Time in the Word - Pentecost

This coming Sunday is the Festival of Pentecost. It is obvious that the theme is on the Spirit. In the Gospel lesson the Spirit causes living water to flow from the heart. The dead are made alive by the Spirit in the preach Word (Old Testament lesson). The disciples are emboldened by the Spirit to speak in languages which foreigners could understand (Epistle lesson). In the Psalm there are references to the Spirit who creates and renews creation. The hymn of the Day is a prayer for the Spirit to come upon the church.

Collect for Pentecost: O God, on this day You once taught the hearts of Your faithful people by sending them the light of Your Holy Spirit. Grant us in our day by the same Spirit to have a right understanding in all tings and evermore to rejoice in His holy consolation; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Monday, 25 May 2009—Psalm104:24, 27-28, 30— The antiphon is a liturgical text, “Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful, and kindle in them the fire of Your love. Alleluia” The Psalmist refers back to the week of creation. When He had finished all that He had made not only was the Lord satisfied but it was very good indeed. All that the Lord commands, creates, and sustains is very good indeed. On the Feast Day of Pentecost we see that the Lord is serious concerning His Word going out throughout the whole creation. Persons are converted, believers are sustained and strengthened in the faith as the Lord uses His Word for these purposes.

Tuesday, 26 May 2009—Psalm 139:1-16; key verse v.17 — “How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!” This psalm verse reminds us that God’s words, thoughts, and actions are all connected and closely related. The Lord made a promise to send His Son and acted in time. He made a promise to redeem and save the world and so He did. He promises to send the Holy Spirit, the Comforter. The events of Pentecost affirm that the Lord is serious about the promises He makes and keeps. Everything concerning your salvation, witness and walk is linked to the Lord’s promises and the fulfillment of them. The Psalmist affirms what the Lord has done.

Wednesday, 27 May 2009—Ezekiel 37:1-14— The Spirit through the preached Word raises the dead. Ezekiel preaches the Word to the dry bones of Israel and they come to life. Ezekiel is a prophet to the exiles in Babylon. This lesson comes from the section of the book that predicts a restoration of Jerusalem and its temple. He sees the Hebrews in exile as dead in hope because they are separated from the holy city and temple. God commands Ezekiel to preach to the dead bones and the Spirit brings life to the bodies and then the Spirit to the bodies. Through the preached Word, the Spirit of God brings new life and hope to a defeated, e4xiled people.

Thursday, 28 May 2009—Acts 2:1-21— The Spirit gives power to witness in foreign languages. On Pentecost the disciples receive the Holy Spirit and Peter explains the happening. Luke gives an account of the Spirit’s coming upon the gathered disciples in Jerusalem on Pentecost accompanied by a mighty wind and tongues of fire. Then the reaction of the crowd is given – the disciples are accused of being drunk. Peter responds by explaining the experience as fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy that at the end of the era the Spirit would come to all. The overall purpose of the event is salvation for all who call upon God. The Spirit gave the disciples power to speak in the languages of the people assembled in Jerusalem, that all peoples might hear the Gospel. The prophecy of Acts 1:8 is beginning to be fulfilled.

Friday, 29 May 2009—John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15— The Spirit produces living water in believers in Christ. Believers in Christ are given the Spirit. On the Feast of Tabernacles Jesus is in Jerusalem disputing with religious leaders as He taught in the temple. At the end of the Feast, Jesus invited the thirsty to come to come to Him and drink. Out of the hearts of believers in Christ will come the living water of the Spirit.

Saturday, 30- May 2009— Luke 11:13 1 Corinthians 12:13; John 16:13-14; 2 Timothy 1:14- The hymn of the Day, “Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord”– {LSB 497} In this much loved hymn we pray that the blessings of the Spirit would sustain the Christian in his walk and life.

Prayers from Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House. Lutheran Worship © 1980 Concordia Publishing House
Lectionary Preaching Workbook Series B John Brokhoff © 1981 CSS Publishing Lima, OH
Illustration from a woodcut by Baron Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld, © WELS Permission to use this copyrighted item is limited to personal and congregational use.