Exordium
One of my favorite memories as a young boy was learning a number of Christmas hymns in Norwegian. Not because I particularly loved Norwegian, but because of its purpose. We had an older woman in our congregation who had immigrated from Norway and married a farmer. She was now a widow and home bound member. Ingrid Helgeson had a wonderful Norwegian brogue. Every year the Sunday School would go Christmas caroling and we would stop at Ingrid’s house. We loved stopping not just because she gave us all full-size candy bars, but because she loved hearing us sing. When we would close by singing “I Am so Glad When Christmas Comes” in Norwegian, she would begin to cry and declare, “Mange takk! Mange tusen takk!”
Ingrid knew English and could understand all the hymns we sang in English. However, when she heard the Christmas hymns declaring the Savior’s birth in her own tongue, in the language she first knew from youth, it brought her tremendous joy. To see how others cared enough to bring this Good News for her to hear in her native language, not only showed Christian love, but confirmed that the Savior had come for her! Even a Norwegian!
On this Festival of Pentecost, we celebrate the great miracle of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles in Jerusalem, when they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues or languages. Jews from all over, heard the Gospel in their own language. “Parthians and Medes and Elamites…” and more, heard the apostles declare “the mighty works of God” in their own language! The crowd could have understood the apostles if they would have spoken in Aramaic or Greek, but the Holy Spirit gave the apostles utterance so that they might confirm the testimony they spoke and impress upon their hearts that the Gospel—the Good News of sins forgiven—was for them specifically.
Today, we rejoice because this same Gospel has come to us—Norwegians, Germans, Irish, French, Czech, and English in our native tongue! We have the peace that only the Holy Spirit can give who has created faith in our hearts! By God’s grace, we will be able to join the hosts in heaven from every tribe and nation. Therefore, let us now rise and sing hymn #399:
O Light of God’s most wondrous love,
Who dost our darkness brighten,
Shed on Thy Church from heav’n above,
Our eye of faith enlighten!
As in Thy light we gather here,
Show us that Christ’s own promise clear
Is Yea and Amen ever.
O risen and ascended Lord,
We wait fulfillment of Thy Word;
O bless us with Thy favor!
John 14:23–31
Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.
“These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. Peace I leave with you, My peace I give you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
“You have heard Me say to you: ‘I am going away and coming back to you.’ If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said ‘I am going to the Father,’ for My Father is greater than I. And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe. I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me. But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father gave Me commandment, so I do. Arise, let us go from here.” (NKJV)
The Holy Spirit Brings Peace
In Christ Jesus, who has given us peace by sending the Comforter, dear fellow redeemed!
Jesus teaches us that you can only love him if you love his word. If you ignore God’s word or replace it with your own pious opinions, you do not love Jesus. The reason a person does not care about Jesus’ word is because they do not love him. Those who twist Scripture to approve their sin or cast judgement, love themselves more than God. However, Jesus said, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.”
Jesus wants us to know him, but his word is not something we can understand and believe on our own. The Apostle Paul writes, “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned” (I Corinthians 2:14). In the verses preceding our lesson for today, we learn of three instances where the disciples didn’t understand. Jesus told the disciples he was going to prepare a place for his disciples and Thomas didn’t understand. He said, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?” (John 14:5). Then Jesus said that we can only know God the Father through him. Philip was confused and foolishly stated, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us” (John 14:8). Then Judas, also known as Thaddeus, completely misses Jesus’ point when he told the disciples that he would reveal himself to those who keep his word and love him (John 14:22). Even after three years of training with Jesus, the disciples struggled to fully understand who Jesus was and what he would do.
But the disciples’ confusion and trepidation drastically changed after Pentecost. Instead of being slow learners, they became bold proclaimers of the truth. Think of Peter’s bold sermon on Pentecost! To those who were cut to the heart after he preached the Law, Peter said, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” And to think 53 days earlier Peter had denied Jesus three times! He didn’t understand why Jesus had to die. But not anymore! He now knew why Jesus died—for your sins and mine. And he knew with confidence that because Christ lives, so shall we. Today, our red paraments remind us of the tongues of fire which appeared on the heads of the apostles when the Holy Spirit was poured out on them in special measure as he gave the ability to speak in different languages. In addition, these red paraments remind us of the apostles who would eventually shed their own blood for the sake of the Gospel. They were unafraid to face angry crowds and even death, because they had been taught the truth by the Holy Spirit.
