Pentecost Sunday
We are here on this wonderful occasion, a birthday celebration of the Church. I feel we should have party poppers to mark the celebration, but I feel the church cleaning team, will never forgive me.
As we have heard in our scripture readings, that the early disciples of Christ who were around 120 men and women were all gathered in prayer in the upper room. Now the mission of Jesus, to be the light for the Gentiles and the glory for God’s people, is now to be given to his followers, by the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.
This powerful roaring wind, rushing through the windows and doors of the house that that descended upon the disciples, must have been terrifying to behold. However, the Holy Spirit gave these timid and frightened followers the courage to rush out into the streets and fearlessly preach the ‘Word of God’ to friends and foe alike, about the Passion, Death, Resurrection & Ascension of Jesus Christ, the Messiah.
At that time, Jerusalem was packed with visiting people, because it was the Jewish Feast of Weeks, that was celebrated 50 days after Passover. It was a commemoration of God giving them the covenant and the law on Mount Sinai. For us Christians, the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost fulfils this.
The Lord’s gift of the law on Mount Sinai, now embraces the giving of the New Law in the Spirit, that is firmly written in our hearts as Baptised Children of God.
The visible sign of ‘tongues of fire’, should also help us recall the words in scripture from the lips of John the Baptist’s prophecy about the One who is to come: ‘He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.’ Now, with the visitors in Jerusalem, out in the streets, they were all astounded, and couldn’t understand what was happening. The countries that were mentioned in the Act of the Apostles covered most of the world that was known to first century Palestine. This symbolises the fact that the Christian Church will embrace the whole world, transcending all barriers of race, class, and nation. They include the regions of Israel’s historic enemies like Mesopotamia which was the centre of the Assyrian and Babylonian Empires. This is to fulfil God’s promise, that Israel’s enemies would one day turn and acknowledge the God of Israel as the true and only God.
We as Christians, who are grounded firmly by the Holy Spirit, can see how indispensable the Spirit is to us, in faith and salvation. The indwelling of the Spirit bestows on us the theological virtues of faith, hope and love, from which all other Christian virtues and actions follow. The Holy Spirit produces a particular kind of fruit within us, that fruit being the character and person of Jesus Christ Himself.
The descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost transformed the first disciples, who had previously hidden away in fear and unable to understand God’s plan for the crucified Messiah. After receiving of the Spirit, they understood God’s saving plan and were bold enough to preach the Good News, even at the cost of beatings, imprisonment, and martyrdom.
The disciples were filled with joy and praise, so, let us also be joyfully today, empowered and recharged by God’s gracious gift of the Holy Spirit. May we become fruitful in our lives by bringing God’s message to the world with no fear or hesitation.
We are God’s One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, formed 1,992 years ago, and we are still going strong with around 2.4 billion Christians worldwide. So, let us praise the Lord for his promise to Abraham, our Father in Faith, as he said: “I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven and grains of sand on the seashore.”
Rev. Fr Philip Wrigley's Blog 