When the Spirit of Pentecost comes into our hearts, He comes to transform us, to make us more like Jesus. As St. Paul has written, “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18).
What did the first Pentecost of 2,000 years ago mean and what does the Pentecost Spirit mean for us today? It’s God bearing witness to His Son in our hearts. So now as we prepare to celebrate Pentecost, I invite you to be open to God’s life-changing Spirit. To celebrate Pentecost is to embrace the Spirit-given truth that “what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ would suffer, He thus fulfilled” (Acts 3:18).
Jesus, God’s anointed Lamb, both God and Man, has come to save us from our sins. It is the Spirit of Pentecost sent into the world who testifies to these things. Jesus said, “But 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” (John 15:26).
Therefore, friends, the celebration of Pentecost is about understanding and receiving the knowledge that your sins are forgiven through the shedding of Christ’s blood on the cross. This the Heavenly Father has sealed for us by raising Jesus from the dead (see Acts 2:24; Romans 8:11; Ephesians 1:15-23). This is the good news that God’s Spirit wants to assure you of total forgiveness and your new power for living.
Make this week a special week. Celebrate not only by looking back, but by looking forward, knowing that God’s Spirit is near, drawing you closer to Jesus, making you more and more like Him.
WE PRAY: Heavenly Father, thank You for sending us Your Holy Spirit who bears witness to Jesus. Amen.
Taken from “God Wants to Transform Your Life,” a sermon by Rev. Dr. Wallace Schulz, former Speaker of The Lutheran Hour
Reflection Questions:
1. Have you ever studied a second language? If so, why did you want to learn it?
2. How miraculous is it for someone to be able to speak another language—instantly?
3. Name some ways you can share Jesus with someone without speaking.