What is Pentecost Sunday? Pentecost for Kids, Explained

Do you know what church holidays occur after Easter? Even if you didn’t grow up in a tradition that celebrated the high-church calendar, there’s a lot of good in remembering events from it and the lessons about God those events teach. And one of those events is this week: Pentecost!

Teaching kids about this special day is a cool way to see how the whole Bible fits together, while also explaining facets about salvation and how the Holy Spirit works in our lives. Read on for a brief history on what is Pentecost Sunday, the real Pentecost Sunday meaning, and how to teach Pentecost for kids in a fun, easily-understood way.

What is Pentecost Sunday?

To answer this question, you really have to start with the first Passover, when God was preparing to set the Israelites free from Egypt. To be kept safe from the tenth plague unleashed on Egypt, God told the Israelites to put the blood of a lamb on the door frame of their houses so the angel of death would pass over their house and no one would die. See, the lamb had already died for them, and they had put their hand on the lamb’s head to symbolize that the lamb was receiving their sins in their place. Now we see how Passover points us to Jesus, the pure lamb of God, who died on the cross for our sins.

Now, you probably know that “pente” means five, like a pentagon has five sides. Well, “Pentecost” means “fifty days”, which is how long it took—after the Israelites were freed from Egypt and left on their long journey—for something really special to happen. That’s when they received the Law from God, which showed people what they needed to do to please God. However, people weren’t able to keep the law—they kept going against God’s way—so they needed to continue with blood sacrifices to pay for their sins. They continued to put their hand on the lamb’s head to say they believed God and that this lamb was receiving the punishment for their sins. And even though they couldn’t keep the law perfectly, it remained very important to the Israelites.

Now, fast forward fifteen-hundred years to when Jesus died on the cross for our sins during Passover, showing that He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. The book of Hebrews teaches us that His sacrifice was enough for all our sins—we no longer need the repeated sacrifice of animals. After Jesus died, He was buried in a tomb, then rose again three days later. Many people saw Him before He then ascended into heaven, saying that He would not leave us without comfort or guidance for long, but would send the Holy Spirit to us. Guess how many days it was between His death on the cross and the arrival of the Holy Spirit? That’s right: fifty days! The Jews were gathered for Pentecost, which was a celebration remembering the giving of the Law. Little did they know that year they would receive something way better! Just as Jesus promised, the Holy Spirit came to His followers, and has continued to come and dwell in every believer since. It is the Holy Spirit who comforts and guides us. You can read all about this powerful moment with your kids by reading Acts chapter two.

Pentecost Sunday Meaning Explained

So, what’s the real Pentecost Sunday meaning and why do we celebrate it? This wonderful day signifies that we no longer need to know and follow all the details of the Law for salvation. The Law showed us that sin is very wrong, and that we all fall so far short of God’s perfection, we could never be accepted by a holy God. The arrival of the Holy Spirit, however, shows us that God gave us a new promise: that if we believe in Jesus and acknowledge that we need Him to take away our sins, His blood will make us righteous and clean before God. The Holy Spirit teaches us every day how much God loves us and how to live a life full of joy and goodness. That is SO much better than trying to obey lots of rules every day. Now, because of the Pentecost Sunday meaning, we can understand that living a holy life is full of blessing!

Pentecost for Kids

The truths of the Pentecost Sunday meaning can be appreciated by any child, once understood. To learn them though, you might need the help of some resources to make sure the understanding of Pentecost for kids is there, and CEF is here to help. Check out cefpress.com for great lessons, song visuals, devotions, curriculum for teaching Pentecost for kids, and so much more. These materials are going to teachers all over the world to help them disciple children through the Boxes of Books Program, and are sure to help you reach the kids in your life where they’re at too.

The Holy Spirit Hunt Game

One fun way to help kids remember some of the work the Holy Spirit does in the hearts of believers is to play a game with them. To start, write down on colored notecards things the Holy Spirit does for us, like “helps me know God,” “comforts me when I’m sad,” “fights sin,” “gives gifts to serve others,” or “grows spiritual fruit.”  Make multiple copies of each notecard so every child has their own set, then hide them around the house or classroom. Challenge the kids to find one of each, then talk with them about what each attribute means and how they can look for ways in which the Holy Spirit is working in their own lives. You can even add actions to accompany the notecards, such as a thumbs up for “helps me know God,” a hug for “comforts me when I’m sad,” or standing tall with your hands on your hips for “fights sin.”

It should be noted that when talking about the Holy Spirit with kids, questions often come up about the Trinity. This may also be a good time to talk to kids about how God is one God in three persons and explain how that works. You can use the “Trinity Song” music video to help teach kids about this big concept, which can be found on our U-Nite® app or at cefonline.com/unite.

Many kids—and a lot of Christians for that matter—know very little about the Holy Spirit. Teaching Pentecost for kids and the real Pentecost Sunday meaning is a great opportunity to start talking about the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives and the provision of God throughout history. Happy Pentecost!