Scripture: John 14:15-31
Dear Church,
This Sunday is the most important day in the Christian year–and most of us have never heard of it. We love to celebrate Christmas and the joy of the birth of our savior. We love to celebrate Easter and the astonishing triumph of Resurrection. The goodness and glory of God is certainly on display and worth celebrating on those holy days!
But this Sunday we celebrate Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit into the hearts of all believers! And Jesus himself says that Pentecost is the reason that he was born and the reason his death is not a loss for the world. When he sat with his friends the night he was betrayed, he told them that he was ‘going away for a little while.’ That’s an extraordinary way to describe his impending betrayal, condemnation, crucifixion and death! And then he told them something even more astonishing. He reassured them that it was good for them that he was going.
How could it be good for the people who loved Jesus that he was going to die?
Because–Jesus promises his frightened and confused friends who feel like he’s abandoning them–when he returns to the Father, he will ask God to send them the Holy Spirit. And then, he will be even closer to them. Once they are filled with the Holy Spirit, they’ll be even closer to Jesus than when they sit at the same table and share a meal with him. Once they are filled with the Spirit, Jesus will be living within them.
This Sunday, we celebrate the day Jesus kept his promise and poured his Spirit out upon the earth. Because of Pentecost, we can never be separated from our Savior!
Come and rejoice, friends! God still pours the Spirit out–
and there is more than enough for everyone!
Come and worship, church!
This Sunday is literally the day we were made for!
Peace,
Pastor Kate
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