Sermon for the Day of Pentecost: "What Does This Mean?" (Acts 2:1-21)

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Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who together send the promised Holy Spirit! Amen! 

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

 

“And [the devout Jews from every nation under heaven] were amazed and astonished, saying, ‘Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? … [They] all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, ‘What does this mean?’” (Acts 2:7-8, 12).

 

Fifty days after Christ’s resurrection and ten days after His ascension, the followers of Christ remain in Jerusalem. They wait. They are waiting under the command their Lord who said, “Behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:49). You see, Jesus was waiting for the perfect time. And that perfect time had come.

 

When God led the children of Israel out of Egypt, He had them observe the Passover the same night, and then He commanded them to celebrate the Passover the same time each year as a memorial of their deliverance and departure from Egypt (Exodus 12:14). From that day of the Passover, they traveled 50 days to Mount Sinai. There, upon Mount Sinai, God gave them the Law through Moses. This fiftieth day was also a day of importance. God, too, commanded them to observe a memorial day every year on the fiftieth day after Passover (Leviticus 23:15-21; Deuteronomy 16:9-12). 

 

This fiftieth day after Passover became known as the Feast of the Harvest, or the Feast of Weeks, or simply “Pentecost,” since it took place 50 days after the Passover Sabbath. So, every pious Jew tried to be in Jerusalem for this festival to bring their harvest of grains to the temple. So, on this day, they gathered up their baskets, then processed up Mount Zion as they sang the Psalms of Ascents (Psalm 120-136), then processed into the temple courts where they would present their baskets to the priests.

 

Pentecost was a major festival as it brought in people from all throughout the world into Jerusalem. For us, we celebrate the Pentecost festival not because of the old history, but because of its new history, because of the sending of the Holy Spirit. This was the perfect time to send the Third Person of the Trinity upon the people.

 

For the festival pilgrims, Pentecost began just like other Pentecost festivals before them. But this particular Pentecost was going to be unlike any other before it. As the pilgrims are processing through Jerusalem, they begin to hear familiar voices. Their ears perked up! They recognized the dialect. Now, they weren’t hearing the Aramaic of Judea, which most of them understood. They weren’t hearing the common Greek of the Roman Empire. “Hey! I’m hearing my language!” They all heard and understood the apostles speaking the language of their homeland!

 

To this, they were all bewildered. They were all amazed. They were all perplexed as they said to one another, “What does this mean?” (Acts 2:12)

 

What they were hearing was indeed a miracle! Now, this miracle was not in the hearing, but in the speaking of the apostles. Just like that, the Holy Spirit gave them the ability to speak in many languages! And just like that, the people heard. And they questioned what they heard. “What does this mean?”

 

Inspired by the Holy Spirit, St. Paul writes, “So faith comes by hearing, and hearing through the Word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). The Church is the people of God – the believers in Christ. But believers do not exist apart from the hearing of the Word of God. If people are not told about Jesus Christ and what Christ has done for them, they cannot believe it. So, while the Church is the people of God, it never exists apart from the Marks of the Church – Word and Sacrament. You see, without the message that Christ died on the cross for your sins, the Church does not exist. This crowd gathered because of the miracles that were taking place. They gathered as they said to one another, “What does this mean?”

 

But did you notice that these people, hearing their own language, did not come to faith until Peter had preached the Word of God to them? Yes, “faith comes by hearing,” but as St. Paul also says, “How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? How are they to hear without someone preaching?” (Romans 10:14)

 

So, Peter preaches to them the Word of God: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. … This is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: ‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh’” (Acts 2:14, 16-17). Peter starts with the Old Testament and applies it to what Jesus had done. Peter preaches Law and Gospel to them. And when they understood what God had done and that they – because of their sins – bore responsibility for the death of Jesus, their consciences were cut open.  

So, they asked Peter, “What shall we do?” and Peter gave them the Gospel: “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). Three thousand were baptized that very day.

 

So, what did the Holy Spirit do that day? He gave the apostles the power to reach these pious Jews through the pure Word of God. You see, it was the purity of the Law and Gospel that caused Christ’s Church to grow. And the Holy Spirit works through us in every language to spread the Good News of salvation in Jesus Christ that is given to all by grace through faith in Christ alone.

 

Without the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the promised Helper, our salvation in Christ would have been lost. It would have been forgotten. But with the Holy Spirit, He gave the apostles the confidence to preach the Word of the Cross that Jesus died and rose again to give us forgiveness of sins and life everlasting, that Jesus ascended back into heaven as Lord of heaven and earth, who will come again to judge the living and the dead.

