PENTECOST SUNDAY 2026 “COME, HOLY SPIRIT”   

Acts 2:1–21; John 20:19–23         

Sometimes, we are so busy chasing our health, money or satisfaction in life that we forget to be led by the Holy Spirit. Yet the Christian life is not built merely on our own strength, intelligence, or effort. The foundation of Christian life is to examine ourselves and to live under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. That is why Scripture says, “Be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18).

Today is Pentecost—a great and glorious day in the life of the church. On this day we celebrate God’s gift of the Holy Spirit. What is the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit is not mysterious energy. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ, God’s abiding presence with us. Through the Holy Spirit, the risen Christ continues to dwell among his people. Jesus promised, “I will not leave you orphaned” (John 14:18).

After Jesus was crucified, the disciples were frightened and discouraged. They feared both the Roman and Jewish authorities. They hid behind locked doors, overwhelmed by grief and uncertainty. But then the risen Jesus came among them, showed them his wounded hands and side, and said, “Peace be with you” (John 20:19).

Imagine their joy! For forty days they walked with the risen Lord. Yet before ascending into heaven, Jesus gave them a surprising command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father.” He promised that they would be baptized with the Holy Spirit and that the Spirit would teach them and remind them of everything he had said.

And so, they waited. Ten days after Jesus’ ascension, on the day of Pentecost, about one hundred and twenty believers gathered together in prayer. They did not know exactly what would happen, but they trusted Jesus’ promise.

Then suddenly it happened. Acts tells us that there came from heaven the sound of a mighty rushing wind. They could not see the Spirit, but they heard the wind, just as we hear the breeze though we cannot see it. Then appeared tongues as of fire resting upon each of them. Wind and fire—symbols of God’s power and holy presence. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.

Something remarkable happened. Fear gave way to courage. Confusion gave way to clarity. Isolation gave way to mission. The Spirit enabled them to speak in tongues they had never learned so that people from many nations could hear the good news of Jesus Christ in their own languages.

What a miracle! God spoke to people not through one language, one culture, or one nation, but through many languages and many peoples. Pentecost reminds us that the gospel is for everyone.

Without the Holy Spirit, the disciples remained behind locked doors. With the Holy Spirit, they became bold witnesses. And the same is true for us. Without the Holy Spirit, we cannot truly confess Jesus as Lord. Without the Spirit, faith becomes dry religion or mere habit. But when we confess Christ and live into the grace given in baptism, we experience divine love, forgiveness, and new life. The Spirit teaches us to speak a new language—the language of hope instead of despair, grace instead of judgment, peace instead of fear.

The disciples who were once afraid became people of joy and faith. The Holy Spirit gave them empowerment, encouragement, and hope. Jesus said, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses” (Acts 1:8).

Friends, many people misunderstand the Holy Spirit. Even in Acts 2, some observers mocked the disciples and said, “They are filled with new wine!” In other words, “They are drunk. They are crazy.” Not much has changed.

Some people still fear the Holy Spirit. They worry that being Spirit-filled means losing control or causing embarrassment. They fear emotional chaos or disorder. So they keep faith carefully contained—comfortable, predictable, and safely limited to Sunday morning. But Pentecost is not about confusion or disorder. “For God is a God not of disorder but of peace (As in all the churches of the saints” (1Corinthians. 14:33).

Here is a humorous way to think about it. A man bought the newest smartphone with every possible feature—camera, internet, maps, translation, and countless applications. Yet after several weeks he returned to the store and complained, “This phone is terrible! It only makes phone calls.”  The clerk looked at him and asked, “Did you read the manual?” The man replied, “Manual? I thought it should already know what I need!”

Sometimes we treat the Christian life the same way. God has given us the gift of the Holy Spirit—guidance, wisdom, courage, comfort, and power—and yet we try to live only by our own strength. Then we wonder why we feel spiritually weak and exhausted. The Spirit is not meant to be ignored like an unopened instruction manual. The Spirit is God’s living presence helping us every day.

The Holy Spirit does not make us irrational or irresponsible. Rather, the Spirit gives divine wisdom and holy common sense. God acts in ways that are orderly and life-giving. Through the Spirit we learn, as Paul says, the secret of facing every circumstance—whether abundance or need, joy or hardship—and we can confess, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13).

Without the Holy Spirit we cannot fully discern truth from falsehood or faithfully declare, “Jesus is Lord.” Therefore, do not be afraid of the Holy Spirit. Instead, pray for the Spirit. Desire the Spirit. Seek to be continually filled with the Spirit.

Jesus made an astonishing promise: “The one who believes in me will also do the works that I do, and in fact, will do greater works than these” (John 14:12). Greater works than these?

This does not mean we become greater than our Lord. Rather, it means that the ministry of Christ continues and expands through the Holy Spirit. During his earthly ministry, Jesus ministered in one place at a time. But through the Holy Spirit, Christ is present throughout the world—across every nation and generation.

The Spirit transcends time and place. God and Christ are present with all who call upon his name. The Spirit unites us with Jesus and with believers everywhere.

Pentecost therefore declares something wonderful: God’s plans for our lives are greater than we imagine. Too often we rely only on our own programs, strategies, and abilities. But the early church teaches us another way—the way of prayer, trust, and openness to God’s Spirit.

As the church, we are called not merely to preserve institutions or maintain routines but to trust the Spirit and celebrate Pentecost with expectation. Expect to be surprised by God. Expect grace to appear in unexpected places. Expect courage when you thought you had none. Expect God to open doors that seemed shut. Believe in the Spirit and trust the power of God. Marvelous things happen when God’s people open themselves to the Spirit’s leading.

Come, Holy Spirit. Fill us with wisdom, courage, and power. Fill us with love and compassion. Fill us with faith and holy boldness. And may God’s Spirit lead you and me, and this church, into the joyful adventure of following Jesus Christ. Come, Holy Spirit. Amen.