On Pentecost Sunday, the reading from Acts 2 is typically the centerpiece of the message as it describes the coming of the Holy Spirit and the beginning of the Christian church. Pentecost fulfills what Moses says in Numbers 11:29b: “Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit on them!”
Acts 2 is a great passage. As the Holy Spirit comes on the scene, there’s a linguistic miracle where everyone can understand in their own language (almost like the Tower of Babel in reverse). Pentecost displays God’s power to 1) create in times of transition and change and 2) his desire to connect with humanity. This passage has a lot to say to us today. For God, language, gender, background are NOT insurmountable barriers. God’s invitation to communion, communication, and community transcend the typical things that separate people.
At this unusual time, let us renew our hope in God, rejoice that he has poured out his spirit on us, and that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.