“PREACHING AGAIN, FOR THE FIRST TIME”

Pentecost Sermon
October 30th, 2005
Maureen Louth

Text:     Acts 2:1-41
Jesus said to those following Him, You will be witnesses to my suffering and resurrection, in Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth; and the Holy Spirit will come upon you with power. This direction to Jesus’ Disciples is recorded, in some form, at the end of each of the Gospels, and again at the opening of the Acts of the Apostles. The Pentecost story from Acts 2 tells how that worked out.

Personally, this text is problematic for me because:
I was taught – implicitly – that it affected only the 11 remaining men who followed Jesus.
It describes an event I’ve not personally experienced, only witnessed, and at one time would have said does not happen today, because it’s time and purpose in the service of the church had passed. I think I’ve changed my mind on that. But still, it can feel like I’m left out of the story – first by models, then by ideology and now by experience. There appears no way in – not for a girl, not now.
Further, the pairing of this text with my first preaching opportunity seems like a bad cosmic joke. A woman, from a tradition in which women do not speak, untrained in homiletics, preaching on the text about the gift of tongues? [Yes, this is a stretch.] If ever there were a need to learn – miraculously – to speak in an erstwhile unknown, untrained way – this is it!

But, perhaps there are ways into the story – and for more than just me. I think the doors into the text are provided in the text in its context.

Briefly, a) women are mentioned in chapter one, and there is no apparent change of place or cast between chapters – the story flows. So, there were likely women on the scene at Pentecost. B) the text chosen by Peter to explain what is happening is from Joel 2.28-32, and speaks of God pouring out the Spirit upon all flesh, explicitly sons and daughters, young men and old men, and slaves, both men and women. This is a story for all; Let us step deeper into the story, for truly the drama is in the details.

Picking up the story at the end of Luke’s Gospel: Jesus said , you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and all Judea, and Samaria and to the ends of the earth. But first, you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you – then you will be witnesses. But that was weeks ago.

It was seven weeks ago, at the time of the Passover, Jesus had just been crucified by the Romans, at the behest of the chief priests and the crowds. And, as darkness came over the whole land, the Apostles, and other followers, and the women who had followed Jesus from Galilee watched from a distance, while the Roman Centurion – close enough to observe Jesus’ last breath, declared, ‘Certainly this man was innocent’. Dimly, the women followed Joseph of Aramathea as he took the body of their beloved Rabbi, and buried him.

Then, the Sabbath; a day of rest. As good, observant Jews, they kept the commandment. They rested. What does rest look like in such a bewildered and saddened state! But, Luke tells us ‘they rested’.

Then, as if things weren’t weird enough, those bewildered women, taking spices to bury the body properly, found their job impossible: the body was gone! Or was it doubled? Or were they seeing double? There were 2 men where there should be one. And the 2 were glowing! And they were speaking, ‘Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.’ Then they remembered his words.

But when they tried to tell this to the Eleven, it was dismissed, worse than old wives’ tales, nonsense! But Peter – it’s always ‘but Peter’ – but Peter ran to the tomb – just to be sure – and found only the burial linens.

That same day, two of Jesus followers, walking away from Jerusalem, encountered a strange and gifted teacher. And when he joined them for the evening meal, his mannerisms told them that this was their beloved Rabbi, Jesus. He was back! Just then he disappeared, again. They hightailed it back to Jerusalem, found the Eleven and the others and exclaimed, Jesus is alive! He really rose! Just ask Peter, Peter saw him! Just then, Jesus appeared suddenly in their midst and said, ‘Peace to you all!’ [First ‘Rest!’ then ‘Peace!’ – in this disoriented state? So much for reasonable goals. ]

He was back again! And Jesus taught them again, like on the road out of Jerusalem, how the Law and the Prophets were fulfilled in Him; how according to the Scriptures the Messiah must suffer and die and then rise from the dead on the third day; and how repentance and forgiveness of sins was to be proclaimed in His Name – to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem! And they were all to be witnesses to all the nations about Jesus. But for now, they were to sit tight in Jerusalem and wait for empowering from Heaven.

But it would be all right, Jesus was back, and surely He’d wait with them? But instead, He lead them away from the city, up the mount of Olives. And there He blessed them, and then He went away, again. As Jesus disappeared behind a cloud, two more brightly glowing men appeared. This time the disciples were told that Jesus would return in the same manner they saw Him go into heaven. They knew enough not to just stand there staring any longer, so they returned to Jerusalem, to the upstairs room, where the others were gathered, waiting. There were about 120 followers of Jesus. The group includes the 11 remaining Apostles and ‘certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as Jesus’ brothers’.

It is this group that Peter addressed at the end of Acts chapter one; this group that had been ‘constantly devoting themselves to prayer’. Peter initiated replacing Judas with another of those who had followed Jesus right from the beginning, from Jesus Baptism by John to his Ascension into Heaven. Matthias was named the twelfth ‘martus’, martyr, witness to Jesus’ resurrection. So, again there were 12 – 12 Tribes in Israel, 12 Apostles in the new Kingdom brought by Jesus. So the team is poised, complete and ready for something new.

For 10 days they waited, going to the Temple to pray. Then IT happened. They were all together. That sound, like a big wind, blowing through the whole house, and fire danced on their heads. And they started speaking languages they had never known. And a Crowd gathered with the commotion. Maybe they thought they were missing out on a big party – the followers of Jesus were accused of being drunk. It must have been a ruckus. Then Peter piped up – Peter again – and says, no, we’re not drunk – it’s too early in the day. What has happened is something else altogether. Something huge. Something new.

