Prophesy | Ezekiel 37 & Acts 2 | The Spirit Brings the Dead to Life
Watch This Sermon On Pentecost
What really happened at Pentecost—and what does it mean for us today?
This Pentecost sermon by Pastor Mark Groen weaves together Ezekiel 37 and Acts 2 to proclaim a powerful truth: God brings the dead to life by His Word and Spirit. The dry bones in Ezekiel’s vision echo in the rushing wind and fiery tongues of Acts 2. Yet the miracle is not just in what happened then—but what still happens now. The Holy Spirit still comes. The Word is still proclaimed. And dead hearts still live.
With clarity and conviction, this sermon calls us to trust not in excitement or novelty, but in the ordinary, extraordinary power of the gospel to save.
Questions About the Holy Spirit and Pentecost
What is the primary work of the Holy Spirit?
The Holy Spirit’s primary work is to bring spiritually dead sinners to life and unite them to Jesus Christ. As seen at Pentecost and throughout Scripture, the Spirit gives faith through the proclamation of the Word and transforms hearts by His power.
Why did the disciples speak in other languages at Pentecost?
They spoke in real, known languages so the gospel could be proclaimed to people from every nation gathered in Jerusalem. This miracle reversed the division at Babel and signaled that the message of salvation was now going out to all people, not just to Israel.
Is the Holy Spirit still working today like at Pentecost?
Yes, though not always through visible signs. Every time God’s Word is read, preached, or received in faith, the Holy Spirit is at work—convicting of sin, assuring forgiveness, and uniting us to Christ. That same Spirit is active in the life of the Church today.
What does it mean to trust the work of the Holy Spirit?
It means believing that God is at work through His Word—even when we don’t see or feel it. Whether reading Scripture at home, confessing sin in worship, or sharing the gospel with others, we trust that the Spirit brings life and accomplishes God’s purposes.
📖 Click to Show the Transcript of this Sermon
The Holy Spirit brings life. Throughout Scripture, we see the work of the Spirit and how the Spirit accomplishes what only God can do. Today, we remember the coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, an event that marked the beginning of the church. Nearly two thousand years later, we sit here as a result of the work the Spirit has done through the years. This is a witness to the faithfulness of God and to how the Spirit works. The primary work of the Spirit is to bring dead sinners to life and unite us to Jesus Christ. We see this amazing work of God in both our Old and New Testament lessons today.
When considering the work of the Holy Spirit this morning, it’s important to acknowledge that the Holy Spirit is often an afterthought when we think of the Godhead. I heard a story about someone sharing the Christian faith with a man of Chinese descent who must have been inquiring about Christianity. He asked, “The Father, I understand. Jesus Christ, His Son, I get that. But who is this holy bird?” That’s a good question. We believe and confess a triune God, co-equal in power, distinct in person. God the Father and God the Son are not at a higher level in the Godhead, yet the Holy Spirit is often relegated to the background in our minds.
We try to overcome this. We begin and end each service by naming Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Our prayer of illumination reminds us of the work of the Triune God. The Apostles’ Creed and Nicene Creed highlight all three persons of the Trinity, and we address each in our congregational prayer. The goal is to understand the distinct roles of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. As we progress through the church year, we now land on Pentecost Sunday to focus on the work of the Spirit. Last week, we remembered the Ascension and Jesus’ role as our mediator and ascended King. Now, just a few days later, we remember Pentecost to understand the vital work of the Holy Spirit.
To explore this, we are blessed with two well-known passages. Our Old Testament passage takes us to Ezekiel chapter 37, the vision of the dry bones—familiar to many through the song, “Them bones, them bones, them dry bones.” This passage contrasts sharply with Ezekiel chapter 36, where we read of flourishing garden cities full of vibrant people, described as a place of peace and hope: “The desolate land will be cultivated instead of lying desolate in the sight of all who pass through it. They will say, this land that was laid waste has become like the Garden of Eden. The cities that were lying in ruins, desolate, and destroyed are now fortified and inhabited.” This evokes images of paradise, with rebuilt and fortified cities.
Yet, this image of paradise crashes down in Ezekiel 37:1: “The hand of the Lord was upon me,” Ezekiel says, “and He brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley. It was full of bones.” This is a stark contrast, from Eden to a valley of death. This is not a lush valley of greenery but one filled with bones—lots of death, not just a few skeletons like in a poorly decorated Halloween haunted house. It’s an enormous field of destruction. The bones are described as very dry, implying they’re scattered, with no hope of life. This is death, destruction, hopelessness.
God asks Ezekiel, “Can these bones live?” I might have responded, “Seriously, Lord? Look at this!” But Ezekiel, wiser than I, says, “Sovereign Lord, You alone know.” He acknowledges his human limitations, trusting that God, the sovereign Creator of heavens and earth, can bring this valley to life if He wills. God instructs Ezekiel to speak to the bones, not to reassemble them with wire and glue, but to proclaim the word of the Lord. This is critical: God works through His word. He spoke the universe into existence, and His external word commands reality.
