This sermon was preached at St Peter's Evangelical-Lutheran Church, Public Schools Club, Adelaide, 9am.
Grace, mercy and peace be to you from God our Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ.
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. (Acts 2:2-4)
Prayer: May the words of my mouth, and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.
Today, the church celebrates the wonderful festival of Pentecost, where we remember the coming of the Holy Spirit at Jerusalem. However, the event of Pentecost goes right back to the Old Testament. When we celebrate Easter Day, there is also a connection with the Old Testament. Maundy Thursday, the night when Jesus was betrayed, the day before Good Friday, Jesus actually celebrated the Passover with his disciples. Passover was that occasion when the people of Israel were rescued from Egypt, and they killed a lamb, and painted its blood on the doorposts of the houses. The angel of death then “passed over” their houses, and spared the lives of their oldest child.
In the church today, the
Passover has been transformed into something new. Today, on Maundy Thursday,
Good Friday and Easter Sunday, which is celebrated at the same time as
Passover, we commemorate the fact that God did not “pass over” his own Son, but
subjected him to the angel of death. Jesus Christ—the Lamb of God, the
sacrificial lamb, the Passover Lamb—gave his life as our ransom, as our
atonement, as our Passover sacrifice. And on the night he was betrayed, he
gathered his disciples together into the upper room, where he celebrated the
Passover festival, and ate the unleavened bread together. During this meal,
Jesus took bread, gave it to his disciples, and said: Take and eat, this is
my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me. He also took
a cup of wine and said: Take and drink, this is my blood of the new covenant
which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. Do this as often as you
drink it, in remembrance of me.
So, you see, Jesus here transformed the Passover, offering himself as the Lamb of God, dying on the cross on Good Friday, but also here, gave his true body and blood into the hands of his apostles, in such a way that they were to repeat this, not simply every year, like the yearly festival of Passover, but “as often as”. We as Christians, often celebrate it every Sunday, the day of the Resurrection of Jesus. When Jesus rose from the dead, it was clear to everyone that his sacrifice was acceptable to God, and that his atonement offering was perfect and sufficient and full. If Jesus had remained dead, it would have meant nothing. But the fact that he rose from the dead on the third day, that means everything, and it changes everything.
Instead of painting the blood of a lamb on our doorposts so that the angel of death would pass over us, Jesus gives us his own body and blood to eat and drink. We paint his blood right inside of us, into our mouths, into our bodies, and when we trust in Jesus and his words, that this is his body and blood given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins, the judgement of God passes over us.
So, now we come to Pentecost. Pentecost did not simply begin with us Christians, but it goes back all the way to the Old Testament. Pentecost is a Greek word that means “50”, because it is 50 days after Passover, or Easter, as we call it. But in the Old Testament, it was called the Feast of Weeks. The Feast of Weeks was a festival when the Jewish people were commanded to offer the first-fruits of their harvest. Also, it was the festival when the Jewish people commemorated the event where Moses received the Ten Commandments on Mt Sinai.
Now there’s a connection between these two festivals, Passover and the Feast of Weeks, in the Old Testament. The people of Israel were rescued from Egypt and the Pharoah for a reason: they were to go out from Egypt and sacrifice to God. And so, they fled Egypt, they went through the Red Sea, and then they received through Moses, the Law of God. They were commanded how they should worship, how they should live, how they arrange themselves as a nation and as people.
In the New Testament, there’s also a connection between these two festivals, Passover and the Feast of Weeks, or as we often call them, Easter and Pentecost. Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper, he died on the cross and he rose again, why? So that the Holy Spirit would come down, the Gospel would be preached, and people would be saved. And that’s exactly what happened on the day of Pentecost. It seems as though Pentecost very early on became a significant day that Christians remembered and celebrated. In Acts 20, we read that Paul was hastening to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost. Also, he writes in 1 Corinthians: But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost. There’s no mention of Christmas and Easter in the New Testament! But it seems as though Pentecost was very much on the forefront of Paul’s mind as a central day of celebration for the new Christians!
So let’s remember what actually happened on this day. Jesus had prepared the disciples for this event actually, and told them to wait for it. At the end of Luke’s Gospel, before Jesus ascended into heaven, he said to the disciples: I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high. Between Jesus’ ascension into heaven and the Day of Pentecost, we read that the disciples returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple blessing God. At the beginning of the Book of Acts, we read that Jesus ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptised with water, but you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” This is not to mean that John the Baptist had nothing to do with the Holy Spirit, or that the baptism of water is also empty of the Holy Spirit. In fact, far from it. In Titus, we read that God saved us…by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured our on us richly through Jesus Christ our Saviour. Jesus himself even taught his disciples to make disciples of all nations, by baptising them and teaching them. No: the point here is that Jesus is saying that just as John baptised on the earth, now Jesus who is seated at the right hand of God, promises to pour out the Holy Spirit, like living water, upon the apostles and disciples. The church throughout all time is not a church which is continually expecting a baptism of the Holy Spirit, while also practising an empty baptism with water. No: this baptism of the Holy Spirit happened once on this day, and throughout the rest history, the true church is the one which follows the teaching of these apostles, who were empowered to preach and teach on this day. This is what the Day of Pentecost is. Jesus says: You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. Here we are today, a fruit of God’s harvest, at the end of the earth, listening to the teaching of the apostles, just as Jesus had prophesied. To think that at the time of the apostles, they would not have even known that Australia existed!
So what actually happened on this day? Well, we read in Acts 2, that the disciples were all gathered into one place. And there were three wonderful miracles that came about. Firstly, there was a mighty rushing wind in the place where they were. Secondly, divided tongues of fire appeared on each of their heads. And thirdly, they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages.
This all caused quite some stir, as you can imagine! People from all kinds of different countries were able to hear the apostles in their own language. Some people were amazed, some people mocked and thought that everyone was drunk. Then Peter steps forward, and he preached the first Christian sermon. He preaches that this event was prophesied in the prophet Joel, that in the last days, God will pour out his Spirit on all flesh. He preaches the death and the resurrection of Jesus, and also the ascension of Jesus. The man that they crucified, God has made both Lord and Christ.
When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart, we read. The Word of God, in the preaching of the law, had a powerful effect on them, and they asked the apostles what to do. Peter said: Repent and be baptised every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgives of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself. We also read that Peter encouraged them: Save yourselves from this crooked generation.
We read that 3000 people were baptised on that day, and that they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. Many miracles were performed through the apostles, the new Christians shared the possessions, and in the days following, new people were added to the church and were saved.
Today, I’d particularly like to focus on the miracles that happened that day.
But first of all, what is the purpose of these miracles? Why did they happen?
When pastors are called to preach, we call them through the means of the church. They go and study the bible, church history, doctrine, pastoral theology, and they are tested and approved, and receive a call to serve somewhere in the church, and then they are ordained in a public ceremony. This, for example, is what happened to me when I became a pastor. Something like this happened in the New Testament to people like Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Silvanus, Barnabas, Apollos, and other pastors we read about.
However, some people in history have received a call to preach directly from God. And when this happens, their ministry must be confirmed through miracles, and their doctrine must be tested against Scripture. This is the way God called Moses, and the prophets. You remember when Moses demonstrated his call from God to Pharoah, he threw his staff down to become a snake, he put his hand in his coat and it became leprous, he turned the water from the river Nile into blood.
Even Jesus showed his call as the Messiah through miracles: and a kind of miracle, different to Moses, which didn’t bring about fear and fright in people, but which brought about joy and comfort and peace. So Jesus healed people, raised the dead, made the blind see, etc.
So, also, the apostles received their call to preach directly from Jesus and from the Father himself. And so, their ministry, their call, is confirmed by miracles. St Paul writes in 2 Corinthians about himself: The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, with signs and wonders and mighty works. This is all part of the way in which their authority is established. We say that the church is “one, holy, catholic and apostolic”. To be an apostolic church doesn’t just mean that we follow the apostles in name only, but that we follow the apostles’ teaching. St John says about himself and the apostles: We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
Now, remember, on the Day of Pentecost, the Jews celebrated the fact that God gave them the law. And when Moses was on Mt Sinai, the people had to draw back, there was darkness, and thunder and lightening. The law was a scary thing, because it finds people and condemns them. It fires at them like a laser, and there is no escape. But actually, God had already given his law when he created the world. In the Garden of Eden, there was law and order, and beauty and wonder, and everything good. The Law of God is actually a good thing – it is God’s beautiful, wonderful, order of his creation.
