Pentecost Acts 2:1–24

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OVERVIEWBIBLE TRUTHGod gives us the Holy Spirit.

BIBLE VERSEYou will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38

LEARNER GOALI understand that God gives me the Holy Spirit to work faith in my heart.

LAW & GOSPELWe think we can come to understand and trust in God by our own power.

The Holy Spirit works faith in our hearts as we hear His Word proclaimed.

SCRIPTURE SNAPSHOTWith the sound of a rushing wind and tongues of fire, the promised Holy Spirit descends on the disciples. As they speak “in other tongues” (Acts 2:4), their hearers, from a multitude of nations, hear about “the mighty works of God” (v. 11) in their own languages. Beginning with Old Testament prophecies, Peter’s sermon proclaims Jesus, the promised Messiah.

LESSON PREPBASIC Read Acts 2:1–24 in The Lutheran Study Bible along with the study notes.

MORE T IME Read the article “Pentecost” in The Lutheran Study Bible, page 1835.

IN DEPTH Read “The Third Article (Part 1)” in Luther’s Small Catechism with Explanation (2017).

SUPPLY LISTFOR THIS LESSON

☐ Fan

☐ The words Jesus Loves You translated into various languages

FOR EVERY LESSON

☐ Device with downloaded music

☐ Pens or pencils

☐ Student copies of Explore Bible Guidebook

☐ Bible

☐ Copies of downloadable activity page

☐ Supplies for bonus activities

ELEMENTARYUnit 3

LEADER GUIDELesson 9

A TELLING TRUTH

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LAUNCHPRAY Gracious Heavenly Father, You are the giver of all good gifts. Guide us

today as we learn about the gift of the Holy Spirit and the gift of language. Bless our time together. In Your name we pray. Amen.

SING “Be a Believer” “It’s a New Day, Rejoice” Music can be found in the digital resource center.

SAY What is this? (Use whatever kind of fan you brought to blow air at your stu-dents, and listen for their responses.) You have a name for it, right? But you can’t see it. Just because we can’t see something, that doesn’t mean it isn’t something very important. Does having a word help you talk about some-thing? Yes. Language is very important. But language is only helpful if it’s the language you know. How many languages do you know? Which ones?

LEARNREAD “A TELL ING TRUTH”Use the Explore Bible Guidebook to read the Bible narrative aloud to your students. This is quite a dramatic narrative, so be sure to emphasize the exciting parts in bold print with a more dramatic voice.

DO SOMETHINGAs you review, choose one of the following.

FOR YOUNGER STUDENTS Help stu-dents reenact the story. If you have made the Holy Spirit Hats, use those. Using an online translator, translate the words Jesus Loves You into different languages and give them to different students to say as they portray the disciples.

FOR OLDER STUDENTS Once students have the details of this Bible narrative down, talk more about the nuances of the story. Talk about the bookend events of the tower of Babel in the Old Testament and Pentecost in the New Testament, and how this applies in their lives.

KEY DISCUSSION POINTS ● This event really shows how interconnected the Trinity is. God the Father sent His

Son to die and rise for us. The Son ascends to heaven and sends us the Holy Spirit.

● This event is the reversal of the tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1–9), when God confused the languages of the sinful and rebellious people. Here, God brings people together and unites them around the Holy Spirit, making everyone able to understand the many languages. The tower of Babel and Pentecost are like bookends. Some of your older students will be intrigued by this and really “get it.” Other students may not, and that’s okay. They may understand it the next time they hear this Bible narrative.

● The events of Pentecost were a miracle. This miracle of the languages shows us that God wants to include all nations and all people in the new covenant.

LEADER NOTEBring in a fan—a big electric one, a simple paper fan, or whatever suits your situation.

GUIDEBOOKSHand out student copies of the Explore Bible Guidebook and turn to Lesson 9.

BONUS ACTIVITYUse the “Holy Spirit Hats” activity on the back page for a hands-on craft to get the students involved in acting out this Bible narrative.

LEADER NOTEThis story has some very abstract concepts. For younger, more concrete learners, focus on the events of the story and the gift of the Holy Spirit.

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LIVEEXPLORE THE CONTEXTBefore you start the discussion questions, use the Explore Bible Guidebook for further details about this lesson found on the second page of Lesson 9 material.

TALK ABOUT ITChoose from the following questions. For a few helps, encourage students to look in their Explore Bible Guidebook.

Ƚ Acts 2:41 tells us that about three thousand people were baptized that day. What was your Baptism like? (Take responses and share your own story.) I’m guessing it may not have been as dramatic as Pentecost, and you may not even remember it. That doesn’t mean it was not just as important a day.

Ƚ How do you think the lives of the people who heard the Gospel on Pentecost were changed? How are our lives changed because we know the Gospel and have the gift of the Holy Spirit?