In verse 7, Ezekiel obeys, and a rattling sound emerges as bones come together, bone to bone, with tendons, flesh, and skin covering them. Yet, they show no signs of life. This vision echoes the creation of Adam, formed from dust but lifeless until God breathed life into him. Similarly, it’s the word of the sovereign Lord and the work of the Spirit that will bring these dry bones to life, not anything Ezekiel or the bones do. When Ezekiel speaks God’s word, breath enters them, and they live—not just a few, but a vast army.
What does this vision mean? God Himself interprets it: it’s about His people in exile, who feel their hopes of returning to the land are dead, believing God’s promise to save them is abandoned. But God declares, “You may be dead. You may have abandoned Me, but I have not abandoned you.” He will not leave His people in exile; He will keep His promise. This vision highlights Israel’s utter hopelessness in exile, described as dead, unable to revive themselves. Only God, the Lord of creation, can bring them to life.
This principle applies to us. Born dead in our sins, separated from God, we seem beyond rescue. Yet, the sovereign Lord has acted to bring us new spiritual life through Jesus’ work. His word, empowered by the Spirit, breathes life into us, restoring God’s people. This is the big story, and it’s the message we see at Pentecost. Last week, on Ascension Sunday, we saw Jesus instruct the disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the work ahead. They obeyed, and now we explore this pivotal moment.
Pentecost is not just a Christian event or the day the Holy Spirit empowered the disciples. It was already a significant Jewish festival, meaning “fifty days,” held fifty days after Passover. Also called the Feast of Weeks or Feast of the Harvest, it celebrated the first fruits and was linked to the giving of the law at Mount Sinai, roughly fifty days after the Exodus. This major festival drew Jewish people from across the Roman Empire to Jerusalem.
Imagine not just the disciples waiting in a room for Jesus’ promise, but the bustling streets outside, filled with thousands of people speaking various languages and dialects. The Jewish people, dispersed through exiles, often didn’t return to live in Israel but faithfully came for festivals like Pentecost. While the disciples wait, something astounding happens: a sound like a violent wind from heaven fills the house, connecting directly to Ezekiel’s vision where the Spirit’s wind brought life.
This is what Jesus told them to wait for. The waiting ends as tongues of fire rest on each disciple, filling them with the Spirit, enabling them to speak in other languages. This seems odd until we consider the multilingual crowds outside. These people need to hear of Jesus bearing God’s wrath for our sins, His resurrection defeating sin, death, hell, and the grave, and His ascension as King over all. The Spirit empowers the disciples to proclaim the gospel in the languages of those gathered, ensuring the message spreads to the nations.
Those who heard this gospel were brought to faith by the Holy Spirit and carried the message back to their homes, sharing in synagogues: “You won’t believe what I’ve heard about the Messiah, Jesus, and what He’s done.” This is Pentecost’s result. The tongues were not senseless but real languages spoken by people from across the Roman Empire, enabling them to hear the gospel through the Spirit’s power, as seen in Acts 2:5-6. The Spirit’s work in the New Testament centers on proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The event was so extraordinary that some thought the disciples were drunk, mocking them. I love this part—it’s amusing. What wine in first-century Jerusalem could make people speak other languages? Peter sets the record straight: it’s not drunkenness but the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy about God pouring out His Spirit. When Joel says “all people” or “all flesh,” it doesn’t mean every individual but all ethnicities—Jews and Gentiles. Sons and daughters will prophesy, young and old will receive the Spirit, rich and poor alike, showing no barriers to faith in Christ.
Peter ties this to Joel’s prophecy of signs and wonders, revealing that the Old Testament pointed to this moment: the Spirit bringing life, resurrecting God’s people from spiritual deadness, and giving new life in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins. We often associate the Spirit with flashy excitement, but at Pentecost, after the wind and fire, God uses ordinary language to proclaim the gospel, with the Spirit bringing people to faith.
In modern times, we may link the Spirit to extraordinary events or believe we can aid the Spirit with techniques. But is this the Spirit’s work? In Ezekiel and Acts, amazing things happen—dead bones live, disciples speak new languages, and people come to faith. Yet, I suggest we see similar work each week when we proclaim the Lord’s word, as Ezekiel and the disciples did, trusting not in ourselves but in God’s promise to use His word to bring faith to all, regardless of age, ethnicity, or status.
We may seem reserved, perhaps called the “frozen chosen,” but we boldly trust the Spirit to work through the word. When the call to worship comes from God’s word, trust the Spirit builds your faith. When the call to confession convicts you, the Spirit is at work. When assurance of forgiveness is proclaimed, the Spirit assures you of your union with Christ and righteousness before God. Dare to trust the Spirit’s work through the word, not yourself.
Pentecost reminds us this isn’t just about us. Trust that the Spirit works when you share faith with your children or read the word at home. It’s not your eloquence but the Spirit working in those God calls to faith. Live boldly, trusting the Holy Spirit to do what God does: bring the dead to life and draw His people to Himself. Amen.
Looking for more insights into the work of the Spirit at Pentecost?
Check out these related sermons:
Acts 2: From Prophecy to Reality — How Joel’s words came true in the streets of Jerusalem.
Ezekiel 37: Then You Shall Know — Dry bones live again through the Word and Spirit.
Acts 2: I Will Pour Out My Spirit — Pentecost hope for a divided world.
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