Today is the Day of Pentecost. It is a wonderful day in the Church Year because on this day Jesus fulfilled His promise of sending the Holy Spirit to the Church.
Contrary to the Pentecostal movement of the early 20th century and the charismatic movement of the 1970’s, the great miracle of the manifestation of the Holy Spirit here is not the “speaking in tongues.” Peter and the other Apostles already were believers in Jesus. The great miracle here is unbelievers exclaimed, “How is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language?”
The miracle of Pentecost is the Holy Spirit works to make things plain that were beyond our understanding. Without the Holy Spirit no one would believe in Jesus and have faith. But because the Holy Spirit has worked in your heart through word and sacraments, you have come to faith and have the gift of forgiveness of sins and eternal life. That was the miracle of Pentecost when 3,000 believed and were baptized on that day.
The miracle of Pentecost was repeated when you came to faith. The miracle of Pentecost continues to happen today, not when people speak in unknown languages, but when God’s word is proclaimed and people believe that Jesus died for them and rose again. The Holy Spirit continues to use the Means of Grace to touch our hearts each time we come to church and hear the word and receive the sacrament. When we absent ourselves from word and sacrament, we are absenting ourselves from the Holy Spirit.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit given to the Church and to me in my life. Grant that I may be faithful in receiving the Holy Spirit through word and sacrament, today and always. Amen.
The Descent of the Holy Spirit
Anthony Van Dyck 1599 – 1641
oil on canvas (265 × 221 cm) — 1618-1620
Museum Sanssouci, Potsdam
http://www.artbible.info/art/large/163.html
God’s richest blessings in Christ,
Pastor Philip Quardokus
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