Today’s Scripture

Psalm 25:1-15             Numbers 11:24-30      Acts 2:1-21      John 7:37-39

 

            Today is Pentecost, the day we celebrate the first fruits of the harvest season.  Now that sounds kind of strange as who around here is harvesting tomatoes from the garden?  As we travel in the farm fields of northern Illinois the farmers are just beginning to get the crops in.  The winter wheat is bright green but no heads have even begun on the stalks yet.  Then there are Darlene and Arnie.  Each fall they plant some of the early things of their garden such as lettuce and spinach.  They keep the little plants covered in the winter with straw at night and an old storm window during the day.  Each spring they have lettuce and spinach to eat even before most people turn their garden soil over.  How precious and delightful those first plants are.

 

            Back to Pentecost.  It is the fifty days after the Passover, the fiftieth day after Easter.  It is the day God set for the Israelites to celebrate annually at the beginning of the harvest season.  They were to bring a measure from the first things harvested as their gift to the Lord.  God sets a picture here, to give the first and to give the best.  He is teaching us something about himself in his love for us and something about our response to him.  It takes us back to Cain and Abel.  The difference between the two offerings is that Abel gave his best while Cain gave just something from what he had.  It wasn’t the item that God delighted in, but the condition of the heart that gave that item. 

 

            Pentecost, by God’s command, was one of the three major festivals of the Jewish year.  Passover celebrated deliverance from slavery and death, the two things that Satan and sin have over us.  The Feast of Tabernacles celebrated the entry into the Promised Land and is later in the fall.  Pentecost was a time when many Jewish people would travel to Jerusalem to celebrate this high event.  In dedicating the first fruits of the harvest back to God, they recognized and praised him for giving them his best.  At Pentecost today we know what God’s best is and what it means for us.  Today God completes his gift to us, giving us all of him, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Without one, we do not have the other two.  Our lives in faith are not complete without God creating us, God saving us, and God sanctifying us to be his temples both in this earthly life and for life everlasting.

 

            As God sends us the Holy Spirit today, we learn the importance of the Spirit as co-equal with the Father and the Son, but neither ahead of nor less than either one.  All three persons of the trinity are neither before nor after the other.  It is the relationship of the three that we understand as the Holy Spirit is sent by the Father and the Son.  In the account of that Pentecost Sunday, just ten days after Jesus’ last instructions and ascension into heaven, we see the account of the fulfillment of Jesus’ last commands and the fulfillment of his last promise.  He commanded the disciples to wait in Jerusalem until the Spirit would come.  He commanded the disciples to teach all nations and baptize in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Baptize, to wash with water.  And he promised to send the Spirit who would work in them and through them to all.

 

            In today’s Gospel we learn that the Spirit would only be given after Jesus is glorified.  Ten days ago we celebrated that return to full glory at the right hand of God in Jesus’ ascension.  In the passage Jesus describes the Spirit as streams of living water flowing from those given this Spirit.  You have been given this Spirit.  Streams of living water may now flow from you.  What is this living water?

 

            Jesus spoke of this living water with the Samaritan woman at the well.  Jesus revealed to her how dirty she was in her sinfulness and how clean she would become in her repentance and the forgiveness she would receive.  Through Isaiah God speaks of water on the thirsty land as the spirit on his people [44:3].   Just as rain soaks the land and makes things grow, the Spirit rains on believers and makes them productive saints.  Isaiah later calls us to “come to the waters, all who are thirsty…that your soul may live.  I will make an everlasting covenant with you…”[55:1, 3].  Jeremiah chastised the unfaithful as they had forsaken the spring of living water and instead had dug cisterns of their own that cannot hold water [[2:13].  Isn’t that an interesting picture of our inability to save ourselves as all of our isnful plans do not “hold water?”  Jeremiah again refers to God who saves us as the “Lord, the spring of living water.”  Zechariah tells of God’s fulfillment in eternity, at the final victory where “…on that day living water will flow, ½ to the eastern sea, ½ to the western sea, in summer and in winter,” [14:8].  God, our living water, will be everywhere and all of the time.

 

            These prophecies of living water for our eternity are echoed in Revelation as the lamb and the throne that lead to streams of living water [7:17].  Jesus will give drink without cost at the spring of Living Water [21:6].  Without cost tells us that salvation is a free gift from God.  This water of the River of Life is pure as crystal and flows only from the throne of God [22:1] and comes without cost [22:17]. 

 

            Jesus is the source of this living water.  It is through Jesus that this living water, the Holy Spirit comes.  It is through Jesus that this living water, the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting comes.  From him comes the Holy Spirit, the living water that saves and that gives you life, life eternal in his name. 

 

            Pentecost, the day the crucified, resurrected and ascended Christ was proclaimed in the streets of Jerusalem  Pentecost, the day of the first fruits, the best that God has to give, all of himself and not holding anything back as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Pentecost, as we receive all of God we are reminded to give of our best back to him, not simply the extra change in the pocket or at the end of the checkbook ledger, but our best not just in monetary gifts, but our best in living according to his word and giving ourselves whom the Holy Spirit has made as his temples, giving of our prayers, and giving of our witness to others to come to hear of this wondrous Christ who saves.

 

            In Jesus’ undying love.  Amen.