 

But in order to fully understand the Gospel, one needs to see the importance of the Gospel. You see, if you believe you are not a sinner, then Jesus is of no importance to you. So, the Holy Spirit leads us to acknowledge our sins against God and our neighbor, so that we are ready to hear the message that through Christ’s atoning death, those sins are forgiven. The Holy Spirit is always pointing to Jesus. That is His job. So, He constantly reminds us that we have the Savior, who is Jesus Christ, our Lord. For “everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Acts 2:21).

 

There is also another thing to be noted by the pious Jews response this day: their question, “What does this mean?” which is a question that is very familiar to us Lutherans. It is Luther’s question he asks throughout his Small Catechism.

 

Now, how many of us have been perplexed by Luther’s question? How many of us remain perplexed by Luther’s question? It’s certainly good to know the wordage of the Six Chief Parts of the Catechism. But we should never be shallow when it comes to Christian doctrine. Jesus, St. Paul, and Luther all desire that we do not remain as Christians who eat only baby food, but that we mature at eat steak. It’s all well and good to know the Ten Commandments, the Creed, and the Lord’s Prayer, but what do they mean? How do we fear, love, and trust in God? How do we truly love our neighbor? What does it really mean when we confess the Creed? How do we pray? 

How do these first three chief parts prepare us to understand the Sacrament of Holy Baptism, Confession, and the Sacrament of the Altar? What does this all mean? Now, the Catechism does give us so many answers, but not every answer to our every question. So, we must all continue to grow as we are nourished by the Holy Spirit through the Means of Grace. For if you are not nourished, your faith will wither and die. So, continue to chew on God’s Word and inwardly digest it, so that you grow in faith and bear fruits of faith.

 

Confirmation Sunday so often is equated with graduation. The reality is – it isn’t. If confirmation were a graduation, there would be no need for Bible Studies, Christian colleges, and seminaries. There would be no need to continue coming to the Divine Service. But confirmation is a commencement. Confirmation is a beginning. Joshua, in just mere moments, you will be confirming your faith in Jesus Christ. You will vow your allegiance to Him, who suffered and died for you, who rose from the dead for you, who is ascended into heaven for you. You will state your intention to continue steadfast in this confession and Church and to suffer all, even death, rather than fall away from it. You will be hated by the fallen world for what you are about to do, but as your confirmation verse says: “Be faithful unto death, and [you will receive] the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10b).

 

Now, you will be tempted to abandon Jesus. Satan will tempt you even more than he already has after today. He will use tactics that promote doubt, and his fallen world will criticize and persecute you. So, I pray that you call upon the name of Jesus, receive His gifts in Word and Sacrament, recall the Catechism, for you have the spiritual weapons to fight off Satan’s lies and deceit. May you never forget that.

 

Today, we celebrate the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, but do you all know that this outpouring continues today and everyday wherever the Gospel is preached? From the very beginning, the one holy Christian and apostolic Church has been about the Word. For Joshua, and all of us here today, may we never forget that Word and Sacrament is at the center of everything. It is the Holy Spirit inspired Word of God that clearly communicates all what the triune God has done for us, that we have the Savior Jesus Christ, that by Him becoming man, His death on the cross, His resurrection from the grave, and His bodily ascension into heaven, we are called to repentance and faith in Him for in Him we receive forgiveness of our sins, life, and salvation and all by grace through faith in Him, who is proclaimed by the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.  + SOLI DEO GLORIA +

Sermon for Pentecost/Confirmation: "Stay Thirsty" (John 7:37-39)

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

Imagine yourself walking through a desert. You have been in the middle of nowhere for several days and your water supply has run out. You begin to search desperately for an oasis. As you search, you spot something, but you hope that it doesn’t prove to be a mirage.

 

Imagine a family on a road trip. It’s a long-awaited vacation to the Rocky Mountains. As they drive, they begin to realize that the water they packed was left home. And right when everyone was beginning to get thirsty. As they are in western Kansas, they begin to search intently for an exit sign with a gas station or restaurant.

 

Imagine yourself in school. You are needing your thirst quenched. So, between periods, you walk to the water fountain. Soon, a line forms behind you. You know you need more water to drink, but you also know that those behind you are also thirsty. Even as you walk away, you know that the water fountain would never fully quench your thirst.

 

Jesus says, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink” (John 7:37). As Jesus spoke those words, He did something that was not customary of a Jewish teacher. He stood up. When rabbis taught, they taught while sitting down. Here, Jesus stands up to make a point. He stood up so His words would not be missed as He said, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.”

