May 19th, 2024
This Sunday is Pentecost. On the fiftieth day after our Lord’s resurrection and ten days after his ascension to the right hand of the Father, the promised Holy Spirit descended from heaven like a mighty rushing wind and filled the house where the believers were gathered and the believers themselves were filled with the Spirit (Acts 2:1-4).
The Apostle Paul declares that the pouring out of the Spirit is the pouring out of God’s love: “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Rom 5:5). God’s love is the mutual love of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This mutual love is eternal, for the Father, Son, and Spirit dwell eternally in this communion of mutual love. God is love.
Because of sin, our hearts are hardened towards God. We’re turned away from him. But “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8). Whoever receives Christ and believes in his name, God “gives the right to be called children of God” (John 1:12).
The love of God poured into our hearts through the Spirit is the love of the Father for the Son. John proclaims, “Behold what manner of love the Father has given unto us, that we should be called children of God. And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1). We are his dearly loved children (Eph 5:2).
Through the Spirit we receive the Father’s love for the Son and through the Spirit we receive the Son’s love for the Father. The Spirit is the Spirit of Adoption, who bears witness with our spirit that we are co-heirs with Christ and by whom we cry out “Abba! Father!” (Rom 8:15-17).
There is much to celebrate this Pentecost Sunday, but at the centre of our celebration is the glorious gift of God’s love: “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Rom 5:5). The Spirit turns our heart towards the Son, who takes us to the Father, so that we might dwell forever in the mutual love of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.