Sermon - The Day of Pentecost - Acts 2:1-21

 

“The Pentecost of Jesus Christ”

When I was a young pastor and knew everything, or at least thought I did, I liked to make the point that Pentecost was an important day because we highlight the Holy Spirit, and that it’s only right and good to do since he’s sort of the forgotten person of the Holy Trinity.  As if he’s the afterthought or something.  And so it’s good that we have a whole day to ponder him and his work and his importance.

And of course I wasn’t entirely wrong, but as I’ve matured in my thinking and understanding I’d have to say I missed a major point in those early days – that the Holy Spirit is all about Jesus!  That the Holy Spirit’s main work is to bring us to Christ, testify to Christ, create faith in Christ, and sustain the church in Christ.  He is the Spirit of Christ.  He is sent by Christ.  He doesn’t speak on his own authority but only what he hears from Christ. 

And so we don’t want to shove a wedge between Jesus and the Holy Spirit, as if have 2 completely different agendas, or as if they are the main characters in different acts of this grand theater called the Bible.  Yes, there are three Persons.  But so, too, there is also only one God. 

And so the celebration of Pentecost is an observation that is rich in Jesus, even as we think of the Spirit especially today.

Take our reading from Acts.  There we see a number of eyebrow-raising and attention-capturing details.  The mighty rushing wind.  The tongues of flame on the disciples’ heads.  The miraculous speaking in tongues.  Quite a feast for the senses.  And yet there is purpose in it – a purpose very consistent with the word and work of Jesus Christ. 

To set the scene – Jerusalem had once again swelled in population for one of the 3 great annual feasts.  Passover has passed – that was 50 days ago – and God had used that feast as the backdrop for the events of Holy Week and Easter, so central to the faith of his people.  Now, the next feast is also an occasion for God’s great plan to move forward, and for the good news of Jesus Christ, crucified and risen, to be proclaimed.

Jews and converts to Judaism (called proselytes) from many nations had descended upon Jerusalem for the “Feast of Weeks” – Seven weeks of seven – or 49 days after the Passover.  It commemorated the arrival of the Israelites after the same amount of time traveling from Egypt to Mt. Sinai. 

And so Moses is sort of running in the background here.  But at Sinai there was one nation, and at Pentecost the many nations become one in Christ.  The confusion of languages and the separating of peoples at Babel is now reversed in Christ, as the languages are a barrier no more, and as the people become united with him and therefore each other in this holy nation called the Church.

The Feast of Weeks is also a sort of first-fruits harvest festival, and coincided with the harvest of wheat.  An offering of those first fruits would have been made at that time.  It’s no accident that the first-fruits of the harvest of Christ is seen on this day.  And really, all of us Christians, are a kind of first-fruits of the final harvest that is to come on the last day.

The plan is genius, really, no, rather it is divine.  That Christ would choose a time with all these people from so many far-flung places are now present.  When they all come together – he sends his Spirit to empower his disciples to preach to them the Good News.  And he makes sure they understand it each in their own language!  That’s the purpose of speaking in tongues – the transmission of the Gospel!  That’s what the Holy Spirit is always about!  The word of God – and the good news of Jesus Christ.

In our Gospel reading, Jesus teaches us that the Spirit is coming to convict the world regarding sin, righteousness and judgment.  Well the world has come, in a way, to the doorstep of Jerusalem at Pentecost.  And so let the convicting by the Spirit begin.

Convict – it means to rebuke or expose or declare the guilt of someone.  The Spirit certainly does that – in regard to sin, as he applies the law to the hearts and minds of sinners and shows us all how rotten we are.  The Spirit says, “Love God with all your heart” and you are convicted because you clearly don’t.  The Spirit says, “Love your neighbor” and you must face how much you fail your neighbor.  Any conscience captive to the Word of God is also subject to the Spirit’s conviction – that we sin and are sinners, and that this problem is beyond our own powers to resolve.

Concerning righteousness – it is the Spirit that convicts the world that Christ alone is righteous.  Therefore when our own righteousness is shown to be false and a total sham – we can look only to Christ the righteous one.

And likewise, the ruler of this world stands convicted, and will face the judgment.  The Holy Spirit re-orients us to the true ruler of this and all worlds, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ.

The Spirit would have you turn from sin, and self-righteousness, and the power of the devil – and turn to Jesus Christ and live.  

Those who heard the Spirit through the preaching of St. Peter on that first Pentecost were cut to the heart, repented, believed, were baptized and saved.   The Spirit convicted them, and called them to faith in Christ.

And so for us.  Here we are – a gathering of pilgrims from all different walks of life.  Maybe we don’t come from Phrygia and Pamphylia, Pontus and Asia.  But we are a fairly mixed bunch of young and old, with varying incomes and levels of education, some lifelong Lutherans and some new even to Christianity.  We come from Texas, but also from many other places.  We have different ethnic backgrounds and we don’t all look the same.  But here we are united in Christ, by His Spirit.  Here we are one, according to his word.  Here there is no distinction – all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God – and all are equally justified freely by his grace in Christ Jesus.

And here the Spirit unites us in the fellowship of all the saints, of every tribe, nation, people and language.  Here we even add our song to that of angels and archangels and all the company of heaven.  Because all are one in Christ.  He is the head, and we are the body – a united body, though many members.

And just as those Pentecost Pilgrims surely returned home and shared the Good News of Jesus and their faith in him – and surely the Spirit worked through that witness as well.  So also does the Spirit work in is, through us, sometimes even in spite of us – as we go forth into our callings and places in life apart from here.

The same Spirit who guided them into the truth of Jesus Christ also guides us into that everlasting truth.  The same Spirit who empowered them to speak of Jesus also empowers the church today to continue preaching Jesus Christ crucified for sinners, and believing in Jesus.

Of course the prophets foretold of all this.  And Peter quotes the prophet Joel in his defense of the Spirit’s miracle that day.  These men aren’t drunk, as the scoffers suggested in their mockery.  But what is poured out is far greater than wine.  This is the Spirit of God – poured out on all people, young and old, male and female, so that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.  The name of Jesus, that is.

On this Day of Pentecost, fret not that the Holy Spirit doesn’t get a fair shake.  For he is intent that you would see Christ.  The Spirit will show you your sin and your need for Christ, and then he’ll guide you into the truth of Christ – to see all that Christ has done for you.  To receive his good gifts in faith, and with joy.  To treasure your baptismal grace.  To hunger and thirst for the righteousness that comes from his Holy Meal.  And to ever listen keenly for the voice of the Spirit, speaking in the Word, testifying to Jesus Christ.