 

To us, these are comforting, friendly, and charming words. Jesus is saying that He will provide quenching to the thirsty. These words refresh and strengthen those who are thirsty.

 

When Jesus said to the Samaritan woman at the well, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of living water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:13-14). This intrigued this woman, since she was thirsty.

 

But not everyone is thirsty. How could that be? Don’t we all thirst for refreshment? Well, what Jesus is referring to here on both occasions is not a physical thirst, such as felt for water, pop, or beer, but a thirst of the soul, a spiritual thirst, a heartfelt desire. A desire which longs to know on what terms they are with God. This thirst feels sin. It fears God and sees only His Law, His wrath, and His judgment. This is what Jesus means by thirst.

 

We all live in fear of something, and we all face temptation and distress.

 

Jesus says, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.”

 

Proper thirst is desiring your sins forgiven. But what is the forgiveness of sins dependent on? Are they dependent on something you do? Like performing random tasks to merit forgiveness?

 

As Martin Luther says, “If man is not directed away from himself and toward God, he will never be sure of forgiveness.”

 

If you admit that you are, indeed, a poor, miserable sinner, you are thirsty for forgiveness. If not, you are not thirsty. And where there is no spiritual thirst, the Lord is not received.

 

Back during the Reformation, Luther got a little angry from time to time. When the Gospel was fully revealed again, there was much rejoicing that it was no longer necessary to plague oneself with good works to inherit salvation. The people were thirsty, and the Gospel tasted oh, so good to them. They drank it, for it was a precious teaching. But over time, many of those who thirsted for forgiveness got tired of hearing the gospel: the good news of salvation by grace through faith in Christ crucified and risen for them. They wanted something more. They lost their thirst. Don’t lose your thirst.

 

The Law created a thirst and if that thirst is not quenched, the only destination for you is hell. The Gospel, however, satisfies the thirst and leads to heaven. The Law states what we must do and that we have fallen short of doing it, no matter how holy we may think we are. The Law produces uncertainty and produces thirst.

 

As the Confirmands and all of us know and understand, we fail each day in adhering to God’s Ten Commandments. 

 

God says, “You shall have no other gods.” But we don’t always “fear, love, and trust in God above all things.” We misuse the name of God. We don’t always hold God’s holy day and His Word sacred. We often anger our parents and despise our authorities. We don’t always support our neighbor in every physical need. Instead of protecting our neighbor, we steal his time or take his possessions in a dishonest way. Instead of defending our neighbor, we slander him and his reputation. And we scheme in getting what we don’t have. 

 

When you examine your life, you find that you do not love God with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself, as you should. We confess: “Oh, dear God, I have not kept your Law. For I do not love You with all my heart today, nor will I love You with all my heart tomorrow. Day after day, I make the same confession. How can I be certain of Your divine grace?”

 

Where will your conscience come to rest and find a sure footing? Where will it find assurance of a good relationship to God? With the Law, there is no assurance. For the Law always remains in force. “You must love God and your neighbor with all your heart.” We all admit that we fail at this. But the Law replies, “You must do it.”

 

The Law terrifies us. The Law makes us thirsty for forgiveness. With fear and trembling, we ask God, “What must I do to gain Your favor? I must obtain Your grace. But how? I can’t keep Your Commandments. What must I do?”

 

Jesus says, “Come to Me. Believe in Me. Hear My words. I will give you drink and refresh you.”

 

But that is too easy! “I have lied to You more times than I can remember. I promised to You that I would be more pious. I promised to You that I would be a better Christian. I have never kept those promises.”

 

To that Jesus says, “Come to Me. Accept this from Me. You may lack piety, but I have kept the Law for you. Your sins are forgiven.”

 

You see, the Law serves no other purpose than to create a thirst and to frighten the heart. The Gospel alone satisfies this thirst, makes us cheerful, and revives and consoles the conscience.

 

You are likely familiar with this ad slogan, “Stay Thirsty, My Friends.” After declining sales, Dos Equis launched a new ad campaign dubbed “the most interesting man in the world.” Unlike other beer ads, these ads featured a man that customers could aspire to be. Each commercial concluded with “Stay Thirsty, My Friends.”

 

So, for Luke, Lily, and Gabe, Jesus says to you today: stay thirsty. Thirst for righteousness. Thirst for peace. Thirst for God’s forgiveness. Satan, the prince of this fallen world, would rather you not be concerned for your soul. Satan would rather you follow his fallen world by removing the triune God from your life. Satan wants you to focus on your wants and your desires, rather than caring for your neighbor. He desires that you despise Jesus and His Word. His goal is to remove any desire for what you really need, which is Christ’s forgiveness for your sins.

