Text: Acts 2:1-21 and Luther's Explanation of the Third Article of the Apostles' Creed

"The Miracle of Pentecost"

Pentecost Day - Series A Our Redeemer Lutheran Church (Herington, KS) 5-11-08

What an incredible time it must have been for Peter and the other disciples. For in eight head-spinning weeks, they had been thrust out of their cozy little corner of the world and onto the world stage of God's plan of redemption. Their Lord's procession into Jerusalem eight weeks earlier was quickly followed by His arrest, His trial, crucifixion, His resurrection and ascension. Really it had all happened so rapidly that there was hardly any time to absorb it all. Dramatic, incredible events. But what if it had all then ended right there? What if Jesus had done His work of redemption, had ascended, left his disciples, and then that was it? What if there had been no pouring out of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost as we just read of? Yes what if there had been no Pentecost? ...

Now I know that Pentecost does not get near the press that a secular culture gives Easter and especially Christmas. And so sadly, for many Christians I suppose, when it comes to Pentecost they can take it or leave it. But did you know that Pentecost is actually one of the three great festivals of the Christian church, along with Easter and Christmas? Of course Easter is the queen of the church's festivals, but what would have happened to Easter if there had been no Pentecost? .. Well, actually it's probably safe to say Easter - as we know it - wouldn't exist. Actually it's probably safe to say we wouldn't be here today; we wouldn't be here hearing our risen Lord's word to us; we wouldn't be here celebrating the good news of Jesus and His cross and resurrection. In fact if there had been no Pentecost we would probably be worshiping stones and trees much like our early European ancestors did. If there had been no Pentecost we would definitely not know the one true God - the God of hope and forgiveness and so we would most definitely be facing an eternity without God, without hope, without life. If there had been no Pentecost.

How can I say this? Well, think about it. Prior to Pentecost, Peter was a denier, Thomas was a doubter, the rest of them, well they were weak and confused cowards, right? But just prior to His ascension into heaven Jesus told his small band of followers, "you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you," Jesus promised. That promise was fulfilled at Pentecost. And with the fulfillment of that promise, a weak and fearful group began to boldly proclaim the good news of Jesus. In fact Peter and the other disciples even said to those trying to shut them up, "We must obey God rather than men." And they did so, even when it meant death. Without Pentecost, they remained behind closed doors, fearful and afraid. But with Pentecost - that is with the promised Holy Spirit - they boldly proclaimed. With Pentecost they had the power and the ability of the Holy Spirit to write down what today we know as the New Testament. And so yes if there had been no Pentecost the good news of Jesus, well it probably would have died with those weak and fearful first-century followers of Jesus - soon forgotten. If there had been no Pentecost, Jesus, the Son of God and the Son of man, probably would have been reduced to not even a footnote in the pages of human history.

And so if there had been no Pentecost, we would have never heard about Jesus. Our parents would never have brought us to those life-giving waters of Holy Baptism; we would never hear one of God's servants pronounce upon us the forgiveness of all our sins for Jesus' sake; if there had been no Pentecost we would never have the opportunity to gather around our Lord's table and taste His love and forgiveness. None of this would have ever happened IF there had been no Pentecost. IF there had been no Pentecost. ..

Thank God our God is not a God of "if's" though, is He? Thank God that He DID send His Holy Spirit upon His disciples as He then empowered them to be His bold and impassioned apostles. Thank God that He did send His Holy Spirit into the hearts and minds of those first disciples that they could then speak His saving Word to people of all nations - proclaiming to them in their own language the wonders of God's love and forgiveness in Jesus. Thank God that He did give His Holy spirit to His apostles whom He later used to write down the pages of Holy Scripture. Yes thank God for Pentecost; thank God for the miracle of Pentecost. For that is indeed what it was - a miracle. And never mind the sound of the rushing wind, the flames of fire - yes those were miracles to be sure - but they merely served as signs of THE miracle - the pouring out of God's Holy Spirit upon God's people that they might boldly speak God's Word to the world. "We hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues," the multinational crowd exclaimed. That was the miracle of Pentecost - by the power of the Holy Spirit the word of the God of heaven was spoken here on earth. And by that Word hearts were brought to believe, lives were forever changed. That was the miracle of Pentecost and thank God that miracle continues even today.

Yes thank God that that Word continues to go out today. Not with sounds of rushing wind and tongues of fire, but with baptismal water, with simple bread and wine, with words in a book. God's Word goes out and as God's Word goes out God's Spirit comes upon people and enables them to believe with their hearts and to confess with their lips that Jesus is Lord.

In our Catechism reading for this morning we confessed together that "I believe I cannot by my own reason and strength believe in Jesus Christ my Lord nor come to him." In other words, by our own thinking - our own twisted and fallen idea of what is good and godly, Jesus is absolute nonsense to our unbelieving hearts and foolishness to our sin-hardened minds - repulsive even. I mean think about it, the Creator of heaven and earth becoming one of His creation? The Son of God becoming one of us? But not just "becoming one of us" so that He might "join the party" or whatever - no. But rather becoming one of us that He might die; that He might go to a bloody and accursed cross for sinners; becoming one of us that He might suffer for His rebellious and stubborn people. That's not the type of god we would construct, is it? A God of humility and suffering? A God of the cross? That's not the type of god who fits our ideas of glory. It's nonsense. "I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ my Lord nor come to Him." In other words, it would take a miracle for us to believe in a crucified Lord and Savior. It would take a miracle. ..

And so God worked His miracle. "But the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel." Through the Word He has granted me - and you - faith that clings to our crucified Lord Jesus Christ. "He has enlightened me with His gifts." He has given me - and you - that joy of our salvation, that peace that surpasses all human understanding. "He has sanctified and kept me in the true faith." He has given me - and you - that will, that desire to live out our faith - showing forth with our lives that we belong to God - sharing with our mouths that yes, "Jesus is Lord." It would take a miracle and yes, God has worked that miracle - that miracle we call faith - that Pentecost miracle that the Holy Spirit has worked in you. …

Here a few minutes ago we confessed together the Apostles' Creed. "I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth." We confessed, "I believe in Jesus Christ His only Son our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell, the 3rd day he rose again from the dead and ascended into heaven. He sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead." We confessed, "I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting." We confessed.

In fact we confess those words often, don't we? So often in fact that maybe they've become rather common for us. But you know what? That we confessed those words here today - that we confess them at all, it is a miracle; a miracle started in a little house there in Jerusalem nearly 2000 years ago; a miracle the Lord has caused to wind it's way through history and into our hearts and lives today. It's the Pentecost miracle. Words spoken. Words believed. God's word believed. God's Word of Jesus and his cross, God's word of life, of forgiveness, of hope. God's Word proclaimed and believed. It's a miracle - the Pentecost miracle. …

And so what if Pentecost had never happened? … Well, thank God we don't have to worry about that, do we? For thank God we have heard, we do know, by His Holy Spirit we do confess the wonders of God in Christ Jesus. And may the Lord, by that same Spirit keep us in that faith in Jesus. By His grace may the Lord keep that miracle of Pentecost going and going and going in our lives, and in the lives of many. Yes let us ever be kept in faith in Jesus our Savior and may many more be brought into that same faith through that Pentecost miracle. Amen.