But when Adam and Eve fell into sin, then everything changed. The Law, instead of being their daily delight, became their curse. The Law instead of blessing them for doing right, now condemned them for doing evil. And so, when the Law was revealed again at Mt Sinai, it came with fear and trembling, because the Law now reveals people’s sin.
But on the Day of Pentecost, there is a kind of new creation. Firstly, there is a mighty rushing wind. In the very first verses of the bible, we read that the Holy Spirit hovered over the face of the waters, much like a wind. God created the world and saw that it was very good. Then people, made in the image of God, fell into sin, they wanted to be like God, and brought evil into the world. But now, because of the death and resurrection of Jesus, which won for us the forgiveness of sins, now, there is a new creation in the world at work. Christians are the people who are born twice. They are born of the flesh, into sin, but they also are born of the Holy Spirit, through Baptism, through the Water and the Word. And so, on the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit comes like a mighty rushing wind. Jesus says: The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit. So, also, when the first disciples heard Peter’s preaching of the Word, and when we hear the preaching of the Word, we hear the sound of the Holy Spirit, but like a wind, we don’t know where it comes from, where it goes, how the Word will effect us and touch us and impact us. This is what we learn from the mighty rushing wind.
Also, we read: And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. We read in the Old Testament, in many places, that God is a consuming fire. Fire shows to us God’s holiness. Fire is wonderful, exciting, it gives heat and light and warmth—but it is also dangerous. However, when Moses was called, he saw a burning bush. The fire was in the bush, but the bush was not consumed. Here we see a picture of God’s wonderful grace. He does not consume and burn up his people, but he is with them in all of his holiness, and yet they are not consumed. When Adam and Eve left the Garden of Eden, an angel was put at the entrance with the flaming, flashing sword. Fire was going in every direction. But here, on the Day of Pentecost, there is fire, but it shows God’s grace, and his peace. Jesus manifests his presence and stands with the apostles, but they are not consumed.
Third, we read: They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Holy Spirit gave them utterance. The people who heard it said: We hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God. It’s funny: the apostles full well knew the mighty works of God. Why did they need the Holy Spirit to talk about it? This is precisely the point: we can’t talk about the mighty works of God, without the Holy Spirit. The church prays that our mouths would be opened to speak with boldness and confidence, because we all know well that it can be a dangerous thing to speak God’s truth, and his mighty works, when people don’t necessarily want to hear it. But also, we see this gift of languages. Some people who are Christians talk about something called “speaking in tongues”, where they claim to speak in a language that no-one understands. However, this is not what happens here. The people do understand. There were people from all over the region. Jews had been scattered all over the place, when they had gone into exile in Babylon. And so there were all kinds of Jewish people who had come to Jerusalem who spoke other languages. But also, there were proselytes there, people who joined themselves to the Jewish people, from all different countries, because they wanted to worship the true God.
And now, God, in his might and his wonderful power and grace, shows a little picture of the future church, how people from all over the world, with all kinds of different cultures and backgrounds, come together to be part of Christ’s kingdom, just like us who are here today. In the Book of Genesis, we read about where people wanted to build a tower in Babel, to go right up to God. On that occasion, we read that the people were scattered into different languages and couldn’t understand each other, and their plans were thwarted. But now, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, has come down to meet us. He has become a human being like you and me, a true man. And he gathers people of all different languages and cultures and countries and nations together.
So, let’s give thanks to God today on this Day of Pentecost. Let’s celebrate it, and devote ourselves to the apostles’ teaching like the first disciples. Let us receive the preaching of God’s law, from Mt Sinai, with all of its terror and fury, and let it cut us to the heart. But also, let us also confess and trust in our Saviour Jesus Christ, who died, rose, and ascended into heaven, and now, through his Holy Word, and through his life-giving Sacraments, pours out his Holy Spirit upon the church. Amen.
The peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
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