 

Every one of us here today is a sinner. We thirst. Christ says to us all, “Come to Me! I will not let you die of thirst, but I will give you drink.”

 

It is only here in the Divine Service that our quench is fully satisfied. This is the place where our thirst is quenched.

 

Jesus quenches our thirst first through the waters of Holy Baptism. He quenches our thirst as we confess our sins to Him and receive His absolution.

 

For the confirmands, today you will receive your first communion of Christ’s body and blood under the bread and the wine. Christ’s words, “Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins,” show us that in the Sacrament of the Altar forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and salvation are given to us through those words. For where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also eternal life and salvation.

 

We all thirst for our sins forgiven. This thirst for forgiveness ought not ever go away. 

 

For everyone here today, stay thirsty, my friends. Stay thirsty in receiving Christ’s forgiveness that He won for you and that He freely gives to all who thirst in His Means of Grace – His Word and Sacraments. Amen.

 

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen. 

 

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

Sermon for Pentecost Day: "What Does This Mean?"

Grace, mercy and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen!

To get everyone caught up: Christ was crucified and died for our sins. Christ is risen for our justification, so our faith is not in vain! Christ is ascended and He promises to come again!

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

[The Pentecost Festival]

“And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, ‘What does this mean?’” (Acts 2:12)

So, who were these amazed and perplexed people in our text? And, why were they in Jerusalem?

Well, perhaps you remember that “Pentecost” means “fiftieth” or “fiftieth day.” But, if you know that, you are still left with the question: the fiftieth day after what?

The reference is actually a major Jewish festival. This festival was observed seven weeks after the Passover, plus one day. This festival was known as “Pentecost.”

Now, Christians have always used Easter as the starting point for figuring out the day of this festival. Therefore, it is always on a Sunday. That is, every Pentecost day following this particular Pentecost day.

Before the people were amazed and perplexed by the disciples and asked, “What does this mean?” They arrived every year to Jerusalem to celebrate the Pentecost festival.

On Pentecost Eve, the Jewish priests began to gather at the inner court of the Temple. Days before, Jewish people from around the ancient Near East would have began filling the city, because they could not travel far on the previous day, which was the Sabbath.

You know what? In a small way, we are like the visiting Jews coming to the Pentecost festival. Except, we are Lutherans, and we, are finally home!

Now, the rest of us may not be here today, but they are on their way! They are traveling here, but for some, it may take some more time.

On that first Pentecost morning, farmers from around Jerusalem would gather baskets with several types of food. Then a flute player would lead the farmers up Mount Zion as they sang the Songs of Ascents – Psalms 120 through 136. One of the Psalms sung was Psalm 121:

I lift up my eyes to the hills.
   From where does my help come?
My help comes from the Lord,
   who made heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot be moved;
   he who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, he who keeps Israel
   will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord is your keeper;
   the Lord is your shade on your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day,
   nor the moon by night.

The Lord will keep you from all evil;
   he will keep your life.
The Lord will keep
   your going out and your coming in
   from this time forth and forevermore.

This liturgy of procession and psalms was know as the Great Hallel. The final Song of Ascents was Psalm 136, which served as a climax of praise to God, “who alone does great wonders” (Psalm 136:4) through creating the earth, delivering the people out of Egypt, and conquering the Promised Land.

As the procession neared the city, officials went out to join the procession up to the Temple Mount. The king would place a basket of food upon his shoulder and lead the people into the Temple courts as the Levites sang Psalm 30, which was written for the Temple dedication.

In the Temple courts, the farmers would present their baskets before the priests. Each farmer would step forward and say the liturgy of recitation: “I declare today to the Lord your God that I have come into the land that the Lord swore to our fathers to give us” (Deuteronomy 26:3).

Then, he would remove the basket from his shoulder and tip it toward the priest. The priest, then, took hold of the basket, and the two of them swayed it back and forth as a “wave” offering. Then the farmer would recite:

“A wandering Aramean was my father. And he went down into Egypt and sojourned there, few in number, and there he became a nation, great, mighty, and populous. And the Egyptians treated us harshly and humiliated us and laid on us hard labor. Then we cried to the Lord, the God of our fathers, and the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. And the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great deeds of terror, with signs and wonders. And he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. And behold, now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground, which you, O Lord, have given me” (Deuteronomy 26:5-10).

