We now stand 50 days after Easter, and it is the Day of Pentecost. For those early disciples of Jesus, about 120 of them in all, it was a most notable day. They were together in one place and they heard a mighty rushing wind, the saw the tongues of fire descend and rest on their heads, as the Holy Spirit was poured out on them. They spoke in languages they had never learned, preached to all the pilgrims gathered there and shared the good news of Jesus Christ.
Nothing quite like this has happened ever since. But some things a lot like this have been
happening ever since.
So often when we encounter these stories from Holy Scripture
we are tempted to pay more attention to the visual imagery than the words being
spoken, the message itself. Or maybe we
get distracted by the miraculous speech that is given on that day – speaking
and hearing that crosses the barriers of human language.
But while it certainly was God’s will to give a visible sign
along with this unusual outpouring of the Spirit, we ought not focus on the
flames of fire, or get fixated on the speaking in tongues, or even on the
rushing wind. Rather, we ought to tune
our ears to what is being said: “we hear
them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.”
What are those mighty works?
We don’t have a script, but we can certainly imagine what they spoke
about, or better, about whom:
Jesus! How he was born in
Bethlehem and fulfilled the Old Testament Scriptures. His miracles and signs, his preaching and
teaching. How he was transfigured and
how Moses and Elijah testified to him.
And then, his mightiest of works: that he suffered for the sins of the world,
that he died as a substitute for us under God’s righteous wrath, and took his
borrowed grave in the place of death for us all.
But surely they also spoke of his mighty work of
resurrection, how he left death in the dust, how he ascended gloriously to
heaven, taking back his rightful throne.
And perhaps they also pointed forward to the mighty work of his return
in glory on the last day.
In short, they preached the Gospel to those pilgrims. They connected the dots for all these
God-fearers from around the world, showing that Jesus Christ is the one who
brings it all together, God’s chosen Messiah, the Savior of the world.
What a list of visitors to Jerusalem, people from all over
the world. And God used this blessed
opportunity to proclaim the Gospel to them through the fledgling church. And nothing quite like this has ever happened
since. But some things a lot like it
have been happening ever since!
For the Gospel would continue to be preached, even to the
ends of the earth. God would raise up
men, like St. Paul, to preach from town to town, city to city. Sharing with Jew and Gentile alike the mighty
works of God, the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
And through their preaching the Holy Spirit would call many to faith in
Christ. And many more would hear through
them.
In this way, the Day of Pentecost has continued through the
ages, even down to us, here, in this time and place. In this language. In this people group.
You, a pilgrim, have come here to this house of God,
today. You, also come, on the day of
Pentecost. You are gathered together,
also from many nations and backgrounds, we’re actually more diverse here than
many congregations. But nonetheless we
all have the same problems of sin and death that those pilgrims to Jerusalem
had. We confess that very truth each
week as our first order of business.
But we also come knowing we will hear the mighty works of
God in Jesus Christ. We hear, again and
again, the blessed Gospel. The Spirit
calls, gathers, enlightens and sanctifies us.
And he points us always to Jesus, our Savior.
The scoffers, of course, didn’t have ears to hear. They
never do. They must have heard what
sounded like babbling and claimed the disciples were drunk. Filled with new wine. But Peter’s not having that. These men are filled, rather, with the Holy
Spirit. And Peter, himself empowered by
the Spirit, preaches his first sermon.
And what a powerful one it was.
We have just the first portion of it here today.
He draws on the Old Testament, and some words from the
prophet Joel, to show how God was fulfilling his promises. The Spirt of God is poured out on all
nations. Young and old, male and female,
slave and master alike. In Christ there
is no distinction when it comes to salvation.
All have sinned, and all are freely justified. The Spirit is poured out, liberally, on all
flesh, in these latter days of the church.
It happens when the word of Christ the crucified is
preached. It happens when the waters of
baptism wash away sins, and another child of God is re-born. It happens when the body and blood of Christ
are distributed to the faithful, and forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation
are bestowed.
The Spirit works. He
points to Christ, calls to Christ, creates faith in Christ, and leads us to
follow Christ. He sanctifies us
individually and corporately, the whole Christian church on earth. And he preserves our faith, for without him
we would surely and quickly fall away.
God showed wonders, as Joel put it, in his church through
the apostles. And the church will persist
through even the apocalyptic events of the end times. Eventually even creation itself will melt
away. But here’s the greatest wonder,
the mightiest work of all:
Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be
saved. That is to say, all who believe
in Jesus Christ, the only name given under heaven by which we must be
saved. The only one to accomplish the
mighty works of God for us, and whose Spirit applies his good gifts to us.
This Day of Pentecost, the work of the Holy Spirit
continues. Christ is still pouring out
his Spirit, sending forth his Comforter, to bear witness to the Gospel. Thanks be to God that we are so blessed to
hear it, to receive his forgiveness, and to serve at witnesses in our own vocations
to the mighty works of God in Jesus Christ our Lord, amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment