When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. (Acts 2:1-4)
It has been quite a journey, hasn’t it? We have together walked the road of Jesus’ life here on earth. We stood at the manger in a crude stable inBethlehemwhere Jesus was born, watching as Mary wrapped her tiny baby son in swaddling clothes. We saw the shepherds come to worship Him, leaving their flocks of sheep in the fields. Our hearts were filled with joy and thankfulness.
We saw Jesus when He was twelve, talking with the religious leaders in the temple atJerusalem. We were there at His baptism. We agonized at the pressure of the devil’s temptations to lead Him into sin.
We witnessed His love as He healed the sick, fed the hungry, raised the dead and taught all who came to hear Him through His word, as He still teaches us today.
With heavy hearts we watched as Jesus was captured, beaten, and was sentenced to die on a cross although innocent of any wrong doing. Our sins were nailed with Him to that cross. His friends buried His body in a new grave located in a beautiful garden. We watched as the huge stone sealed His grave.
Our greatest joy was celebrated on Easter Sunday morning when we heard the words of the angel, “He is not here, He is risen.”
Near the end of the forty days Jesus spent here on earth after he rose, He told His disciples to wait inJerusalemto receive power from the Holy Spirit to spread the story of Jesus and the salvation He gives all believers to all people of the world. On Ascension Day we watched Jesus disappear into the cloud to prepare our home in heaven.
In a few days we will celebrate Pentecost, the celebration of the gift of the Holy Spirit. Pentecost means “50th” as it happened fifty days after Easter.
We all remember the picture of the tongues of fire appearing on the disciples’ heads. When I was a child, I thought they looked like little butterflies. I have always loved butterflies. Through Baptism and the word the Holy Spirit has come to live in our hearts. The good we do is done through the power of the Holy Spirit. In a recent devotion from our “Meditations” I read a wonderful sentence well worth remembering: “The Son speaks, the Spirit teaches.” The Holy Spirit teaches us through the Word and sacraments.
Going back to butterflies, I like to think of or compare our lives to that of a beautiful butterfly. We emerge out of the darkness of sin, just as a butterfly emerges from a dark chrysalis, through Baptism.
As our wings dry — as we grow older — we learn the world isn’t such a great place but is filled with temptations to turn away from Jesus our Savior. But God the Holy Spirit brings peace to our hearts. He enables us to live for Jesus. He enables us to spread the Word through our thoughts, words and actions. He enables us to have a huge part in helping the Christian Church on earth to grow in Jesus’ love. Let’s walk together on the road to heaven – also during the summer ! – bringing with us as many people as we can lead, by the power of the Holy Sprit at work in us.
Written by: Jeanne Aeschliman