If you’ll indulge me in a supersessionist moment…

I’ve been thinking about how Shavuot and Pentecost fall on the same day. God gives Himself in the Torah, then God gives Himself as Paraclete.

God as Torah flies back up into heaven after the little incident with the Golden calf, and comes back down as Torah. God in Jesus, who also calls himself paracletos, has gone back up into Heaven at Ascension, and now comes back down as Paraclete, the spirit. Just been thinking about that.

Also been thinking about the connection between Ascension and Pentecost. I’d never gotten this before but Ascension is about passing on the teachings. It’s a charge to followers of Jesus to continue the work by passing it along to others. And it is the job of the Holy Spirit to help us do it. The Holy Spirit is the first apostolo, being sent as a paracletos, defending, making a case… Thus empowering all of us to carry out the commission of Ascension. -- I’d just never before realized how connected those two things were.