Monday of Whitsuntide
Posted on May 29, 2023 by under
Scripture: Acts 2:33-41 (NKJV)
2:33 Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear.
34 “For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself:
‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand,
35 ’till I make Your enemies Your footstool.”’
36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”
38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”
40 And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” 41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.
Devotion
“Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” (Acts 2:36 NKJV)
Peter preaches on the day of Pentecost. He recounts Christ’s life, the miracles, and all the evidence that He was the promised One. Yet, the people of Jerusalem crucified Him anyway! Finally, St. Peter concludes with the harsh Law: Jesus lives, He is the Lord and Christ, and so He wields all power in heaven and on earth. Those who heard, we are told, were “cut to the heart.” This does not mean they necessarily felt profound remorse. Primarily, it means they felt terrible dread. They knew they were guilty, and now they knew that Christ had power to bestow “pay back.” They ask what they should do, and St. Peter tells them: be baptized, and so receive the Holy Ghost. What great news! The Gospel was even for them.
Dear ones in Christ, let the Law terrify you. Our sins crucified Jesus every bit as much as their actions did. We deserve divine wrath. But in Baptism, the Gospel is imparted to us and we are justified. As we recognize the seriousness of our sin, we appreciate all the more deeply the forgiveness we have by way of our Baptism, through faith in Christ Jesus.
Prayer: O God, who didst teach the hearts of Thy faithful people, by sending them the light of Thy Holy Spirit: Grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things, and evermore to rejoice in His holy comfort; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Collect for Whit-Monday
O God, Who didst give Thy Holy Spirit to Thine Apostles: Grant unto Thy people the performance of their petitions, so that on us to whom Thou hast given faith, Thou mayest also bestow peace; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