This is just like God said it would be, in the Last Days, in the final period of salvation history. These people are not drunk on cheap wine, but The Last Days are here, and the Spirit has come as evidence, to prove it. Peter asks, Isn’t this exactly what is happening now? This is what the prophet Joel was talking about when he wrote:
28 Then afterward/ in the last days I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. 29 Even on the male and female slaves, in those days, I will pour out my spirit. 30 I will show portents in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. 31 The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and terrible day of the LORD comes. 32 Then everyone who calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved; [Joel 2:28-32]
Is this not what we all saw happen? At the time of the crucifixion, the sky went dark and the earth shook. Was that not the great and terrible day of the LORD? And now, is not the Sp
irit of God is being poured on men and women, that they may declare the works of God to all nations?

And this is the key: Jesus the Nazarene, known [to you] to be from God – as shown by miracles and wonders and signs now common knowledge – this Jesus, according to God’s plan, was betrayed, crucified, died and buried. He was resurrected by God, raised to God’s right hand and reigns as the fulfillment of the throne of David the great King. The risen Jesus received the Holy Spirit from the Father. It is this Spirit who has now been poured out on Jesus’ followers, as just observed in signs and wonders – i.e. hearing and understanding many languages.

Peter’s sermon ended. The crowd responded, asking Peter and other apostles what to do now? Peter urged them to repent and be baptized and forgiven and receive the Holy Spirit. And, Peter reminded crowd that promise was for all people whom God invited – to them and their children, the Jews, children of promise and to all the ones at a distance – Gentiles, all beyond the covenant, even to as many as call on the LORD.

The conclusion? About 3,000 believe, and turn and are baptized in to community.
That’s the story. But, what has happened?
Luke gives us clues. This whole story takes place in Jerusalem, on the Day of Pentecost. Jews from all over the known world had gathered in the city for the Feast commemorating the giving of the Law. Three times a year all Jewish males were to appear before the Lord: Passover, Pentecost and Succoth [Ex 23:14-17]. Three Festivals: Succoth, the festival of booths – celebrated here just last week -celebrating the the in-gathering of the harvest, and connected with remembering the time wandering in the wilderness; Passover, the feast of unleavened bread connected with the Passing over of the angel of death ; and Pentecost, the feast of first fruits, connected with the giving of the Law; . All festivals linked to the Exodus, the Great story of God delivering His people.

These faithful Jews in Jerusalem that day had come from all over the known world to keep the Feast of Pentecost: from as far south as the north shore of the Persian Gulf; as far east as the delta of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers; as far north as the south shore of the Caspian and Black Seas; as far south as the north coast of Egypt and Libya on the Africa; and as far west as Rome – Rome was 2,100 miles by air, or about 2,700 miles by boat. They included both natural born Jews and proselytes. Jesus said the followers would be his witnesses to the ends of the earth, but who knew the ends of the earth would come to them.

They all came to Jerusalem for the Feast of Pentecost, remembering the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai. The Law defined Israel, as a people, as a nation. It defined relationships, both horizontal and vertical. Through keeping the Law, God’s people were to be righteous. They were to live in right relationship with God and each other. They were to be holy – that is set apart for God. When God called out a people, He said,’I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing’ [Genesis 12:2]. So, in so far as the Law crystalized Israel’s identity, it set out the parameters by which they were to be righteous, set apart for God, and a blessing to all the nations.

And as Moses received the Law from God on a mountain, Mount Sinai, so Jesus ascended from a mountain, the mount of Olives. And, seated at the right hand of the Father, poured out the Holy Spirit. That Holy Spirit constitutes the new people of God, the Body of Christ, the Church. So, in so far as the Law crystalized Israel’s identity, so now the HS gives identity to the church. I think it is curious, or at least interesting that Luke dates the coming of the HS at the feast of Pentecost. The richer my understanding of the feast, the richer my understanding of the coming of the HS. the feast of Pentecost celebrates both the giving of the law, and the offering ot God of the first fruits of the harvest. Later in Paul’s ministry and writing, he refers to the HS as the first fruit or deposit of the work of God, assuring salvation.

What is the work of the Holy Spirit?
Peter interpreted what happened on the day of Pentecost in 2 ways – He interpreted in light of Word of God, both Word of God in Scripture and Jesus as Word of God incarnate. i,e. in light of both Joel’s prophesy and Jesus life, death and resurrection which were current events in Jerusalem. Do I know the Scriptures well enough to interpret current events in their images and language and story? Do I know Jesus well enough to see Him at work in everyday life?

The Holy Spirit’s actions equipped followers to testify to Jesus, His death and resurrection. The coming of the Spirit clarified the message – just look at Peter! He went from nay-sayer and deny-er to preaching with boldness and miraculous eloquence to 3,000. The coming of the Spirit gave breadth to the message – the good news is for all the peoples from all nations. The power of the spirit of God clarified hearing, both comprehension and response – people from all the known world, speaking all the languages understood what these Galileans were saying once empowered from Heaven. And, the Holy Spirit empowered a life changing response – repent, believe and be baptized and sigh up into new community – about 3000 added to their number that day.

That was what the Holy Spirit did at Pentecost. What does the Spirit do now? The Spirit empowers the church, both corporately and individually, to proclaim Jesus as LORD, to testify to His death and resurrection. The Spirit opens new ways of communicating reconciliation. The spirit brings new life, animating a new relationship with the Living God.

Prayer: May God give us the courage and discernment to see the Spirit move in new and unusual and timely ways as we proclaim – in word and deed to all people – the good news that Jesus lived and died and rose again. Amen.