+ Day of Pentecost – May 23, 2021 +
Series B: Ezekiel 37:1-14; Acts 2:1-21; John 15:26-27, 16:4-15
Beautiful Savior Lutheran
Milton, WA
In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
There are certain moments or times in life that we describe as life-changing. Your wedding day or graduation. The birthday of a child or grand-child. Your first day on the job or your first day of retirement. And so on.
Now 50 days after Jesus’ resurrection we celebrate a truly life-changing event, the Day of Pentecost. The pouring out, the giving, the sending of the Holy Spirit just as Jesus promised his disciples, promised you, he would.
...when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me…When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth...
The Holy Spirit is sent to bear witness to Jesus as the crucified, risen, and ascended Lord.
The Holy Spirit is sent to lead and guide the disciples into the truth of Jesus’ saving promises.
The Holy Spirit is sent to take everything that Jesus has done – his birth, his perfect life, his redeeming death, his glorious resurrection, his triumphant ascension, his word, water, body and blood – and give it all to you. And this is truly life-changing.
Ezekiel gives us a picture of this. A whole valley floor full of dry, lifeless, dead bones. A morbid, but accurate scene. A prophetic vision of Israel’s sin and ours. But this is where the Holy Spirit does his great, life-changing work, bringing us from death to life by the Word of the Lord.
And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. 14 And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the Lord.”
We see the Holy Spirit’s work on full display on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2 as well. One moment it was a typical Pentecost festival, the Old Testament harvest festival of Shavuot, or festival of weeks. The next moment everything changed. Rushing wind. Tongues of fire. Apostles emboldened by and filled with the Holy Spirit.
When the Holy Spirit came the apostles were changed. They went from abandoning and denying Jesus, speaking in whispers, and hiding in fear to publicly and boldly declaring with loud voices that Jesus is the crucified and risen Lord, the Messiah and Savior of the Old Testament. Who else but the Holy Spirit could bring about such a life-changing event?
And the crowds gathered that first Pentecost, they were changed as well. They had come from all over the Mediterranean to celebrate the Old Testament festival of Pentecost. The great harvest festival that arrived Fifty days after the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. It was a festival of the ingathering of the winter wheat. And the celebration of the giving of the Torah to Moses on the mountain accompanied by wind and fire. But of course all of that changed in Acts 2.
By the Holy Spirit Peter spoke of the mighty works and wonders and signs that Jesus had done in their midst. By the Holy Spirit Peter showed them how the Psalms and prophets – like Joel - were fulfilled in Jesus. By the Holy Spirit many of the crowd were cut to the heart in repentance and came to faith in Jesus and were baptized. Around three thousand St. Luke tells us. Talk about life-changing.
But do not think that the Holy Spirit’s work was done that first Pentecost. To be sure, the day of Pentecost itself – the wind, fire, and the apostles speaking in different languages – that was a one-time event. But in a way, that first Pentecost was a beginning. The Spirit’s work of witnessing to Jesus. Guiding and leading us to Jesus. Returning our hearts to God in repentance and faith. Breathing the life-giving, life-changing breath of God into our hearts and minds. The Spirit’s work goes on today, just as it did that first Pentecost. All by the Word of Jesus.
For what the Holy Spirit did that first Pentecost he continues to do for you. Leading you to Jesus. Delivering you the truth of Jesus’ word. Giving you Jesus’ life.
You don’t have to go back to that first Pentecost to receive the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit brings his own day of Pentecost to each of you.
From the moment God poured out his Spirit upon you in that life-changing and life-giving washing of water and the Holy Spirit, to the day of your resurrection when you will be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, the Holy Spirit is leading you to Jesus, giving you life in Jesus’ name.
Every Sunday is a little Pentecost, where you come and hear the life-giving, life-changing voice of Jesus in the Scriptures.
Every time you open your bible the Holy Spirit is working his life-changing work in the word you read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest.
Every time you come to our Lord’s table, the Holy Spirit is filling you with the new wine of Jesus’ body and blood.
These are truly life-saving, life-giving, life-changing events on this truly life-changing day of Pentecost. And so today we pray…
Come, Holy Spirit, warm our cold and lifeless hearts with your Gospel fire.
Come, Holy Spirit, rattle our dry and dusty bones and make them live.
Come, Holy Spirit, loosen our tongues to speak the good news of Jesus.
Come, Holy Spirit, quench our fevered thirst with the waters of Baptism.
Come, Holy Spirit, satisfy our hunger for righteousness with the Body and Blood of our Savior.
Come, Holy Spirit, put the good news of Jesus into our ears, our minds, our hearts that we may hear it, comprehend it, and believe it.
Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful people, and kindle in them the fire of your love.
A blessed Pentecost Sunday to each of you…
In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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