The farmer would leave the basket, bow before the Lord, and make way for the next farmer.

The festival of Pentecost was huge! Jerusalem was bustling! Jewish people came from all around the world and they spoke a wide variety of languages.

[The Unexpected Pentecost Day]

Then, came the unexpected for these visitors. They were astonished as they heard Galileans speaking in their own language! They asked one another: “Are not all those who are speaking Galileans?” (Acts 2:7)

You see, Galileans were not known for their linguistic ability. This is especially the case among working Galilean men. Galileans never really needed to learn other languages, since they remained in their own region.

This certainly caught their attention! Who were these men?!

“How is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? We hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God” (Acts 2:8, 11b).

Then these visiting Jews asked this question to one another: “What does this mean?” (Acts 2:12)

This is far out of the ordinary! They expected the same old Pentecost celebration! They expected to only sing the psalms, leave their basket and recite the liturgy. This was odd.

“What does this mean?!”

Now the greater number of visiting Jews were sensible. They stopped with their questions and gave no hasty answer. They were willing to wait and see what this meant.

The minority were of a different character. They said mockingly, “They are filled with new wine” (Acts 2:13).

Yes, this minority heard the great things of God, but they passed the whole thing off with scoffing. They called the disciples tipsy, rather than attempting to ponder what this meant.

Even for us, during the months of watching on Facebook, you may have asked “What does this mean?” due to the echoes. But, you may have noticed that as time went on, God’s Word was heard clearer and clearer. Today, we hear God’s Word clearly!

[Hearing the Voice of the Savior]

So, what exactly is going on with the disciples?

Peter actually gives us the answer in his Pentecost sermon: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:”

“And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh… And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Acts 2:14-17, 21).

The Triune God picked this particular day for a reason. He picked this day, so that all peoples of all languages would be saved! This is why the visiting Jews heard the mighty works of God in their own language!

This is a promise that cannot be broken: Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved!

You see, God promised through the prophet Joel that all people – male and female, old and young, all skin colors – that they would receive the Holy Spirit. All people include both Jews and Gentiles!

There is no other name by which we can be saved! There is no other way. We cannot save ourselves on our own. No self-help book can save us. No government can save us. No other religion can save us.

From that day nearly 2,000 years ago through today and into the future, salvation begins the instant the sinner calls upon the saving name of the Lord!

So, when we lament of our sin and ask for mercy “in the name of the Lord,” He hears us!

Today, we hear Christ’s under shepherds “telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God” (Acts 2:11).

We hear of God the Father’s love for us by sending His only begotten Son Jesus to die the death we deserve and rising to life three days later, so that we, too, would be saved!

We heard the voice of God at our Baptism as He adopted us as His own through the water and the Word!

We hear of our forgiveness when we confess our sins to God the Father. Through our repentance and trust in Jesus, God the Father sees us as perfect!

We hear the Holy Spirit inspire the words of the prophets, the evangelists, and the apostles in the Scripture readings and in the preaching of His Word!

We hear the words of Jesus saying: “Take, eat; this is My body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.” And when He took the cup saying, “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

We hear Christ saying: “I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

So, as we follow the news from the Twin Cities, take heart, for Christ has overcome the world. In Him alone, we have peace.

The outpouring of the Holy Spirit, which began on that Pentecost day nearly 2,000 years ago continues today wherever the Gospel is preached!

Everyone – all languages and all people – who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved! This gift of forgiveness, life and salvation is all by grace through faith in Christ alone! Amen.

 T SOLI DEO GLORIA T

O Day Full of Grace

“O Day Full of Grace” (LSB 503) is a Scandinavian Lutheran chorale for the Day of Pentecost. Although, we do not know who originally wrote this hymn, it was first published in Swedish in 10 stanzas for the Hans Thomissøn’s Lutheran hymnal of 1569.

Then in 1826, N.F.S. Grundtvig (1783-1872) – the Danish Lutheran pastor known for writing “Built on the Rock” – revised the hymn to now include 13 stanzas. In Grundtvig’s original stanza two, he referred to Christmas. In stanza five, he referred to Pentecost.

Today’s version of this hymn also includes another revision by Gerald Thorson (1921-2001), for which he has slimmed the hymn to only five stanzas. So, this hymn would remain a Pentecost hymn, Thorson included the reference from Grundtvig’s text.