Ƚ A rushing wind is very powerful—think hurricanes and tornadoes—but the power of the Holy Spirit to help us believe is even more powerful. When you feel a wind, whether it’s a big wind or a slight breeze, think of the Holy Spirit coming to the believers on Pentecost—and to us in God’s Word and Sacra-ments.

SAY THE BIBLE VERSE TOGETHER

You will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38

KEY DISCUSSION POINT ● Because we have received this wonderful gift of life and salvation through Jesus and

the gift of the Holy Spirit to believe, we naturally want to share it with others.

CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING Ask students to tell you their favorite part of this Bible narrative.

LEAVESAY God gives us the Holy Spirit. It may not be in a big, dramatic-looking event

like Pentecost, but it is just as real and just as important in our lives.

SING The Doxology, “Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow” “The Lord’s Prayer” Music can be found in the digital resource center.

PRAY Dear Jesus, thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Thank You for the gift of faith. Thank You that the Holy Spirit helps us hear and understand Your Word every day in our lives. Help us to share Your precious Word with others. In Your name we pray, Jesus. Amen.

DOWNLOADABLE PAGEExtend learning by printing the downloadable activity page found in the digital resource center. See the back page of this guide for details.

CHRIST CONNECTIONChrist, having completed His work of salvation and ascending to heaven, sends the Holy Spirit to extend His work of creating faith through Baptism and proclamation of the Word.

LEADER NOTEFor students who have not been baptized, encourage them and their family to speak with your pastor about Baptism. Reassure them that God’s love is also for them.

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CONNECTING IDENTITY & CALLINGIDENTITY: WHO AM I?God the Holy Spirit reaches me through His Word and gives me new life in Jesus, enabling me to live as His disciple.

CALLING: WHY AM I HERE? I am called and equipped to tell others of the new life Jesus gives through His death and resurrection for all who believe.

GROWING IN FAITH FOR L IFESee how this lesson builds on previous learning for each age.

ADULTI can consider the importance of the role of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and in the life of the Church today. YOUTHI can recognize the work of the Holy Spirit at Pente-cost and in the Church today as the creator and sustainer of faith in me and all believers.ELEMENTARYI understand that God gives me the Holy Spirit to work faith in my heart.EARLY CHILDHOODI know God the Holy Spirit is my helper.

DOWNLOADABLE PAGE HELPSMake copies of the downloadable activity page found in the digital resource center. Use the helps below as a guide.

Give the students some time to complete the matching activity. Answers: (1) E, (2) D, (3) A, (4) G, (5) B, (6) C, (7) F.

Optional: Put each statement from each column on a half-sheet of paper and have students work in pairs to physi-cally match them that way.

As you discuss together the question at the bottom of the page, remind students that the Holy Spirit gives us faith in the triune God and keeps us in this faith. Through Word and Sacraments, the Holy Spirit grows and strengthens our faith and helps us share our faith with others.

BONUS ACTIVITIESHOLY SPIRIT HATS 10–15 minutes

Make tongues of fire for Holy Spirit Hats. Use a paper plate as the hat base or form a ring of construction paper to go around each child’s head. Glue red and orange tissue paper onto tongue-shaped “flames” and attach them to the hat base or ring. Search online for other options.

MANY LANGUAGES POSTER 15–20 minutes

The Explore Bible Guidebook for this lesson contains a short list of the words Holy Spirit translated into other languages. Brainstorm with your students to think of other languages to find and translate. Use the words Holy Spirit or translate the phrase Jesus Loves You to make a big classroom poster sharing the Gospel in many languages.

SALAD SPINNER ART 10–15 minutes

Use a cheap salad spinner, white paper plates, and streaks of yellow and red paint to make “flames” to remind students of the tongues of fire in the Pentecost account. Have students write the name of someone to pray for on the paper plate before you drip on the paint. Look online for samples.

A TELLING TRUTH—PENTECOSTUnit 3, Lesson 9

The Holy Spirit ComesDirections: As Jesus promised, God sent the Holy Spirit to the disciples when they were gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate Pentecost. Review the facts of this miraculous event as you finish each statement in Column 1 with its correct ending from Column 2.

Column 1

1. When gathered in a house on the day ofPentecost, Jesus’ followers heard .

2. In the house, Jesus’ followers saw .

3. Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus’ followerscould speak in .

4. When other people heard Jesus’ disciplesspeaking, some were .

5. To explain the truth about all that hadhappened, Peter .

6. Peter said that God sent .

7. Peter told the people that according toGod’s plan .

Column 2

A. many different languages.

B. preached a sermon.

C. the Holy Spirit to His disciplesas He had promised.

D. tongues of fire resting on eachone of them.

E. a mighty rushing wind.

F. they had crucified Jesus andGod raised Him from the dead.

G. amazed and others thought thedisciples had drunk too muchwine.

Jesus said, “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” (John 14:26).According to this verse, how does the Holy Spirit help you?

Enduring Faith™. © 2019 Concordia Publishing House. Scripture: ESV®. Permission granted to purchaser to reproduce this page for use in educational settings. 433110. L9-4-44