The Holy Spirit—Reminding us of Christ
Today’s sermon from Christ is prompted by Judas—not the betrayer’s—question. Jesus has promised to manifest, to reveal Himself to those who love Him and Judas interrupts to a question we all ask at some point in life. When forced with the difficulty, the near impossibility, of evangelism, or when someone we love doesn’t grasp the love of Christ and doesn’t place their faith in Him, we’ll join in asking “How are you going to show yourself to us but not to everyone? Why not just do a grand reveal or perform a miracle that none could deny? How,” and why, I would add, “just reveal yourself to those who love you?”
Christ is clear in answering the “How” question. “How I’ll reveal myself? To those who keep my word, who believe what I’ve said and cherish it, to them I’ll manifest myself by living in and with them, me and my Father.”
Now, this is one thing for the disciples who heard Christ’s words as He spoke them in their midst. But the disciples knew Christ was going away to the Father—whatever that meant to them at this early point—so how is anyone else going to know Christ? After He leaves, is that it? Are His promises and His person good only for those who had the chance to hear His blessed Words leave His pure and holy lips?
No, you know this isn’t the answer. Instead, Christ promises to send the Helper, the Comforter, the Paraclete, His Holy Spirit to continually bring the Word to their memory, to teach them all they need. And by the working of this Spirit that Word will not remain as letters on the page or syllables from lips, as if they were telling a story about their childhood friend. No, these words will perform the miraculous events they promise. They will create faith; they will cause the hearers to love and keep Christ’s Word, even after He is gone, so that He and the Father will come to dwell in the hearers. This is how Christ will manifest Himself. At this assuring Word, the Easter weekend happens. Christ loses His life. He’s buried in the tomb and all hope seems lost. And then He rises—His Words of promise and salvation are not in vain and fruitless but indeed they are very alive and well. This life altering word, risen from the dead, sustains the faith of all those who held their breath and wiped their tears during that dreadful Sabbath.
And in that time, in that place, for 40 whole days, Christ reveals Himself risen from the dead to many. People saw and heard Christ. There was no doubt that this man who was dead is now alive. Hundreds saw Him walking around and teaching, and then on the 40th day, those who were present saw Him rise into the heavens, raised on a cloud never to be seen again until the last day—He had gone to the Father just as He said.
His track record is pretty good. Things happen just as He said. He was handed into the hands of sinful men to be killed. He was raise from the dead. He even left for the Father. So when is this Spirit going to come to teach them everything, to bring to remembrance all that He said? Well, a mere 10 days later the Jews are all together in Jerusalem celebrating Pentecost, the Spring harvest festival 50 days after the Passover. They’re all together to celebrate God’s faithfulness in providing for them.
At the sound of rushing wind and the sight of tongues of fire sitting on heads, this was the beginning of Christ’s promise fulfilled. The Spirit was present that day, breaking down the language barrier so that all who were present could hear and know the works and words of Christ. It says that all present were speaking of the wonders of God—I’m sure of the Exodus and of God’s faithfulness during their exile, or water coming from the Rock and of water drowning the earth. They spoke of the works of God and then Peter arose and spoke of Christ, the most magnificent work of God, the Word made flesh, the Word of salvation to all peoples.
And at this preaching, many came to love and to keep this saving Word; over 3000 were baptized that day. Over 3000 were joined with Christ in His baptism and in His death. Over 3000 were made brothers of Christ and could say that the Father was well pleased with them as well for the sake of Christ. Over 3000 were loved by the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit on that day and had the triune God indwelling with them for the rest of eternity. Starting then.
Pentecost shows us the answer to Judas’ question. This is how Christ will reveal Himself. Not in crazy works of power that force us to open our eyes and nod our heads in agreement—although Pentecost was certainly spectacular. No one is forced to recognize Christ as the true Son of God and the manifestation of the Father’s love for His creation. None are forced. But the Holy Spirit, working in the very Word that is preached, opens their eyes to see Christ revealed as the mercy of God.
And on this Pentecost day we see the answer to our “Why not all” question. Why doesn’t Christ reveal Himself to everyone rather than just those who love Him? He doesn’t want to force anyone into knowing Him, but He certainly, without a single doubt, does want everyone to know His love. So rather than revealing it to the whole world in one great act, where someone could say “that was meant for Joey Tomatoe next door and not for me,” Jesus, through the working of the Spirit, reveals Himself to the Parthians, Medes, Elamites and Mesopotamians, the Judeans and Cappadocians and everyone else present.. If He had wanted to leave someone out, He could have kept their ears shut and refused to have that language spoken, but no. All heard Peter’s proclamation. That life and death was meant for them. For each of them. And this was just the beginning of this promise fulfilled.
