The day the Spirit moved in
Commentary
Things change in a house when someone new moves in. Whether it might be the birth of a baby, the arrival of an exchange student, the advent of a foster child, or the coming of an elderly parent needing care, things change in the house when someone new moves in.
Some of the changes that come are anticipated and welcome. We look forward to the fun and lovely patterns of life that will come with the new arrival. Some other changes, however, are not anticipated -- perhaps not even expected -- and consequently those changes may not be welcome.
It's no different when God moves in. Things change. We'd be doomed if they didn't! But while some of the changes that come with his arrival are anticipated and welcome, some others are not.
We might say that Pentecost was an occasion when God moved in in a new and special way. The coming of the Holy Spirit changed things demonstrably in the church, just as his arrival and presence changes things demonstrably in an individual life.
We may find that people's comfort level decreases as we talk through the Trinity. A generic reference to "God" is widely accepted and embraced. Many different people may mean many different things by "God," but the word and the concept are easily accessible. Once you start talking about Jesus, however, there's a considerable drop off. Jesus is a more polarizing figure. Not all the folks who feel comfortable with talk about God are ready to get on board with Jesus. And then, when the conversation turns to the Holy Spirit, even a lot of the folks who are willing to talk about Jesus -- perhaps even a lot of the folks in our churches -- begin to clam up. The Holy Spirit seems more mysterious and more threatening. He is not as easily relegated to heaven as the Father, and not as easily relegated to history as the Son. The Holy Spirit is God "moved in," and we may rejoice in the results, or we may be uncomfortable with them. Either way, though, the Spirit is here.
Acts 2:1-21
"They were all together in one place." After this day, that could never be said again of Christ's church. Not, at least, until the fulfillment of all things. At the beginning of this day, they were all together -- all of the believers, the followers, the disciples -- in one city, in one room. By the end of this day, the believers were possibly heading and spreading to almost every place, "from every nation under heaven," from Mesopotamia to Rome.
It has often been said that the Acts of the Apostles might better be called the Acts of the Holy Spirit, for surely the Spirit is the driving force. He is promised in chapter 1, he comes on the Day of Pentecost in chapter 2, and he is the one who guides and empowers the work of the apostles and the church from that day forward.
The account of Pentecost features a handful of different images commonly associated with the Holy Spirit. Those images are revelatory, and we might use them to help our people gain a greater comfort level with the subject of the Holy Spirit.
First, there is the "rush of a violent wind." In Greek, as in Hebrew, the words for "wind," "breath," and "spirit" are largely interchangeable. It's not merely a case of homonymity (as with "lead" in English, for example). Rather, it is an instance of a single concept with several layers. It adds insight and depth to the image of God breathing his breath into Adam (Genesis 2:7), and makes for an illustration of the Spirit in Jesus' encounter with Nicodemus (see John 3:8).
Next, there is fire. In this instance, a manifestation of the Spirit is tongues of fire, but throughout the pages of scripture the presence (Deuteronomy 5:4), guidance (Psalm 78:14), refining (Zechariah 13:9), character (Deuteronomy 4:24), and judgment (Isaiah 66:15) of God are represented by fire. And in addition to the imagery found in scripture, we have also come to associate fire with the Spirit in our hymnody. Samuel Longfellow's hymn, "Holy Spirit, Truth Divine," prays, "Holy Spirit, Love divine, glow within this heart of mine; kindle every high desire; perish self in thy pure fire." Likewise, Henry Tweedy sang, "O Spirit of the living God, thou light and fire divine...."
Perhaps the most amusing association with the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost was wine. The behavior of the Spirit-filled apostles led a few observers to think that they were drunk. While their conclusion was not correct, it was insightful. Paul himself implies some similarity between being filled with wine and being filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). The image is further reinforced in Peter's citing of Joel's prophecy that the Lord would "pour out" his Spirit (v. 18). The picturesque language suggests a kind of liquid abundance, as well as a new understanding of what it could mean to live "under the influence."
The two key validations of the Spirit's presence and work in his people are signs and scripture. "Signs" and "portents" (v. 19) are said to accompany the Spirit's work, which in this instance means the many tongues. And throughout the New Testament, signs and wonders give evidence of the Spirit's presence and power (Romans 15:19; Hebrews 2:4).
Signs, however, are not enough. They can be deceptive (see Matthew 24:24), and so the other validation is also required. Peter's reassurance to the marveling Pentecost crowd was that the signs taking place before their eyes had been foretold in scripture. Seeing the signs of God was not enough; they had to square with the word of God.
Romans 8:14-17
What line delineates between the people of God and the rest of the world? For some folks in ancient days, it was the line between circumcised and uncircumcised. For some folks today, perhaps it is baptism. Or church membership. Or adherence to a certain doctrine or creed.
In the three lections for this week, the demarcation of the people of God seems to be the Spirit of God. The gift of the Spirit to the people of Cornelius' house became the persuasive proof for Peter and the early church (see Acts 11:15-18). Jesus said that his followers would receive the Spirit "whom the world cannot receive" (John 14:17). And here, in Paul's letter to the Romans, the apostle claims that "all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God."
We may be uneasy with this delineation, for it seems a little out of our control. (We may have that in common with the Jewish Christians in the early church who were reluctant to welcome Gentiles.) Things like baptism, membership, and beliefs seem to be our choice. The Spirit, however, does not flow at our direction, but moves independently, like the wind (John 3:8).
The greater importance of what Paul says in our selected epistle lection for this week, however, is not how the Spirit delineates between different people, but rather how the Spirit delineates within an individual person. The delineation is between past and present, between old and new.
The Apostle Paul presents us with a "before and after" portrait of ourselves. The "before" picture is that of a slave who cowers in fear. He is insecure in his role and in his relationship to his master. The slave is property, with a set (and limited) value. The "after" picture, by contrast, is that of a confident son. He is not property, but progeny. And while he, too, has been bought, his value is inestimable (see 1 Corinthians 6:19-20). He is utterly secure in his role and in his relationship with the God he knows as "Abba! Father!"
John 14:8-17 (25-27)
This selected passage might just as well be used on Trinity Sunday as Pentecost Sunday, for it presents us with much fodder for a study of the of the three Persons of God. The Son is at the center of the episode, but the passage offers us great insight into the relationship among the members of the Trinity.
While the traditional Christology of the Nicene Creed affirms that Jesus is co-equal with the Father, his earthly posture is one of submission to the Father. And Jesus' remarks here about the Father and the Spirit reveal a complex interrelationship and interdependence. The Son will ask the Father, and the Father will send the Spirit (v. 16), but the Father will send the Spirit in the Son's name, and the Spirit will remind them of what the Son said (v. 26).
Philip's request at the beginning of the passage is met by some disappointment from Jesus. "Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me?" Of course, we ought not judge Philip too harshly, for it's apparent in other passages that many or all of the disciples had been with Jesus for so long without knowing or understanding who he was (e.g., Matthew 28:17; Luke 24:25-27, 36-45).
The commendable thing about Philip, meanwhile, is that he has learned this much from Jesus: God is Father. Philip's expressed request was not to be shown "God," but specifically to be shown "the Father." So while Philip had not yet grasped the nature of the Trinity, he had begun at least to understand the nature of God.
Jesus' surprising answer, meanwhile, was that Philip had already seen the Father. Such is the inexplicable mystery of the Trinity: Jesus spoke of the Father in the third person and to the Father in the second person, yet still claimed that "whoever has seen me has seen the Father."
The beauty of the portrait of the Trinity here is that they do everything with and for one another: "I do not speak on my own"; "the Father may be glorified in the Son"; "I will ask the Father"; "he will give you another Advocate"; "the Father will send in my name"; and "the Holy Spirit ... will ... remind you of all that I have said to you." In total contrast to the self-seeking and self-serving that characterize the Devil and fallen humanity, the Persons of the Trinity are always serving and glorifying one another. That mysterious loving oneness is a model for marriage, as well as for the fellowship of believers, who are also meant to experience God's oneness (c.f., John 17:22-23).
Finally, the oneness of the Trinity is not a closed system. The three Persons of God do not revolve around each other to the exclusion of everyone and everything else. Rather, we are the beneficiaries of God's readiness to share of himself (e.g., John 14:12-13, 16-17, and 26), and we are graciously invited into that loving oneness of God (John 17:23).
Application
While Christmas and Easter enjoy almost unanimous celebration by Christians throughout our world, Pentecost receives a more uneven treatment. For some churches, they wouldn't know that Pentecost was a date on the church calendar if their pastor didn't tell them, and many of their pastors don't tell them. Other congregations, by contrast, might be surprised -- even offended -- to discover that an observance of Pentecost was limited to just one single day in the year.
Different folks apply the story of Pentecost in different ways. For some, it is like the Crucifixion and Resurrection -- a one-time event in history that has a once-and-for-all impact. For others, the event of Pentecost is viewed more like baptism -- a one-time event in an individual's life, but not a once-and-for-all event in history. And, for others still, Pentecost is understood like other blessings from God (e.g., healing) -- not merely limited to a single occasion, but offered continually throughout a person's life.
Whatever your view or your congregation's understanding, we can take all three passages for this week together and agree at least on this: whenever and wherever the Spirit moves in, things change.
The change manifested in the church in Acts 2 (and beyond) has several component parts.
First, the apostles come pouring out of the house where they were sitting into the streets, proclaiming in every language the things of God. And that became the new posture of the church. No longer was it a "sit in one place all together" group. Now it had become a "pour out into the streets" group, proclaiming the good news throughout the world.
Second, we see a boldness in the apostolic church from this day forward. Peter, who just a few weeks before cowered at the suggestion that he might be associated with Jesus (e.g., Mark 14:66-72), now declared the name of Jesus in the streets. And, two chapters later, he stood before the same group of leaders who had orchestrated Jesus' arrest and crucifixion, but he was unflinching and unwavering.
Finally, the Spirit's move into the church in Acts 2 was also manifested in signs and wonders. Page after page of the book of Acts reports the miracles and marvels that surrounded the work of the apostles.
Meanwhile, while the Acts lection offers a glimpse into what happened to the church when the Spirit moved in, the John and Romans passages speak to us of what happens when the Spirit moves into an individual life. According to Christ's promise, the Spirit "will teach you everything" (John 14:26), as well as remind us of all that Jesus taught. And, according to Paul, it is this Spirit that confirms the change that has occurred in our relationship with God. Now that the Spirit has moved in, we have a new way of relating to God and a new understanding of ourselves, not as fearful slaves but as children who are joyfully confident in their Father's love.
Alternative Applications
1. Acts 2:1-21; John 14:8-17 (25-27). Pentecost is the holiday that comes after waiting. It is the celebration that comes only after some time passes.
Pentecost, as suggested even by the name (which refers to 50 days), required something of a countdown. The Old Testament law prescribed that the Israelites should "begin to count seven weeks from the time the sickle is first put to the standing grain" (Deuteronomy 16:9). Those seven Sabbaths, plus the day after the seventh Sabbath, represented the 50 days between the offering of first fruits, and this Pentecost (or Festival of Weeks) holiday. That was when the real harvest began.
The New Testament event we know as Pentecost was also a function of waiting. While Matthew's account of Jesus' ascension implies an immediate implementation of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20), Luke's account features a specific instruction to wait (Acts 1:4-11). The global mission of Christ's followers remains in force, but Luke's record of Jesus' final instructions includes a prerequisite for that mission: to wait for the Holy Spirit and power (Acts 1:4-5, 8).
Jesus said that John baptized with water, but that soon the disciples would be baptized with the Holy Spirit. So, it is that the first fruits are not the same thing as the full fruition. And Pentecost was the occasion when Christ's followers began the harvest in earnest.
2. Acts 2:1-21. When folks saw and heard the apostles on Pentecost, some assumed that the apostles must have been drunk. That was their limited way of explaining the apostles' appearance and behavior.
What do the folks who see and hear us assume? How do they explain our appearance and behavior?
It may be, of course, that there is nothing to explain. If we seem to be just essentially like everyone else, then that may be more an indictment of us than the Pentecost presumption that the apostles were drunk.
I wonder, too, if many of Christ's followers through the ages -- perhaps including some of us -- could never be mistaken for drunk simply because we seem irrepressibly sober.
I don't drink, and so I am out of my league here, but I think I know what I would do if I wanted to keep a bit of a buzz on. I would start with a drink first thing in the morning. I would make sure always to have something with me -- a bottle, a flask, something -- so that I could imbibe continually throughout the day. A drink or two would accompany my lunch and my dinner. I would seek opportunities to get together with like-minded friends to get drunk together. And I would be sure to have a nightcap before bed.
That would be my approach if I wanted to live under the influence of alcohol. Perhaps it also serves as a model for how I might live under the influence of the Spirit. And then it might be my privilege, too, to be misunderstood by the people around me, just like those Spirit-filled forefathers in Jerusalem.
3. John 14:8-17 (25-27). I believe that Jesus' relationship with his 12 disciples serves as a model for his relationship with us. As we see him with them in the pages of scripture, we get a glimpse of how he deals with us -- calling, correcting, teaching, reassuring, empowering, sending forth, and so on.
One of the components of Jesus' relationship with his original 12 disciples was the questions he would ask them. And one penetrating question that I believe he still asks many of us today is the one posed to Philip in this passage: "Have I been with you all this time and still you do not know me?"
The question has a thousand variations. Has this person been in church for so long without ever making a personal decision for Christ? Has this man believed for so long in the historical figure without knowing the living Lord? Has this woman cherished his teachings and example for so long without knowing his salvation? Has this preacher served him for so long without fully knowing his power or his presence?
Jesus seems surprised that Philip could have followed and seen and heard for those several years without coming to recognize fully who Jesus was. And we might do well to ask ourselves and one another this Sunday if Jesus might be equally surprised and disappointed by us after "so long."
Preaching The Psalm
Psalm 104:24-34, 35b
After composing a long list detailing the processes of the earth, both of nature and commerce, the psalmist writes, "When you send forth your spirit, they are created; and you renew the face of the ground" (v. 30). It is this reference to sending forth the spirit, renewing life and creating new life that draws this psalm into service on Pentecost Sunday in all three years of the lectionary cycle. The poem provides a powerful backdrop to the great Pentecost event when the arrival of the Spirit gave new life to the young church.
This is an important activity God performs for us. There is much in life that saps our energy and enthusiasm. Without a way to be renewed and restored, or in some instances re-made, life and its many turns can soon become a burden.
For instance, those who are involved in giving of themselves in acts of kindness for others are always in danger of giving out. The relentless demand on those who provide care for others in need, especially those who attend to the chronically ill, disabled, or the elderly, often face challenges that seem to have no end.
Also, there are struggles with our own pain and disappointment or even failure. The difficulties that are our own can easily result in sagging spirits and depleted energy.
Even success has its dangers. As we expend energy and creativity into our various life projects and then succeed, that success is sometimes followed by an empty feeling, a sort of, "well, now what?"
The psalmist would have us believe that the presence of God in the form of the Spirit has the power to reanimate and reinvigorate. A renewal of our experience of God's presence can be a source for renewing our energy and our passion for our calling or even for life itself.
How many times have we seen a football team that is behind and beaten suddenly execute one big play? As if by magic, players start running and jumping as if they weren't tired or behind at all. One play turns the whole team around and suddenly the team that was playing poorly starts playing with confidence and verve. One play, one good play, and the team that was losing begins to win.
It is not enough that we are doggedly committed to some task. Unless there is passion and purpose, the redundancy of life will suck the joy right out of us. But if we can believe again in our purpose, in our cause, in our calling with a renewed passion, redundancy gives way to creativity, and every day becomes a new day. That is what God's Spirit can do. And when it happens, we can with the psalmist declare, "I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being" (v. 33).
Some of the changes that come are anticipated and welcome. We look forward to the fun and lovely patterns of life that will come with the new arrival. Some other changes, however, are not anticipated -- perhaps not even expected -- and consequently those changes may not be welcome.
It's no different when God moves in. Things change. We'd be doomed if they didn't! But while some of the changes that come with his arrival are anticipated and welcome, some others are not.
We might say that Pentecost was an occasion when God moved in in a new and special way. The coming of the Holy Spirit changed things demonstrably in the church, just as his arrival and presence changes things demonstrably in an individual life.
We may find that people's comfort level decreases as we talk through the Trinity. A generic reference to "God" is widely accepted and embraced. Many different people may mean many different things by "God," but the word and the concept are easily accessible. Once you start talking about Jesus, however, there's a considerable drop off. Jesus is a more polarizing figure. Not all the folks who feel comfortable with talk about God are ready to get on board with Jesus. And then, when the conversation turns to the Holy Spirit, even a lot of the folks who are willing to talk about Jesus -- perhaps even a lot of the folks in our churches -- begin to clam up. The Holy Spirit seems more mysterious and more threatening. He is not as easily relegated to heaven as the Father, and not as easily relegated to history as the Son. The Holy Spirit is God "moved in," and we may rejoice in the results, or we may be uncomfortable with them. Either way, though, the Spirit is here.
Acts 2:1-21
"They were all together in one place." After this day, that could never be said again of Christ's church. Not, at least, until the fulfillment of all things. At the beginning of this day, they were all together -- all of the believers, the followers, the disciples -- in one city, in one room. By the end of this day, the believers were possibly heading and spreading to almost every place, "from every nation under heaven," from Mesopotamia to Rome.
It has often been said that the Acts of the Apostles might better be called the Acts of the Holy Spirit, for surely the Spirit is the driving force. He is promised in chapter 1, he comes on the Day of Pentecost in chapter 2, and he is the one who guides and empowers the work of the apostles and the church from that day forward.
The account of Pentecost features a handful of different images commonly associated with the Holy Spirit. Those images are revelatory, and we might use them to help our people gain a greater comfort level with the subject of the Holy Spirit.
First, there is the "rush of a violent wind." In Greek, as in Hebrew, the words for "wind," "breath," and "spirit" are largely interchangeable. It's not merely a case of homonymity (as with "lead" in English, for example). Rather, it is an instance of a single concept with several layers. It adds insight and depth to the image of God breathing his breath into Adam (Genesis 2:7), and makes for an illustration of the Spirit in Jesus' encounter with Nicodemus (see John 3:8).
Next, there is fire. In this instance, a manifestation of the Spirit is tongues of fire, but throughout the pages of scripture the presence (Deuteronomy 5:4), guidance (Psalm 78:14), refining (Zechariah 13:9), character (Deuteronomy 4:24), and judgment (Isaiah 66:15) of God are represented by fire. And in addition to the imagery found in scripture, we have also come to associate fire with the Spirit in our hymnody. Samuel Longfellow's hymn, "Holy Spirit, Truth Divine," prays, "Holy Spirit, Love divine, glow within this heart of mine; kindle every high desire; perish self in thy pure fire." Likewise, Henry Tweedy sang, "O Spirit of the living God, thou light and fire divine...."
Perhaps the most amusing association with the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost was wine. The behavior of the Spirit-filled apostles led a few observers to think that they were drunk. While their conclusion was not correct, it was insightful. Paul himself implies some similarity between being filled with wine and being filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). The image is further reinforced in Peter's citing of Joel's prophecy that the Lord would "pour out" his Spirit (v. 18). The picturesque language suggests a kind of liquid abundance, as well as a new understanding of what it could mean to live "under the influence."
The two key validations of the Spirit's presence and work in his people are signs and scripture. "Signs" and "portents" (v. 19) are said to accompany the Spirit's work, which in this instance means the many tongues. And throughout the New Testament, signs and wonders give evidence of the Spirit's presence and power (Romans 15:19; Hebrews 2:4).
Signs, however, are not enough. They can be deceptive (see Matthew 24:24), and so the other validation is also required. Peter's reassurance to the marveling Pentecost crowd was that the signs taking place before their eyes had been foretold in scripture. Seeing the signs of God was not enough; they had to square with the word of God.
Romans 8:14-17
What line delineates between the people of God and the rest of the world? For some folks in ancient days, it was the line between circumcised and uncircumcised. For some folks today, perhaps it is baptism. Or church membership. Or adherence to a certain doctrine or creed.
In the three lections for this week, the demarcation of the people of God seems to be the Spirit of God. The gift of the Spirit to the people of Cornelius' house became the persuasive proof for Peter and the early church (see Acts 11:15-18). Jesus said that his followers would receive the Spirit "whom the world cannot receive" (John 14:17). And here, in Paul's letter to the Romans, the apostle claims that "all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God."
We may be uneasy with this delineation, for it seems a little out of our control. (We may have that in common with the Jewish Christians in the early church who were reluctant to welcome Gentiles.) Things like baptism, membership, and beliefs seem to be our choice. The Spirit, however, does not flow at our direction, but moves independently, like the wind (John 3:8).
The greater importance of what Paul says in our selected epistle lection for this week, however, is not how the Spirit delineates between different people, but rather how the Spirit delineates within an individual person. The delineation is between past and present, between old and new.
The Apostle Paul presents us with a "before and after" portrait of ourselves. The "before" picture is that of a slave who cowers in fear. He is insecure in his role and in his relationship to his master. The slave is property, with a set (and limited) value. The "after" picture, by contrast, is that of a confident son. He is not property, but progeny. And while he, too, has been bought, his value is inestimable (see 1 Corinthians 6:19-20). He is utterly secure in his role and in his relationship with the God he knows as "Abba! Father!"
John 14:8-17 (25-27)
This selected passage might just as well be used on Trinity Sunday as Pentecost Sunday, for it presents us with much fodder for a study of the of the three Persons of God. The Son is at the center of the episode, but the passage offers us great insight into the relationship among the members of the Trinity.
While the traditional Christology of the Nicene Creed affirms that Jesus is co-equal with the Father, his earthly posture is one of submission to the Father. And Jesus' remarks here about the Father and the Spirit reveal a complex interrelationship and interdependence. The Son will ask the Father, and the Father will send the Spirit (v. 16), but the Father will send the Spirit in the Son's name, and the Spirit will remind them of what the Son said (v. 26).
Philip's request at the beginning of the passage is met by some disappointment from Jesus. "Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me?" Of course, we ought not judge Philip too harshly, for it's apparent in other passages that many or all of the disciples had been with Jesus for so long without knowing or understanding who he was (e.g., Matthew 28:17; Luke 24:25-27, 36-45).
The commendable thing about Philip, meanwhile, is that he has learned this much from Jesus: God is Father. Philip's expressed request was not to be shown "God," but specifically to be shown "the Father." So while Philip had not yet grasped the nature of the Trinity, he had begun at least to understand the nature of God.
Jesus' surprising answer, meanwhile, was that Philip had already seen the Father. Such is the inexplicable mystery of the Trinity: Jesus spoke of the Father in the third person and to the Father in the second person, yet still claimed that "whoever has seen me has seen the Father."
The beauty of the portrait of the Trinity here is that they do everything with and for one another: "I do not speak on my own"; "the Father may be glorified in the Son"; "I will ask the Father"; "he will give you another Advocate"; "the Father will send in my name"; and "the Holy Spirit ... will ... remind you of all that I have said to you." In total contrast to the self-seeking and self-serving that characterize the Devil and fallen humanity, the Persons of the Trinity are always serving and glorifying one another. That mysterious loving oneness is a model for marriage, as well as for the fellowship of believers, who are also meant to experience God's oneness (c.f., John 17:22-23).
Finally, the oneness of the Trinity is not a closed system. The three Persons of God do not revolve around each other to the exclusion of everyone and everything else. Rather, we are the beneficiaries of God's readiness to share of himself (e.g., John 14:12-13, 16-17, and 26), and we are graciously invited into that loving oneness of God (John 17:23).
Application
While Christmas and Easter enjoy almost unanimous celebration by Christians throughout our world, Pentecost receives a more uneven treatment. For some churches, they wouldn't know that Pentecost was a date on the church calendar if their pastor didn't tell them, and many of their pastors don't tell them. Other congregations, by contrast, might be surprised -- even offended -- to discover that an observance of Pentecost was limited to just one single day in the year.
Different folks apply the story of Pentecost in different ways. For some, it is like the Crucifixion and Resurrection -- a one-time event in history that has a once-and-for-all impact. For others, the event of Pentecost is viewed more like baptism -- a one-time event in an individual's life, but not a once-and-for-all event in history. And, for others still, Pentecost is understood like other blessings from God (e.g., healing) -- not merely limited to a single occasion, but offered continually throughout a person's life.
Whatever your view or your congregation's understanding, we can take all three passages for this week together and agree at least on this: whenever and wherever the Spirit moves in, things change.
The change manifested in the church in Acts 2 (and beyond) has several component parts.
First, the apostles come pouring out of the house where they were sitting into the streets, proclaiming in every language the things of God. And that became the new posture of the church. No longer was it a "sit in one place all together" group. Now it had become a "pour out into the streets" group, proclaiming the good news throughout the world.
Second, we see a boldness in the apostolic church from this day forward. Peter, who just a few weeks before cowered at the suggestion that he might be associated with Jesus (e.g., Mark 14:66-72), now declared the name of Jesus in the streets. And, two chapters later, he stood before the same group of leaders who had orchestrated Jesus' arrest and crucifixion, but he was unflinching and unwavering.
Finally, the Spirit's move into the church in Acts 2 was also manifested in signs and wonders. Page after page of the book of Acts reports the miracles and marvels that surrounded the work of the apostles.
Meanwhile, while the Acts lection offers a glimpse into what happened to the church when the Spirit moved in, the John and Romans passages speak to us of what happens when the Spirit moves into an individual life. According to Christ's promise, the Spirit "will teach you everything" (John 14:26), as well as remind us of all that Jesus taught. And, according to Paul, it is this Spirit that confirms the change that has occurred in our relationship with God. Now that the Spirit has moved in, we have a new way of relating to God and a new understanding of ourselves, not as fearful slaves but as children who are joyfully confident in their Father's love.
Alternative Applications
1. Acts 2:1-21; John 14:8-17 (25-27). Pentecost is the holiday that comes after waiting. It is the celebration that comes only after some time passes.
Pentecost, as suggested even by the name (which refers to 50 days), required something of a countdown. The Old Testament law prescribed that the Israelites should "begin to count seven weeks from the time the sickle is first put to the standing grain" (Deuteronomy 16:9). Those seven Sabbaths, plus the day after the seventh Sabbath, represented the 50 days between the offering of first fruits, and this Pentecost (or Festival of Weeks) holiday. That was when the real harvest began.
The New Testament event we know as Pentecost was also a function of waiting. While Matthew's account of Jesus' ascension implies an immediate implementation of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20), Luke's account features a specific instruction to wait (Acts 1:4-11). The global mission of Christ's followers remains in force, but Luke's record of Jesus' final instructions includes a prerequisite for that mission: to wait for the Holy Spirit and power (Acts 1:4-5, 8).
Jesus said that John baptized with water, but that soon the disciples would be baptized with the Holy Spirit. So, it is that the first fruits are not the same thing as the full fruition. And Pentecost was the occasion when Christ's followers began the harvest in earnest.
2. Acts 2:1-21. When folks saw and heard the apostles on Pentecost, some assumed that the apostles must have been drunk. That was their limited way of explaining the apostles' appearance and behavior.
What do the folks who see and hear us assume? How do they explain our appearance and behavior?
It may be, of course, that there is nothing to explain. If we seem to be just essentially like everyone else, then that may be more an indictment of us than the Pentecost presumption that the apostles were drunk.
I wonder, too, if many of Christ's followers through the ages -- perhaps including some of us -- could never be mistaken for drunk simply because we seem irrepressibly sober.
I don't drink, and so I am out of my league here, but I think I know what I would do if I wanted to keep a bit of a buzz on. I would start with a drink first thing in the morning. I would make sure always to have something with me -- a bottle, a flask, something -- so that I could imbibe continually throughout the day. A drink or two would accompany my lunch and my dinner. I would seek opportunities to get together with like-minded friends to get drunk together. And I would be sure to have a nightcap before bed.
That would be my approach if I wanted to live under the influence of alcohol. Perhaps it also serves as a model for how I might live under the influence of the Spirit. And then it might be my privilege, too, to be misunderstood by the people around me, just like those Spirit-filled forefathers in Jerusalem.
3. John 14:8-17 (25-27). I believe that Jesus' relationship with his 12 disciples serves as a model for his relationship with us. As we see him with them in the pages of scripture, we get a glimpse of how he deals with us -- calling, correcting, teaching, reassuring, empowering, sending forth, and so on.
One of the components of Jesus' relationship with his original 12 disciples was the questions he would ask them. And one penetrating question that I believe he still asks many of us today is the one posed to Philip in this passage: "Have I been with you all this time and still you do not know me?"
The question has a thousand variations. Has this person been in church for so long without ever making a personal decision for Christ? Has this man believed for so long in the historical figure without knowing the living Lord? Has this woman cherished his teachings and example for so long without knowing his salvation? Has this preacher served him for so long without fully knowing his power or his presence?
Jesus seems surprised that Philip could have followed and seen and heard for those several years without coming to recognize fully who Jesus was. And we might do well to ask ourselves and one another this Sunday if Jesus might be equally surprised and disappointed by us after "so long."
Preaching The Psalm
Psalm 104:24-34, 35b
After composing a long list detailing the processes of the earth, both of nature and commerce, the psalmist writes, "When you send forth your spirit, they are created; and you renew the face of the ground" (v. 30). It is this reference to sending forth the spirit, renewing life and creating new life that draws this psalm into service on Pentecost Sunday in all three years of the lectionary cycle. The poem provides a powerful backdrop to the great Pentecost event when the arrival of the Spirit gave new life to the young church.
This is an important activity God performs for us. There is much in life that saps our energy and enthusiasm. Without a way to be renewed and restored, or in some instances re-made, life and its many turns can soon become a burden.
For instance, those who are involved in giving of themselves in acts of kindness for others are always in danger of giving out. The relentless demand on those who provide care for others in need, especially those who attend to the chronically ill, disabled, or the elderly, often face challenges that seem to have no end.
Also, there are struggles with our own pain and disappointment or even failure. The difficulties that are our own can easily result in sagging spirits and depleted energy.
Even success has its dangers. As we expend energy and creativity into our various life projects and then succeed, that success is sometimes followed by an empty feeling, a sort of, "well, now what?"
The psalmist would have us believe that the presence of God in the form of the Spirit has the power to reanimate and reinvigorate. A renewal of our experience of God's presence can be a source for renewing our energy and our passion for our calling or even for life itself.
How many times have we seen a football team that is behind and beaten suddenly execute one big play? As if by magic, players start running and jumping as if they weren't tired or behind at all. One play turns the whole team around and suddenly the team that was playing poorly starts playing with confidence and verve. One play, one good play, and the team that was losing begins to win.
It is not enough that we are doggedly committed to some task. Unless there is passion and purpose, the redundancy of life will suck the joy right out of us. But if we can believe again in our purpose, in our cause, in our calling with a renewed passion, redundancy gives way to creativity, and every day becomes a new day. That is what God's Spirit can do. And when it happens, we can with the psalmist declare, "I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being" (v. 33).
