- Feast Forward
- No comments
Devotion by Joel Busby
Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit (John 12:24).
The Lord Jesus speaks of himself as a grain of wheat. He sends workers into his plentiful harvest. He makes atonement as a perfect offering for sin and shame. He gives peace with God, and he, in his very person, assures us our God will most certainly give us all things (Rom. 8:32). Our crucified, risen, ascended, and returning Lord Jesus is always working in the world by the power of his Spirit, gathering a harvest of worshipers from every tongue and tribe and nation.
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them (Acts 2:1-4).
With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day (Acts 2:40-41).
The outpouring of the Spirit in Acts 2 on the Day of Pentecost—the celebration of the Feast of Weeks during the apostles’ time—sprouts up in the soil of the biblical narrative as a fulfillment of the prophets’ promise that all nations will come to Jerusalem. The Spirit fills the cup of Old Testament imagery to the brim as Isaiah’s dream is fulfilled. The Spirit preaches the gospel to worshipers from every corner of the Jewish diaspora, giving them the ability to hear and proclaim the good news to all people.
Our labors to sow and plant, water and reap in the ordinary things of daily life are caught up in something bigger than the despair and violence we see on the news and in social media posts. Our Lord is always working. A great harvest is coming in. The barn will be filled full. Praise God! A Christian can live with confidence.