Now, to the disciples who heard this promise first hand, they received a very unique fulfillment of this prophecy. We don’t hear about it, but we read it all the time. And they received this fulfillment not for their own sake but for your sake. It is this promise of Christ that gives voice to our hope and our trust in the Words that were passed down to us. If it weren’t for the Spirit and Christ’s assurance that such a Spirit who reveals Christ is trustworthy and dependable, we wouldn’t have these Gospels.
It is thanks to the work of the Spirit in the disciples who wrote what we can hold today that we don’t have a false picture of Christ. We don’t have a tale that resembles Christ. We have His Word as He spoke it in the Gospels. We have God’s Word as He brought it forth in the Old Testament through the Law and the prophets and the writings and in the New Testament as His Spirit continued to teach and guide and recall through the letters. Through the working of the Spirit, we have Words that foretell Christ and words that paint a picture of a life resulting from Christ, and we have Christ’s life itself. And all throughout the generations, because of the Spirit’s work then, we receive the Words of Christ that may work in us to believe in the Word of Christ crucified, to receive that Word, to keep that Word.
This has been the work of the Spirit throughout every era until it reached you, and then it just kept on working. Maybe it was your parents who had heard the Word of the Gospel and trusted it so that through them, their words and their actions, they communicated this same word to you. When you were baptized you joined the ranks of those first 3000, connected with Christ by His command and promise. When you were read the account of Noah and saw pictures of the Christ-child laying in the manger and as your parents brought you to church and heard of this child, now grown, dying with His arms stretched out. By the Spirit’s working 2000 years ago Christ’s Words and works were preserved that you would believe into Him and find Him and His Father dwelling in you and with you, all by the working of the Spirit. And maybe it wasn’t your parents but your friends offering you some words of comfort—the very words of Christ. Or maybe it was a book you read which communicated the message of the Gospel to you, or maybe it was a total stranger. No matter who was the mouthpiece, the Spirit brought the Word to your ears that you may be forgiven and God may dwell with you. Even today, the work of the Spirit which really took hold on Pentecost continues, as His Word reaches your ears and reveals Christ, His Word, work, and will to you. Today, as every time you hear His Word and receives His Word physicalized in water, bread and wine, the Spirit works and God dwells in you.
And you, as one to whom Christ has been revealed to, as one who has kept His Word, believing it, clinging to it, hoping in it, with God dwelling in you, you become a revelation of Him to the World around you. You are now one with Him, a part of His body. Christ certainly ascended to the Father, His physical body no longer present as He was in Palestine, yet you and I, we are His body. The Church is now Christ incarnate in a new way. He, through us, by the working of the Spirit to communicate His Word of love, shows that love to the world.
And Jesus, in our text, tells us why this Word working in us is so important, what the true gift of God dwelling with us is. Peace. Peace unlike anything the world can give. More comforting than a hug from mom. A greater sense of relief than a safe landing after a rocky plane ride. Deeper assurance than a successful harvest after a summer of drought and disease. This is the peace that was won on the cross, peace over the death that hands over us, peace over the sin that destroys and divides. Jesus gives peace different from the world. And we can take this to mean that He gives a different peace than the world, and He gives it in a different way.
His peace is eternal, no matter what is going on in our family, no matter what is happening to our bodies, no matter what curveballs life throws at us, no matter what temptations plague us and which terrors seem to be ever present in our lives. The Spirit works through the word to promise us that we are not alone. The Spirit works to assure you that your sins haven’t separated you from God and that you are still forgiven. The Spirit works to remind us that death and decay will not be the end of us, but because Christ arose, so will we. The Spirit works through the Word to apply Christ and His promises—His peace—to us in every moment, in every situation.
And this is what’s different than the world. Peace in the world only comes when things are clearly okay, when the storm has settled, the battle finished, the darkness removed by the light. Peace in the world only happens when we are certainly safe. But Christ’s peace is ours despite the chaos and the turmoil that we experience. As we live and as we die, Christ has promised that the Spirit will be with us and bring us His word, His Gospel that we would know that, even when it all looks like it’s falling apart, everything is going to be okay.
And so we carry on, living today and living tomorrow, with God dwelling in and with us, His peace the sturdy ground we stand on. His Word of peace will flow from our mouths to be the gift, the soothing salve, the calming balm for all who would listen. Let us go forth, not anxious but instead at peace, in order to share this peace, this Word. Let us pray that Christ would be revealed through us.
