The Jewish groups

it is hard to understand the Gospels and the Acts without knowing something about the Old Testament.  There are some groups who think all they need is the New Testament, which is like reading the last half of the book without having read the first half.

Especially at this time of year, during the time of the passion and Pentecost.  It is important to realize the context of what is happening.  First, there are the two groups of Jews.  The Pharisees and the Sadducees were two warring factions in Jewish society.  The Sadducees were the secular authority, partners of Rome.  The Pharisees were the religious group, almost fanatical in their devotion to faith.

The Pharisees did not like Jesus because he claimed to be God.  They had very little to do with his seizure and trial, except that they did not file any protest or challenge anything that happened.  Later, when the Sadducees begin the persecution of the Christians, the Pharisees protest to Rome.  We still have a record that when James, the brother of Jesus, was executed, the Pharisees petitioned Rome to punish those who had done it.  I know this sounds a bit odd, but you will notice that most of Jesus’s arguments are with the Pharisees over religious matters.  He even says that except that you become as religious as the Pharisees, you will advance little in the kingdom of heaven.  The problem with the Pharisees is they thought salvation came from earthly works rather than a love relationship with God.

When Paul decides to persecute the Christians, he is employed by the Sadducees to eliminate the Christians.  They were afraid that the Christians would bring down the wrath of Rome upon Jerusalem, and that they would lose their power and their wealth.

Another interesting bit of information we gleaned from the Old Testament has to do with Pentecost.  When Moses creates the tabernacle, God comes down and a column of fire to inhabit the tabernacle.  When Solomon creates the Temple, God comes down and a column of fire to live in the holy of holies.  When Herod built his Temple, and which we call the second Temple, God does not come down and fire.  There was no visible sign that God approved of the Temple.  When the disciples of Jesus visited the Temple during the time of Pentecost, there was a sound of on us mighty rushing wind and fire came down, not on the Temple, but on the disciples.  We are the temples, the tabernacle, the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit.  God came down on us.  Later, Paul says, we are the Tabernacles, the Temple of the Holy Spirit.  God no longer dwells in a building, but in the hearts of believers.