On things unseen this week, we've been thinking about the meaning of the day of Pentecost,

or to be quite honest, we've been thinking about some very small parts of that meeting.

It's a surprise, I think, for example, to notice that in Peter's

sermon, apart from the words he quotes from Joel chapter 2, he mentions the Holy Spirit only once,

because his sermon is not so much about what the Spirit is doing, but about the fact that what

the Spirit is doing tells us about the fact that what the Spirit is doing tells us something

about the Lord Jesus. And that, of course, is consistent with Jesus' words in the upper room,

when he says, John 1614, when the Spirit comes, he will glorify me, for he will take what is

mine and declare it to you.

But there's another promise Jesus gave the apostles in the upper room that's very relevant here.

Remember how he said in John 14, verse 16, I will ask the Father, and he will give you another helper to be with you forever,

even the spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive.

Jesus was telling them that he was leaving them and he was going back to the Father.

They were crestfallen.

The prospect of him sending another helper to be with them

forever didn't really thrill them, because what they wanted was Jesus himself to be with them forever.

Well, we know that, but I wonder if you've ever reflected on Jesus' words here, I will ask the

Father, and he will give you another helper.

I suspect we don't think about them as much as we should in connection with the day of

Pentecost. But clearly Simon Peter did, because they lie behind something he says in his

Pentecost sermon that I suspect we don't think enough about either.

Here's what he says.

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