Amen.
Today’s sermon from Christ is prompted by Judas—not the betrayer’s—question. Jesus has promised to manifest, to reveal Himself to those who love Him and Judas interrupts to a question we all ask at some point in life. When forced with the difficulty, the near impossibility, of evangelism, or when someone we love doesn’t grasp the love of Christ and doesn’t place their faith in Him, we’ll join in asking “How are you going to show yourself to us but not to everyone? Why not just do a grand reveal or perform a miracle that none could deny? How,” and why, I would add, “just reveal yourself to those who love you?”
Christ is clear in answering the “How” question. “How I’ll reveal myself? To those who keep my word, who believe what I’ve said and cherish it, to them I’ll manifest myself by living in and with them, me and my Father.”
Now, this is one thing for the disciples who heard Christ’s words as He spoke them in their midst. But the disciples knew Christ was going away to the Father—whatever that meant to them at this early point—so how is anyone else going to know Christ? After He leaves, is that it? Are His promises and His person good only for those who had the chance to hear His blessed Words leave His pure and holy lips?
No, you know this isn’t the answer. Instead, Christ promises to send the Helper, the Comforter, the Paraclete, His Holy Spirit to continually bring the Word to their memory, to teach them all they need. And by the working of this Spirit that Word will not remain as letters on the page or syllables from lips, as if they were telling a story about their childhood friend. No, these words will perform the miraculous events they promise. They will create faith; they will cause the hearers to love and keep Christ’s Word, even after He is gone, so that He and the Father will come to dwell in the hearers. This is how Christ will manifest Himself. At this assuring Word, the Easter weekend happens. Christ loses His life. He’s buried in the tomb and all hope seems lost. And then He rises—His Words of promise and salvation are not in vain and fruitless but indeed they are very alive and well. This life altering word, risen from the dead, sustains the faith of all those who held their breath and wiped their tears during that dreadful Sabbath.
And in that time, in that place, for 40 whole days, Christ reveals Himself risen from the dead to many. People saw and heard Christ. There was no doubt that this man who was dead is now alive. Hundreds saw Him walking around and teaching, and then on the 40th day, those who were present saw Him rise into the heavens, raised on a cloud never to be seen again until the last day—He had gone to the Father just as He said.
His track record is pretty good. Things happen just as He said. He was handed into the hands of sinful men to be killed. He was raise from the dead. He even left for the Father. So when is this Spirit going to come to teach them everything, to bring to remembrance all that He said? Well, a mere 10 days later the Jews are all together in Jerusalem celebrating Pentecost, the Spring harvest festival 50 days after the Passover. They’re all together to celebrate God’s faithfulness in providing for them.
At the sound of rushing wind and the sight of tongues of fire sitting on heads, this was the beginning of Christ’s promise fulfilled. The Spirit was present that day, breaking down the language barrier so that all who were present could hear and know the works and words of Christ. It says that all present were speaking of the wonders of God—I’m sure of the Exodus and of God’s faithfulness during their exile, or water coming from the Rock and of water drowning the earth. They spoke of the works of God and then Peter arose and spoke of Christ, the most magnificent work of God, the Word made flesh, the Word of salvation to all peoples.
And at this preaching, many came to love and to keep this saving Word; over 3000 were baptized that day. Over 3000 were joined with Christ in His baptism and in His death. Over 3000 were made brothers of Christ and could say that the Father was well pleased with them as well for the sake of Christ. Over 3000 were loved by the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit on that day and had the triune God indwelling with them for the rest of eternity. Starting then.
Pentecost shows us the answer to Judas’ question. This is how Christ will reveal Himself. Not in crazy works of power that force us to open our eyes and nod our heads in agreement—although Pentecost was certainly spectacular. No one is forced to recognize Christ as the true Son of God and the manifestation of the Father’s love for His creation. None are forced. But the Holy Spirit, working in the very Word that is preached, opens their eyes to see Christ revealed as the mercy of God.
And on this Pentecost day we see the answer to our “Why not all” question. Why doesn’t Christ reveal Himself to everyone rather than just those who love Him? He doesn’t want to force anyone into knowing Him, but He certainly, without a single doubt, does want everyone to know His love. So rather than revealing it to the whole world in one great act, where someone could say “that was meant for Joey Tomatoe next door and not for me,” Jesus, through the working of the Spirit, reveals Himself to the Parthians, Medes, Elamites and Mesopotamians, the Judeans and Cappadocians and everyone else present.. If He had wanted to leave someone out, He could have kept their ears shut and refused to have that language spoken, but no. All heard Peter’s proclamation. That life and death was meant for them. For each of them. And this was just the beginning of this promise fulfilled.
