The text this morning is from the Acts of the Apostles, the second chapter:
When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.” But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: “ ‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’Thus far the text.
My dear friends in Christ,
The day had arrived for the apostles: the day that the Lord would send the Holy Spirit to confirm His promise to them and to the whole world, that the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus was indeed for them. Last week we hard that Jesus had told them not to leave Jerusalem, and now they see why that would be. The Holy Spirit wouldn’t just come on them in quiet fashion rather, the Spirit would come to them in such a way that the whole house shakes, the sound overwhelms, and the sight puzzles.
I think part of this is just the timing. Thousands of people are going to be in Jerusalem that Pentecost day, that day, 50 days after the Passover, where Israelites would flood to the Temple and offer the firstfruits of their harvest to God. This was the grain harvest. They would bring their grain and their bread and the festival in Jerusalem that day would be magnificent. It’s no coincidence that the feast of this grain should be then the day by which the Spirit descends on the apostles so that they may preach to all different kinds of people, Jews and Gentiles alike.
The Spirit came upon them, they preached, people repented, they were baptized, they were forgiven, and then came together to share the Supper of the Lord. It’s pretty easy to see. The whole point of the promise of God given through the Holy Spirit is that the power of Jesus’ sacrifice is given to you. It’s given to the apostles and put into the promises that Jesus has left His Church with: forgive people’s sins and they are forgiven, be washed for the forgiveness of sins and receive salvation, eat His flesh and drink His blood and have life within you. Thus it should be that the Spirit would do so in such a way that the people who heard the Word of God and believed it should receive this same promise of the Father, by the Spirit descending on them through Word and Sacrament, even if He did not descend on them as He did the apostles.
The Spirit would work as He wills. For this day, for the apostles, they received the confirmation that the promise of the Father, that the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus was for them. To show them this promise clearly, the Spirit overwhelmed them with sights and visions, loud noises, and the ability to speak in all languages to all the people who were there to hear them. It doesn’t happen this way today, honestly, because you don’t need it. The Gospel is already in your language. The Gospel has been confirmed for you through this day. You have it; you’re a witness of it. You may not have been there, but it has been written down that you can see what happened this day. The Spirit has willed that for you, that it was written down for you.
But now, the Spirit wills that you find Jesus, not in these miraculous signs through the apostles, but the miraculous signs of Jesus: Word and Sacrament. In these things he has placed Himself that you might receive Him, and the Spirit brings that very Jesus to you. The Spirit descends on all the elements, water, Word, bread, wine, and, somehow, some way, makes them impart Jesus to us. This isn’t because it’s some kind of magic trick, but rather because it demonstrates the power of God to bind Himself into something ordinary.
Only a true God could put all of His power and authority into something ordinary. The other gods out there make their show through power and might. But the One God makes His power demonstrable through the weak things of this world. It’s is like the most power move one could make. You’re going to show power through a show of strength? I’m going to come in bread and wine.
But, this first Pentecost day was about confirming this. It was about showing that the power of Christ was indeed real and these men whom He had chosen were indeed those to spread His Word around the world, to write down all that God would have you and I know about who He is and what He’s done. Pentecost, and the miracle associated with it, were really for those gathered in Jerusalem to offer their sacrifices. The symbolism behind all of it really wouldn’t mean anything to any other culture. So, God, in all of His goodness, took this miracle that it might be explained to all people, and gave to all of us signs that do make sense; water, word, bread, wine. We can see these and know the promise is true and it is just as sure as the promise confirmed to the apostles through Pentecost day.
This promise is truly for the world. The acts of the apostles this day echo throughout time and space, not because of who they are, but because of what Christ did through them. He gave to all the people, in their own language, the knowledge of His Gospel. It’s an undoing, or perhaps we should say, it is a restoration of what was done at the tower of Babel. The world may be spread across the face of the planet, and our languages and cultures may be different, but the message of Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The message of the cross and resurrection of Jesus is for all people, and it’s for you, so that you may know that Jesus is for you.
That’s why we focus so hard on Word and Sacrament, not just life tips or life improvement. Word and Sacrament are the heart of Christianity, and it is the way we love Jesus, because it is the way that we receive Jesus, it is the way Jesus comes to us and abides with us. Pentecost reminds us that we should keep the Lord’s commandments, not to win our salvation, that’s already been done. We keep the Lord’s commandments because, by doing so, we open our mouths to receive His body and blood, we feel His touch on our foreheads with the water, we hear Him in our ears. Obeying our Lord, doing what He tells us, brings the promise of the Father to us by the power of the Holy Spirit, because it brings us Christ. It brings us peace. It brings us closer to Him and closer to each other and closer to the end of the world.
Pentecost is all about Jesus and what He’s done for you coming to you in way that you can understand. Do you now understand? Do you now get it? Then come to the place where our Lord has prepared, for His Gospel, His life, His death, His resurrection, His ascension, His forgiveness, His strength, His peace, His comfort, His assurance, His everything is found in this place for you. He has set the table. Come and join the family of faith. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Now may the peace of God which passes all human understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord! Amen.
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