God’s grace is eternal, and His plan of salvation was laid before the foundation of the earth. Yet a new time of grace appeared when the Son was manifested in flesh and blood. Still another day of grace dawned on Pentecost when the era of the Christian Church began. This hymn is in many ways a Christian form of the Benedictus of Zechariah (Luke 1:68-79; LSB 226-227). As John the Baptist prepared the way of the dawning day of Christ, so now the Church presents this glorious dawning to the world.

The brilliant light of the day full of grace, the time of the Church, is conveyed in the prominent use of the image of light in this poem: “light from our God”; “shine for us now”; “that light sublime”; “darkness and shame removing”, “all darkness for us dispelling”; “our hearts aglow”; “walk in the light.” Such an emphasis had special meaning before electricity made light ever present, even more so to those in the Nordic lands where the hymn was first sung. The coincidence of the earlier dawns of springtime, the lengthening of days, and the Pentecost celebration added an extra dimension to the song of light and grace.

(Credit: Lutheran Service Book – Companion to the Hymns)

1     O day full of grace that now we see
    Appearing on earth’s horizon,
Bring light from our God that we may be
    Replete in His joy this season.
God, shine for us now in this dark place;
    Your name on our hearts emblazon.

2     O day full of grace, O blessèd time,
    Our Lord on the earth arriving;
Then came to the world that light sublime,
    Great joy for us all retrieving;
For Jesus all mortals did embrace,
    All darkness and shame removing.

3     For Christ bore our sins, and not His own,
    When He on the cross was hanging;
And then He arose and moved the stone
    That we, unto Him belonging,
Might join with angelic hosts to raise
    Our voices in endless singing.

4     God came to us then at Pentecost,
    His Spirit new life revealing,
That we might no more from Him be lost,
    All darkness for us dispelling.
His flame will the mark of sin efface
    And bring to us all His healing.

5     When we on that final journey go
    That Christ is for us preparing,
We’ll gather in song, our hearts aglow,
    All joy of the heavens sharing,
And walk in the light of God’s own place,
    With angels His name adoring.

Text: © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Used by permission: CPH Limited Promotional License no. 119000000

Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord

“Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord” (LSB 497) is the Hymn of the Day for the Day of Pentecost. This hymn was written by Martin Luther.

At first glance, the hymn appears to consist of disconnected statements about the Holy Spirit. Yet these phrases are joined together by a common thread: Jesus Christ.

Stanza one names the Holy Spirit as God and Lord. First, the Spirit bestows gifts to believers in Christ. These gifts of forgiveness, life, and salvation are given to every Christian in Baptism, in hearing the Word of God, and in the receiving of the Lord’s Supper. Second, the Spirit’s imparting of “fervent love” is recounted. This thought is expressed in the same way in the post-communion collect (“in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another”). Such fervent love is a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22). The first stanza closes with a plea for the Holy Spirit to grant unity to the Church on earth. True unity is the fellowship of faith and is attained “by the brightness of Your light.” That Light is Christ (Isaiah 60:3; John 8:12).

Stanza two describes the work of the Spirit as revealing and delivering Christ and His gifts. The Word of life is Christ, though whom the Church knows rightly and can even call God “Father” (Romans 8:14-16). The Church is kept from error by remaining in the truth, which is Christ (John 14:6). Or, as Luther states in the Small Catechism, the Holy Spirit keeps the whole Christian Church “with Jesus Christ in the one truth faith.”

Stanza three names the Holy Spirit as “holy fire,” which is reminiscent of the tongues of fire of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-3). This stanza turns to the life of the Christian, who is strengthened and comforted by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:5-10) until his Baptism is finally brought to completion in death (Romans 8:11).

1    Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord,
With all Your graces now outpoured
    On each believer’s mind and heart;
    Your fervent love to them impart.
Lord, by the brightness of Your light
In holy faith Your Church unite;
    From ev’ry land and ev’ry tongue
    This to Your praise, O Lord, our God, be sung:
        Alleluia, alleluia!

2    Come, holy Light, guide divine,
Now cause the Word of life to shine.
    Teach us to know our God aright
    And call Him Father with delight.
From ev’ry error keep us free;
Let none but Christ our master be
    That we in living faith abide,
    In Him, our Lord, with all our might confide.
        Alleluia, alleluia!

3    Come, holy Fire, comfort true,
Grant us the will Your work to do
    And in Your service to abide;
    Let trials turn us not aside.
Lord, by Your pow’r prepare each heart,
And to our weakness strength impart
    That bravely here we may contend,
    Through life and death to You, our Lord, ascend.
        Alleluia, alleluia!

Text: © 1941 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: CPH Limited Promotional License no. 119000000