Now, to the disciples who heard this promise first hand, they received a very unique fulfillment of this prophecy. We don’t hear about it, but we read it all the time. And they received this fulfillment not for their own sake but for your sake. It is this promise of Christ that gives voice to our hope and our trust in the Words that were passed down to us. If it weren’t for the Spirit and Christ’s assurance that such a Spirit who reveals Christ is trustworthy and dependable, we wouldn’t have these Gospels.
It is thanks to the work of the Spirit in the disciples who wrote what we can hold today that we don’t have a false picture of Christ. We don’t have a tale that resembles Christ. We have His Word as He spoke it in the Gospels. We have God’s Word as He brought it forth in the Old Testament through the Law and the prophets and the writings and in the New Testament as His Spirit continued to teach and guide and recall through the letters. Through the working of the Spirit, we have Words that foretell Christ and words that paint a picture of a life resulting from Christ, and we have Christ’s life itself. And all throughout the generations, because of the Spirit’s work then, we receive the Words of Christ that may work in us to believe in the Word of Christ crucified, to receive that Word, to keep that Word.
This has been the work of the Spirit throughout every era until it reached you, and then it just kept on working. Maybe it was your parents who had heard the Word of the Gospel and trusted it so that through them, their words and their actions, they communicated this same word to you. When you were baptized you joined the ranks of those first 3000, connected with Christ by His command and promise. When you were read the account of Noah and saw pictures of the Christ-child laying in the manger and as your parents brought you to church and heard of this child, now grown, dying with His arms stretched out. By the Spirit’s working 2000 years ago Christ’s Words and works were preserved that you would believe into Him and find Him and His Father dwelling in you and with you, all by the working of the Spirit. And maybe it wasn’t your parents but your friends offering you some words of comfort—the very words of Christ. Or maybe it was a book you read which communicated the message of the Gospel to you, or maybe it was a total stranger. No matter who was the mouthpiece, the Spirit brought the Word to your ears that you may be forgiven and God may dwell with you. Even today, the work of the Spirit which really took hold on Pentecost continues, as His Word reaches your ears and reveals Christ, His Word, work, and will to you. Today, as every time you hear His Word and receives His Word physicalized in water, bread and wine, the Spirit works and God dwells in you.
And you, as one to whom Christ has been revealed to, as one who has kept His Word, believing it, clinging to it, hoping in it, with God dwelling in you, you become a revelation of Him to the World around you. You are now one with Him, a part of His body. Christ certainly ascended to the Father, His physical body no longer present as He was in Palestine, yet you and I, we are His body. The Church is now Christ incarnate in a new way. He, through us, by the working of the Spirit to communicate His Word of love, shows that love to the world.
And Jesus, in our text, tells us why this Word working in us is so important, what the true gift of God dwelling with us is. Peace. Peace unlike anything the world can give. More comforting than a hug from mom. A greater sense of relief than a safe landing after a rocky plane ride. Deeper assurance than a successful harvest after a summer of drought and disease. This is the peace that was won on the cross, peace over the death that hands over us, peace over the sin that destroys and divides. Jesus gives peace different from the world. And we can take this to mean that He gives a different peace than the world, and He gives it in a different way.
His peace is eternal, no matter what is going on in our family, no matter what is happening to our bodies, no matter what curveballs life throws at us, no matter what temptations plague us and which terrors seem to be ever present in our lives. The Spirit works through the word to promise us that we are not alone. The Spirit works to assure you that your sins haven’t separated you from God and that you are still forgiven. The Spirit works to remind us that death and decay will not be the end of us, but because Christ arose, so will we. The Spirit works through the Word to apply Christ and His promises—His peace—to us in every moment, in every situation.
And this is what’s different than the world. Peace in the world only comes when things are clearly okay, when the storm has settled, the battle finished, the darkness removed by the light. Peace in the world only happens when we are certainly safe. But Christ’s peace is ours despite the chaos and the turmoil that we experience. As we live and as we die, Christ has promised that the Spirit will be with us and bring us His word, His Gospel that we would know that, even when it all looks like it’s falling apart, everything is going to be okay.
And so we carry on, living today and living tomorrow, with God dwelling in and with us, His peace the sturdy ground we stand on. His Word of peace will flow from our mouths to be the gift, the soothing salve, the calming balm for all who would listen. Let us go forth, not anxious but instead at peace, in order to share this peace, this Word. Let us pray that Christ would be revealed through us.
Amen.