Readings
Acts 2:1-21
Psalm 104:24-34, 35b
Romans 8:22-27
John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15
Devotion
Peace be with you!
Wherever you go, you know what a smile symbolizes – happiness. Smiling expresses joy in a person’s life. It is contagious and can cause others to smile. There is no grouch in the world that a baby’s smile and giggling cannot melt!
When you allow the Holy Spirit to be in your life, all things are possible – even the impossible. The Holy Spirit enters our lives as an Advocate between Jesus and us. The Holy Spirit allows us to be in communication with Jesus as we answer God’s calling for us.
In Acts 2, the disciples and the Jews from different countries are all gathered together in a room. They are not sure what to do: Jesus, their leader who gave them guidance and the good news, has gone to be with God the Father. We left the disciples in confusion last week as they called Matthias to replace Judas as a disciple.
As we read John 16, Jesus promises abundance of life by sending the disciples an Advocate who will continue to unfold God’s love for all to know. Since Jesus is about to leave the disciples and go to God the Father, he promises to send an Advocate to continue his work of keeping the communication lines open between God and us. The Advocate will seek protection and prayer requests on our behalf as a mediator. The Advocate will lead the disciples and us by the truth of what is to come in the future. The Holy Spirit bears the good news, so we can be empowered to share it with the world. Jesus sends us the Holy Spirit to embody and model the good news for us so that we can know and come to understand what it means.
When Jesus leaves the disciples, they are so confused as to what to do next. Jesus has left the disciples temporarily alone with no Advocate. Now what are they supposed to do? As we pick up the story, the disciples are still in Jerusalem in a room waiting for the next chapter.
Suddenly the Holy Spirit enters the room and enters into the disciples, and they supernaturally speak other languages that they do not know (Acts 2:4). For the first time, the disciples and many of the foreign Jews who had come from other lands could communicate with each other. The Holy Spirit breaks down individual identities and unites them with the good news. By doing this uniting, the Holy Spirit expands the reach of the good news beyond the restoration of Israel to the whole world. The Jews are no longer the only chosen ones; anyone who comes to believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, becomes a part of Israel’s restoration. The Holy Spirit continues to redeem us as God’s children.
The Holy Spirit works through us as we go into the world to spread the good news of Jesus Christ who redeems us from our sins. The compassion you show others during your daily routine helps to share the good news with others who may not know what love is. Our actions of love, helpfulness, conviction, and grace carry the good news throughout the world.
Thanks be to God!
Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for sending us the Holy Spirit to embody your good news. Help us to feel the Holy Spirit around us. Allow the Holy Spirit to work through us as we go out into the world to spread your good news. Thank you for guiding us through the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Works Cited
Thanks to the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
Reflective Questions
Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below. Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the comment covenant.) You can answer as many questions as you would like.
1. How does the Holy Spirit give you hope?
2. What significant event made you feel the presence of the Holy Spirit?