SERMONS > May 24, 2026

What Does This Mean?

Today we celebrate the Day of Pentecost. It is the third major festival day in the liturgical calendar, alongside Christmas (celebrating the birth of Jesus) and Easter (celebrating the resurrection of Christ).

The word ‘Pentecost’ comes from the Greek word pentekoste which means ‘fiftieth (day)’. The Day of Pentecost marks the 50th day after Christ’s resurrection from the dead.

For the Jewish people, the Day of Pentecost is known as Shavuot; the Festival of Weeks. Shavuot is the spring festival celebrating the first fruits of the harvest; it also commemorates God giving the Torah (the Law) to Moses. Shavuot occurs 50 days (7 weeks plus one day) after the first day of Passover.

As we hear from today’s reading from the book of Acts, this is the day when the Holy Spirit was poured out into the world, with the rush of a violent wind, settling as tongues of fire on the heads of Jesus’ apostles as they were all together in one place, and filling them with power to speak the word of God in languages and ways that even the foreigners around them could understand what they were saying and come to believe (trust) in Jesus Christ, the savior of the world.

And the people who had gathered in Jerusalem from all around the world to celebrate Shavuot on that 50th day after the resurrection asked the question that Lutheran Christians have been asking every since Martin Luther wrote the Small Catechism*, as a guide to teaching the faith to new (and old) Christians – What does this mean?

[* Martin Luther wrote the Small Catechism in 1529. Using a Q and A format, he outlines the basic teachings of the Christian faith: The Ten Commandments; The Creed; The Lord’s Prayer; The Sacrament of Holy Baptism; The Sacrament of the Altar; The Morning Blessing; and The Evening Blessing. You can pick up a copy of the Small Catechism in the entryway.]

As an example, in the section he wrote to explain the Creed, Luther says this about the Third Article:

The Third Article:On Being Made Holy

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.

What is this?  or  What does this mean?

I believe that by my own understanding or strength I cannot believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to him, but instead the Holy Spirit has called me through the gospel, enlightened me with his gifts, made me holy and kept me in the true faith, just as he calls, gathers, enlightens, and makes holy the whole Christian church on earth and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one common, true faith. Daily in this Christian church the Holy Spirit abundantly forgives all sins—mine and those of all believers. On the last day the Holy Spirit will raise me and all the dead and will give to me and all believers in Christ eternal life. This is most certainly true.

What does this mean? is an acceptable question to ask, as we probe deeper into scripture, seeking to discern the meaning of God’s word for our life today. So, let’s use this question – What does this mean? – to explore the story of Pentecost.

What does this mean that devout Jews from every people under heaven were in Jerusalem to observe Shavout? These were the Jewish diaspora, who had left Jerusalem for other lands. Most of them continued to live under the oppressive rule of the Roman Empire yet they were still committed to practicing their faith as they had been taught. They returned to the city of Jerusalem to celebrate the holy festivals, for that is where God promised to meet them. 

Only on this day, as we will hear, God meets them in a new way.

Today we know the places from where these people came by other names –

  • Iran – that is, the Parthians, Medes, and Elamites
    • Iraq – that is, Mesopotamia
    • Palestine and Israel – that is, Judea
    • Turkey – that is, Cappadocia, Pontus, Phrygia, Pamphylia
    • North Africa – that is, Cyrene (a Greek colony)
    • Egypt – Libya – Crete – Saudia Arabia

These are the diverse people God gathered together in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ spoken to them in their own languages. Knowing the geopolitical reality of these devout Jews gives us a deeper understanding of God’s expansive intent to send Jesus into the world so that all of the world (the cosmos) might be saved through him (John 3:17) – all of the world – not just some of it.

What does this mean that each one of these devout Jews, from wherever they were from, heard the disciples speaking in their own native language – and they could understand what they were saying?

Peter describes this action in the words of the prophet Joel – In the last days it will be, declares that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy…and everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Through the speaking of the Word by the apostles and by the power of the Holy Spirit poured out upon these devout Jews, 50 days after Christ’s resurrection, God is meeting the people in a new way; God is doing something new. God is forming these people into the ecclesia; creating the assembly of people called out by God to be the body of Christ (the church) in all the world – the body of Christ that extends beyond borders and nationalities and languages and human differences of any sort.

In these last days, through the power of the Holy Spirit poured out in the world today through wind and fire and the waters of baptism and the speaking of the Word (the Good News of Jesus Christ), God continues to call  us and form us into the body of Christ (the church) for the sake of the world; God continues to send us out into the world to share the good news of Jesus’ redeeming love with all the world, beyond borders and nationalities and languages and human differences of any sort.

What does this meanthat God calls Holy Trinity to follow the example of Jesus, acting boldly to build community with diverse people and to nurture creation? AND

What does this mean that Holy Trinity has now called a new Pastor, someone with gifts to share in parish ministry, children and youth ministry, pastoral care and community engagement? Who has done advocacy work with an interfaith group in her state’s capital and has been involved in creation care with Lutherans Restoring Creation? Who now is excited to come and serve and live among you? These two questions are, of course, related and connected in some mysterious and holy ways that you do not (and cannot) fully understand at the moment. As you continue your work together in this season of discernment and mission revitalization and as you move forward with your new pastor, may you remember the Good News spoken by the apostles on the Day of Pentecost – that through the power of the Holy Spirit poured out upon all the people of Holy Trinity through wind and fire and water and Word, God continues to meet you in a new way and God continues to form you into the body of Christ for the sake of the world and God continues to send you out into the world to share God’s love, mercy, justice, and peace with all the world, beyond borders and nationalities and languages and human differences of any sort. This is most certainly true. May it be so.