23 Crosses: The Pentecost One

This year I’m writing a devotional series based on the 23 Crosses that hang on our family’s cross wall at our home. Each unique cross serves to uniquely remind us of the love of God for us in Christ. I pray that these devotions will remind you of the same. Each devotion will also be posted on our blog at TrinityZanesville.org.

Several of the pectoral crosses I wear while leading worship were handmade by a Pastor friend of ours from Wisconsin. The crosses are made out of colored glass with the colors matching the shade of the liturgical season.

This cross that hangs on our wall at home is a larger version of those crosses, made to commemorate Pentecost. We’ll celebrate Pentecost at church on May 23.

On Pentecost we remember God’s gift to His people of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is depicted here as the white dove in the middle of the cross, but if you look closely you can likely see right through it. And that is especially fitting, for the Spirit never acts to gain attention for itself, but rather to point God’s people to Christ.

Jesus says this of the Spirit in John 14, “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”

You see God has given His people the Holy Spirit to point us toward and remind us of Jesus. For the Spirit is the One who reminds us of what God has told us in His Word. The Spirit is the One who reminds us of what Jesus has done for us at the cross. The Spirit is the One who is alive in you and me reminding us that we are children of God through our baptism into Christ. That’s what the Spirit is called to do, and thanks be to God that’s exactly what the Spirit does for us. Thanks be to God for His gift to us of His Spirit to lead, guide, and comfort us by always reminding us of Jesus our Savior.