Sunday, May 24th, 2015
Day of Pentecost
Romans 8:22–27
John 15:26–27, 16:4b–15[1]
Welcome to Pentecost! Come Holy Spirit come. What is Pentecost? How many of us here know what Pentecost is to the Jews and how does it compare to Pentecost for Christians?
Raise you hands if you want to take a stab at what Pentecost is for the Jews. Raise you hands if you would like to stab at what Pentecost is for Christians. Pentecost in the Jewish tradition has several things tied to it. Pentecost formally took place, based upon the final harvest of Barley, which was 50 days after the first day of Passover. After 70 C.E., Pentecost falls on various days of the week in the Jewish calendar.
During this day of Pentecost, there is a feast, where no work is to be done. All the male Israelite are to appear at the sanctuary. Both sin and peace offerings are given. This is a time to express extreme gratitude for the deliverance from Egypt, and the recognition of the law given at Siani.
For Christians, Pentecost has some similar connections to the Jewish tradition. We celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit from heaven, as Jesus said would happen. With the coming of the Spirit, new life, power and blessings become evident to all that were present. We celebrate in remembrance of the Spirit coming to the Apostles as others witness the event. What is the significance of the Spirit for us today, in the promise of Jesus Christ?
If the Spirit were not present in the world, then we would be left in the world, alone with the Tempter, Satan. Our faith, or should I say, our lack of faith could never withstand Satan and we would stray and be lost forever from God. Although Satan rules the world for now, Satan has been condemned already. Even in our darkest times, when our faith is wavering and maybe even about to be snuffed out, the Spirit of the Triune God comes to us. Jesus tells us that we will never be left alone.
In our Romans text we hear that all of creation, which includes us, is groaning in labor pains. We as part of creation seek new birth. Not only at the time of this text but still today. In the Greek text, the word “know” is in what is called a perfect tense. This means not only was the knowledge true when it was said, but it is true for you and I today. We are in labor pains along with all creation on the cusp of the birth of something new. That is through the first fruits of the Spirit as it says in Romans; we receive and grow in what the Spirit offers us.
I hope you hear the comfort given by the sending of the Spirit into the world. There is hope in the promises of God in Christ Jesus through the Spirit, for all of creation. Hope in salvation for us and for creation in Jesus Christ. Hope is something that is not tangible and neither is the Spirit.
What hope would we have if we had something that was tangible? Would that be hope if we could see, feel or touch what is already promised? It would not longer be hope. Hope in a promise, is faith. Faith of something, not seen, is true faith. Faith of something seen is not faith at all. We must rely upon faith in order to be saved.
How can we rely upon something that, at times we have so little and maybe none at all of? It is the Spirit, not us who brings us faith. Which is the hope of the promise of God in Jesus Christ, for salvation of all creation. Remember, Jesus says that even faith, the size of a mustard seed (pretty small indeed) can move a mountain. The Spirit as promised by Jesus comes to us to bring us faith. In that there is power and life.
Prayer is a powerful thing. To often I have heard people say how they cannot pray or they cannot lead prayer or they cannot, cannot, cannot. With the Spirit it is all possible. In Romans it says, “…the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.”[2] Jesus even gives us a prayer to say. Even in your perceived lacking, you can use any and all parts of the Lords Prayer. With that the Spirit intercedes with what is upon our hearts so that the Father hears what is true in us.
Jesus says he has not told all that needs to be said. That takes me to my favorite verse in the Bible, which is Deuteronomy 29:29, and it says; “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the revealed things belong to us and to our children forever, to observe all the words of this law.”[3] In John today, where Jesus says that not all things have been said, He also says, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”[4]
Ask yourselves each and every day, two questions. What has the Holy Spirit done in my life? Then ask yourselves, how do you know this? Think back to what Jesus promised and delivers, and your shall see clearly the Spirit at work.
Come Holy Spirit Come. Reveal to us today all that we need to see, so that we can live in full communion with You, the Father and Jesus the Christ. Amen
[1] Revised Common Lectionary (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2009).
[2] The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989), Ro 8:26.
[3] The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989), Dt 29:29.
[4] The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989), Jn 16:13–14.