where many thousands of people would have been gathered for the Feast of Shavuot.
The three thousand who were baptized in response to the Apostles’ preaching could have used the ceremonial baths, mikveh, at the southern entrance to the Temple, one of which is pictured.
Have you been following the Footsteps of Jesus? Since Epiphany, each 2020 worship bulletin cover has had a picture of a location in the Holy Land that tied into that day’s Gospel reading. The pictures show the probable locations of the baptism of Jesus, his days of ministry to the people, and more. These photos will continue through to Trinity Sunday as we explore the life of Jesus and its meaning for us today. To see the rest of the photos in this series, click HERE.
Green Hill Presbyterian Church 