Daily Lectionary: Numbers 20:22-21:9; Luke 20:45-21:19
O God, You are more awesome than Your holy places. The God of Israel is He who gives strength and power to His people.” (Psalm 68:35, from the Introit for Pentecost)
Tomorrow is the Feast of Pentecost. The altar paraments will be red, the color of the Holy Spirit’s fire. The main focus will be, of course, on the Holy Spirit who in turn points to Christ and His work. So, the focus of tomorrow will be Jesus, as always.
In church art and bible pictures you often see the tongues of fire sitting on the disciples’ heads. But, there is a Reformation era woodcut of the tongues of fire coming out of the disciples’ mouths. I think that one is better, for the Holy Spirit gave the disciples other languages to preach about Jesus to all those who were in Jerusalem for the feast. Their tongues were literally fired up to preach Jesus!
The Introit for Pentecost point us toward the Holy Spirit’s work, reminding us that God is the one “who gives strength and power to His people.” That power and strength come from the Holy Spirit who first was poured out on the disciples. Recall what the Holy Spirit did – He alighted on the disciples in tongues of fire and set their tongues to speaking the wonderful deeds of God, whose best and most wonderful work was to send His Son, Jesus, to take away your sins.
Your sins would separate you from God. You can’t pay for them, and you can’t come to God on your own. But God, in His grace and mercy, sent His Son, Jesus, to suffer for you and take the punishment you deserved because of your sins. Jesus died your death, thereby receiving to Himself the Father’s full wrath in your place. In Jesus, all your sins are forgiven. Through His Gospel and Sacraments He delivers to you all the benefits of His work on the cross. Through the power of the Holy Spirit working through those gifts, you are forgiven and strengthened all the way to the life of the world to come.
Teach us to know the Father, Son, and You, from both, as Three in One that we Your name may ever bless and in our lives the truth confess. (LSB 498:6)