The Monday of Whitsun-Week
Posted on June 9, 2025 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
We describe Jesus’ suffering and death as His state of humiliation. We describe Jesus’ resurrection, ascension, and enthronement as His state of exaltation. St. Peter explains that the resurrection of Jesus was witnessed by the Apostles over a period of forty days. The plan from the beginning was for the heavenly Father to send His Son to secure the atonement price for the whole world. The prophet David foretold Christ’s ascending and being seated at the Father’s right hand in Psalm 110. Once exalted, Jesus would send out the Holy Spirit, the Helper, the Spirit of truth from the Father to testify about His person and His work for us (John 15:26, 16:7).
St. Peter confesses in the Pentecost sermon that, despite the nation having rejected Jesus, He is both “Lord and Christ.” The human nature of Jesus is both our divine Lord and the promised Christ. These facts are abundantly clear from the Old Testament Scriptures of Joel and David, from the resurrection, and now from the sending of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. “Therefore, let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
With those facts assuredly known, the human response should be repentance for sins and the faith-filled reception of holy Baptism for the remission of sins. The gift of the Holy Spirit and this promise of salvation through faith in Jesus works salvation and is gladly received by believers called by the Word.
Collect: 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.
Collect for the Feast of Pentecost (Whitsunday)
O God, Who didst teach the hearts of Thy faithful people, by sending to 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.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
