Pentecost and the Fruit of the Spirit

John 20:19-23

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

I love Pentecost. At church it is a celebration. A party where we all dress up in red and sometimes the church sanctuary is full of balloons and bursting with enthusiasm. It is a wonderful time of reflection after Easter, a much needed reminder that there is still something to celebrate, something to be excited and enthused about, and there is still work in the church to be done.

That is why I love Pentecost. It is only a short distance from Easter on the calendar, but even in a Christian heart we recognize we fall short. I need spiritual reminders as much as I need a post card reminder to tune the car or a timer to buzz so I’ll turn off the oven. I am so glad that Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit and that Pentecost has become the perfect reminder of his love weeks after we celebrated the awesome love of Easter.

We read about the return of Jesus in John 20:19-23. He comes back to us offering the gift of the Holy Spirit. It is the essence of Jesus through the Holy Spirit that allows us to be full of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. By not utilizing these gifts Galatians 5:23 tells us there is no law.

Think about it; picture a world without the fruits of the Spirit. I imagine it would be like driving on the roads without traffic lights, designated lanes and signs. There would be noise, confusion, much road rage. No one would feel safe and we’d fear every other car out there. No love, no joy, no peace, no patience, no kindness, no goodness, no faithfulness, no gentleness and no self-control. It sounds sad doesn’t it?

Well we don’t have to be sad because Jesus said “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And now Jesus is sending us.

Related Posts:

Pentecost, Birthday of the Christian Church
Podcast: The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost