Pentecost Sunday

May 19, 2024

John 15:26, 27;16:4b-11

Resurrection Reality—

Christ Has Not Left Us Alone!

26“When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me. 27And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.

I did not tell you this at first because I was with you. 5Now I am going to him who sent me, yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6Because I have said these things you are filled with grief. 7But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: 9in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; 10in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. (NIV1984)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Ever since the days of Moses God’s Old Testament people celebrated three great festivals. There was the Feast of Unleavened Bread which was also called the Passover. This feast celebrated how the Lord God rescued His people from slavery in the land of Egypt. There was the Feast of Harvest which was also known as Pentecost— because it was celebrated fifty days after the Passover. This feast celebrated the wheat harvest. And there was the Feast of Ingathering which was also known as the Feast of Tabernacles. This feast not only celebrated the harvest of the orchards and the vineyards, but it also commemorated how God’s people lived in “booths” as they wandered in the wilderness.

As the New Testament children of God we also have three great festivals that we celebrate. There is the Festival of Christmas which is also known as the Festival of God the Father. This festival celebrates how God the Father sent His only begotten Son into this world to be our Savior. There is the Festival of Easter which is also known as the Festival of God the Son. This festival celebrates how our dear Lord and Savior physically rose from the dead as the Victor over sin, death and the devil. And then there is the festival we are here to celebrate today— the Festival of Pentecost which is also known as the Festival of God the Holy Spirit. This is the festival which celebrates the fulfillment of the promise that Jesus makes here in our text for today— the promise to send His disciples the gift of the Holy Spirit.

As we conclude our sermon series Resurrection Reality let’s rejoice in the reality of knowing that even though Christ has ascended into heaven, even though Christ is no longer visibly present among us, His disciples: Christ Has Not Left Us Alone!

What comes to mind when you think of the Festival of Pentecost, the Festival of God the Holy Spirit? What easily comes to mind are the spectacular events we heard about in our reading from Acts chapter two— the sound of a rushing wind, the tongues of fire, the disciples speaking in languages they had never known or studied, Peter’s sermon and, 3,000 people being baptized. While all those spectacular events easily capture our attention, we cannot lose sight of the equally spectacular promise that Jesus makes here in our text!

That spectacular promise focuses on two aspects of the work that the Holy Spirit would do. First, let’s look at what the Holy Spirit would do for Jesus’ disciples. Jesus says, “When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.”

In just two short yet amazing verses Jesus reminds His disciples of Who the Holy Spirit is and what the Holy Spirit does for them! Who is God the Holy Spirit? He is the “Counselor.” He is the “Paraclete.” He is the “Advocate” who pleads on behalf of Jesus’ disciples. At the very same time He is the “Spirit of truth.” He not only reveals to us the Truth of Scripture, but He also guides us to an even deeper understanding of the Truth of Scripture. Notice how Jesus also brings out that the Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Holy Trinity. In a way that goes far beyond our feeble minds, Jesus not only says that He is the One who “sends” the Holy Spirit, but He also says that the Holy Spirit “goes out from the Father.”

While the Person of the Holy Spirit can easily surpass our understanding, the two-fold work of the Holy Spirit is clear and simple to understand. First, Jesus says that the Holy Spirit “will testify about me.” The word that is translated here as “testify” can also be translated as “bear witness.” One of my professors at Seminary used to refer to the Holy Spirit as the “shy” member of the Holy Trinity. Contrary to what many churches maintain, the goal of the Holy Spirit is not to call attention to, or to “testify,” or to “bear witness” to Himself. In other words, He does not want us to focus on spiritual gifts such as speaking in tongues or miraculous healings. Every spiritual gift the Holy Spirit grants is designed to “testify,” to “bear witness” to Jesus— Who He is and what He has done for our sinful human family. (Pointing to the cross)

The second aspect of the Holy Spirit’s work is to empower Jesus’ disciples to “testify,” to “bear witness” to Jesus. Think about it, my friends. At the time Jesus made this promise to His disciples, they were not ready to “testify” to the world. They were not ready to “bear witness” to everyone concerning who Jesus is and what Jesus came into this world to do. Peter was way too impetuous. He not only cut off Malchus’ ear when the mob came to arrest Jesus in the garden (John 18:10), but he was the one who openly denied even knowing who Jesus is. James and John not only earned the name “sons of thunder” (Mark 3:17; Luke 9:54-56), but they also selfishly requested to sit on each side of Jesus in His Kingdom. (See Mark 10:37) Even on the Mount of Ascension the disciples revealed that they still didn’t completely understand why Jesus came into this world! They asked Him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel” (Acts 1:6). But after the Festival of Pentecost, after Jesus fulfilled Hs promise to send His disciples the “Counselor,” the “Spirit of truth” Jesus’ disciples not only understood Jesus’ work, but they boldly and faithfully carried out the work which the risen Christ gave to them on the Mount of Ascension, “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

As we gather together today to celebrate the Festival of Pentecost, the Festival of God the Holy Spirit, we rejoice in knowing that Jesus did indeed fulfill His promise to send His disciples the powerful gift of the Holy Spirit. As we read about the fulfillment of the promise that Jesus made so many years ago, we also need to remember that Jesus has fulfilled that promise for each and every one of us! While it is true that we have not had “tongues of fire” on our heads, while it is true that we have not been given the “gift of tongues,” the ability to suddenly speak in other languages, while it is true that we do not have the ability to miraculously heal someone— we have been baptized with water in the Name of the Triune God! When we were baptized Jesus fulfilled His promise to send us the gift of the Holy Spirit. With the gift of the “Spirit of truth” living in our hearts we know that Jesus lived and died and rose again to save us from our sins! With the “Spirit of truth” living in our hearts we know the Truth about how our God wants us to live our lives as His dearly beloved adopted children. With the “Spirit of truth” living in our hearts we are able to be His (Pointing to the cross) faithful and capable witnesses to others.

After promising His disciples what the Holy Spirit would do for them, Jesus then goes on to reveal to His disciples what the Holy Spirit would do through them. Look at the second portion of our text. Jesus says to His disciples, “Now I am going to him who sent me, yet none of you even asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ Because I have said these things, you are filled with grief. But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you, but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.”

It’s not hard for us to understand why Jesus’ disciples were “filled with grief.” After three amazing years of following Jesus from village to village and city to city, after three astonishing years of listening to Jesus teach God’s Word with authority, after three awe-inspiring years of watching Jesus perform miracle after miracle— Jesus was “going away.” Jesus would no longer be visibly present among them. Because of the grief that had overwhelmed His disciples Jesus had to re-focus His disciples. Instead of focusing on themselves the disciples needed to focus on what the Holy Spirit would do through them! The disciples needed to understand that the culmination of Jesus’ mission was to return Home to His heavenly Father— so that He could send them the gift of the Holy Spirit! Once Jesus sends them the gift of the Holy Spirit they would be changed and their lives would take on a whole new meaning. They would become the instruments through whom the Holy Spirit would carry out His work in this world. And what is the Holy Spirit’s work in this world? Jesus summarizes the work of the Holy Spirit using the word “convict.” The word that is translated here as “convict” can also be translated as, “to expose.” Jesus brings out that there are three areas in which God the Holy Spirit “convicts, exposes” the world. Those three areas are: “sin, righteousness and judgment.”

Through Jesus’ disciples the Spirt of Truth “exposes” or “convicts” the world of guilt in regard to “sin” because the world does not believe in Jesus. Unbelievers know certain things about “sin.” They have what is called a natural knowledge of God’s Law. They know that it is wrong to lie and to steal and to kill. They may still commit these sins, but through their conscience the Holy Spirit “convicts” them of their guilt. What the natural knowledge of God’s Law cannot do, what their conscience cannot convince the unbeliever of is that the greatest “sin,” the ultimate “sin,” is unbelief itself— failing to recognize Jesus as this world’s only Savior from sin. Using the Word of Truth the Holy Spirit “exposes” this sin by having Jesus’ disciples faithfully proclaim the revealed knowledge of God’s Law.

Through Jesus’ disciples the Spirit of Truth “exposes” or “convicts” the world of guilt in regard to “righteousness” because Jesus has victoriously returned to heaven where He now sits at the right hand of the heavenly Father. Again, unbelievers understand certain things about “righteousness.” They know that they need “righteousness,” but they strive to achieve “righteousness” in their own works. Using the Word of Truth the Holy Spirit “exposes” the works of sinful people for what they are — “filthy rags” in the eyes of the holy, just and perfect God. (See Isaiah 64:6) Once the Holy Spirit has “exposed” our works for what they are He has Jesus’ disciples point the “convicted” sinner to the only source of true “righteousness,” the only “righteousness” that guarantees entrance into the heavenly Father’s Home— the “righteousness” that Jesus secured for them by shedding His holy precious blood on the cross of Calvary’s hill. (Pointing to the cross)

And finally, through Jesus’ disciples the Spirit of Truth “exposes” or “convicts” the world of guilt “in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.” The word that is translated here as “judgment” refers to the sentence that a judge pronounces in court. The “judgment” that Jesus is talking about here not only includes the “judgment” that is privately pronounced on individuals the moment they die, it not only includes the “judgment” that will be publicly pronounced upon all people on Judgment Day, but here Jesus is especially talking about the “judgment” that has already been pronounced on Satan, the “prince of this world.” It is the “judgment” that Jesus personally pronounced when He descended into hell after His resurrection from the dead, the “judgment” that proclaims Satan’s complete and total defeat!

The work of the Holy Spirit is to “expose” this “judgment” to the world through faithful preaching of the Word of Truth! For those who reject what Jesus has done for this world (Pointing to the cross) the Holy Spirit “convicts” them of the “guilt” which this rejection brings upon them. For us who by the grace and power of God believe and rejoice in what Jesus has done for us (Pointing to the cross) the Holy Spirit comforts us with the confidence that comes from knowing that Satan has already been judged! If ever, whenever the “prince of this world” tries to attack us— we run to Jesus! We cling to Jesus! We trust that through faith His victory over Satan is our victory over Satan!

While the Festival of God the Holy Spirit may not receive as much emphasis as the Festival of God the Father (Christmas) or the Festival of God the Son (Easter) the Festival of God the Holy Spirit is equally as important for our faith, for our life and for our eternity. May God grant that the Festival of Pentecost will always remind us to maintain regular contact with God’s holy Word and God’s holy Supper so that God the Holy Spirit will always have a way to continue His work both in us and through us.

To God be the glory!

Amen