Peace

     Today marks the Feast of Pentecost, one of the principle and most important celebrations in our liturgical, that is church, calendar. This day commemorates that giving of the Holy Spirit to the Christian Church. And as you may have noticed in the last few weeks, we have spent some time working through readings in John’s Gospel that focus on Christ’s own promises and teachings about the Holy Spirit. To keep it brief, Jesus tells us that the Holy Spirit will come and be present in and among His Christians, that is, in His Church.

    What is interesting about this reading and those we have read from chapters fifteen and sixteen in the last few weeks is that they record what Jesus taught on the night of His arrest, that is, on Maundy Thursday. In other words, this all takes place back in Holy Week. Jesus, knowing that He is going to be betrayed by Judas, wants to prepare His disciples both for His death and His ascension. He wants to assure them that even though He will be take from them, they are not abandoned or cut off form God. He wants them to rest assured that they will be kept in God’s good grace. Therefore, He promises them that the Holy Spirit will come.

     Find out more in this sermon from St. John's Lutheran Church of Oakes, ND!