So this past weekend I found myself enjoying a dessert. Now, I know that’s not a huge deal for most people - most people like desserts. In fact, many look at dessert as the best part of the meal.

Unfortunately, I do not. I am not a dessert guy. Most of the time I’ll pass on dessert and take a second helping of the main course. Truth be told I’m not a big fan of sugary stuff in general. 

So, ladies and gentlemen, when I say that this past weekend I found myself enjoying a dessert, you can rest assured that this is a big deal. Now the dessert in question was a fruit crisp my sister made. It was amazing. It playfully tickled my taste buds, in fact to me it tasted like summer on a spoon. It also led my family into a drawn out discussion on the differences between a crisp, a crumble, and a cobbler. (Suffice to say I left the conversation more confused than when I entered - apparently cake batter is a big player here). 

But in any case, I found myself enjoying a dessert. Indeed, I even went back for seconds - that dessert became the best part of my meal.

And dear friends, that is what Pentecost is for Christians. It’s dessert. In fact, it’s an amazing dessert - maybe the best part of the meal. There is nothing else during our earthly journey that compares with the gift of the Holy Spirit and all the blessings He brings.

As Christians we focus most of our attention on the ‘meal’ Christmas, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter - and rightfully so, for these are the great events in our Savior's life. They are the events of our salvation, the events by which Jesus won our salvation. They are the nourishment of our souls.

But Pentecost, in a very real sense, is the dessert. For it is the Holy Spirit who takes the blessings of eternal life and makes them ours. It is the Holy Spirit who creates faith in our hearts and opens our eyes to see the glory of our Savior. It is the Holy Spirit who, working through the word, shows us the depth of love of Good Friday. It is the Holy Spirit who has convinced us that Easter is not just another Sunday - it is the day of Christ’s indestructible victory over our enemies. Pentecost is our dessert, for it is the day Christ poured out the Holy Spirit on his church. 

So dear friends, as Summer rolls in and the warm weather returns, let us celebrate Pentecost with joy. Let us thank God Most High for the precious gift, the gift of His Spirit. And let us pray that “God would on us bestow, the gifts that from the Spirit flow.”

Pastor Joshua Zarling



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