Outwardly speaking, Peter would have no earthly peace for the rest of his life. He faced many different challenges and obstacles. But he had the peace of God which surpasses all understanding. Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
What is this peace? Recently, I was speaking with someone about the conscience which God put in our hearts. Paul says that there is evidence of the law imprinted on our hearts, even in unbelievers, for “their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them” (Romans 2:15). While consciences can be numbed, people know what is right and wrong. When we hurt our neighbor or fail to carry out the duties we should, we feel guilt and remorse. When someone calls out our sin—whether it be anger or selfishness, we try to excuse our behavior. “The only reason I did this, is because you did that!” But no matter how hard we try to right our wrongs or excuse ourselves, it will never be enough. We go around with heavy hearts because the weight of our sin is on us. We see our failures, our weaknesses, and our sins which deserve God’s wrath and punishment.
We can recognize our sin on our own, but we cannot understand Christ on our own. The Gospel is foolishness to us by nature. “A man on a cross, saves me from death?” “The man who died 2,000 years ago, died for me? How could this be?” This is why Jesus sent the Holy Spirit. He is as active today as he was on Pentecost. He teaches us the truth of God’s word. He gives us peace by working faith in our dead hearts so that we learn to believe it is true. Just as a surgeon must cut through the skin in order to bring about healing and care, so too does the Holy Spirit cut our hearts through the preaching of the Law to show us our sins, he does this so that we might receiving the healing message of the Gospel—your sins are forgiven. While it is true we are sinners deserving of death, Jesus Christ has taken your place. You have fallen short, but there is one man whose life did not. And his life is yours through faith in him. Your sins are forgiven. The Holy Spirit comforts you every time you hear the Gospel, receive absolution, or come to the Lord’s Table. He lifts up our hearts and removes the weight and burden of our sin by teaching us to know that our burden of sin is on Jesus, who invites us, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
This is peace. Because one day we will die. But we can rejoice because Jesus went the way of the cross to go to the Father. He has prepared a place for us, we need not fear. This is the peace the Comforter brings. He leads us to the true teachings of Scripture.
Yet, it’s easy for Christians to get distracted from the purpose of Pentecost. Have you ever noticed how when a young child or infant receives a present, they are often more excited about the wrapping paper than the actual present? It’s somewhat comical to watch. Oftentimes after a one or two-year old opens a present they ignore the present and entertain themselves with the wrapping paper and box. This is a good illustration for how many Christians react to Pentecost. They ignore the true gift of the first Christian Pentecost and become fixated on the wrappings.
Don’t misunderstand me, the gifts of Pentecost were amazing! The apostles had tongues of fire on their heads, showing that the words they spoke were given to them by the Holy Spirit. By this miracle, the apostles were able to speak in languages from all over the Roman world. The miracle of speaking in different languages was the wrapping paper of Pentecost. But the miracle of languages was not the gift of Pentecost. When the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the fledgling Church, the apostles were empowered to teach and preach the Gospel to the world.
Many Christians are like the little children who care more about the wrapping paper than the present inside. They claim that they, too, can speak in tongues, receive special revelations from God, and perform the miracles that Jesus and his apostles did two thousand years ago. Anyone who doesn’t they despise and judge. True faith, they say, will produce these special signs.
But these Christians forget that God provided these signs to confirm the truth of the apostolic teaching. God never promised that they would continue throughout the history of the church. And they didn’t. When the apostles died, the signs faded away, but their teaching did not. While the gift of tongues ceased, as St. Paul said they would in I Corinthians 13:8, the Holy Spirit continued to teach the church, which brings us the peace that comes from Jesus.
It’s natural for Christians to want something different than what God promises to give. Christians want great signs and wonders from God. They want great religious experiences that show the power of God. Others want material things or honor from the world. The Israelites wanted something more than manna and quail sent from heaven. So, what’s my point? What God gives is not always flashy or impressive. But he gives you what you need: peace. The comfort of sins forgiven. A conscience freed from the threats of the law. It was this peace that gave the apostles the strength and confidence to face every valley and hill of life, and the same is true for you. Believe it. Jesus’ word is true. “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” Amen.