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PENTECOST
YEAR A ACTS
2:1-21 1 CORINTHIANS
12:3-13 JOHN
20:19-23 MAY 10, 11,
2008 Acts 2:1-4 When the day of Pentecost had come,
they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a
sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house
where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them,
and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy
Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them
ability. Most of us live
our lives from milestone to milestone. Our milestones may not be
significant to someone else but they make all of the difference to us as
we live our own lives. We are born and our parents record every milestone
in the first year of our lives. Some parents have a baby book that records
the first diaper change, the first hair cut and the first tooth. Some
grandmothers have page after page in scrap book after scrap book dedicated
to the first year of the child’s life. We want to remember the new things
our children do, especially in the first years of their lives.
There are other
milestones in our lives. There is the first day of preschool and then
kindergarten. Our kids graduate from kindergarten and move on to other
years of their education. They look forward to middle school graduation
and then to graduation from high school. After high school some move into
the world of those that are working for a living while others go on to
college. These are all milestones in each of our lives. They are important
parts of who we are and they define what our lives will be. An important
milestone this weekend is the confirmation of five students. These five
students have been learning the meaning of things in the church. They
learned from the Bible what the Lord says about life and about living life
in God’s kingdom being in God’s grace. They also studied the catechism to
learn the church’s interpretation of what our Lord taught in the Bible. If
we taught them in the right way they will know that the church’s
interpretation of God’s word is correct and that our catechism affirms our
insistence on proclaiming the word of truth. There was a
milestone in the early church. We read about it in Acts 2. The milestone
of the day of Pentecost came for those gathered in that upper room. It
also came for those that were in You and I
celebrate Pentecost as being fifty days since the resurrection of our
Lord. Luke tells us about Pentecost as a milestone in the story of
salvation. You might remember the story of the birth of our Lord. Luke 2:6
says, “The time came for her to deliver her child...” Luke 9:51 says, “When the days
drew near for him to be taken up ...” These are milestones on the way to
our salvation. Many things had to be fulfilled along the way. The milestones
in our lives shape how our lives will be. This is Mother’s Day weekend.
Mothers are important parts of God’s kingdom. God gave the gift of mothers
so that we are cared for. Our mothers were the first to feed us and to
keep us warm. They protect their children for nearly a year before the
rest of the world lays eyes on that child. A mother’s love never ends.
There are several mothers lifted up in the Bible. In the beginning was
Eve. She is the mother of all people. From our first mother comes all
life. Sarah and the other matriarchs in the Bible helped direct the ways
of their children so that they became the people God needed to achieve
God’s purposes. There are mothers like Naomi and Ruth that were along the
lineage of our Lord Jesus. Maybe the most famous mother is Mary the mother
of Jesus. She is set apart as being faithful to God as she gave birth to
the Savior of the world. Each mother in the Bible had some milestone in
her life. Each had events that made a difference for the history of God’s
people. All mothers have the God given responsibility of nurturing their
children. My own mother
taught me at home and then was my Sunday School teacher for many years. I
did not always appreciate her contribution to the direction of my life. I
did not always appreciate it when my mother disciplined me for teasing my
brothers and sisters. I did not always tell her “thank you” when she
placed food on the table or drove me to ball practice or to Saturday
morning bowling. I was sometimes embarrassed when my mother came to school
for one activity or another. An important milestone in my life and in the
life of my mother was when she was in intensive care in the hospital. She
was on a respirator because she was having trouble getting enough oxygen
on her own. We had been in When I arrived
at the hospital it was late in the evening. I saw the expression on my
mother’s face. She wanted the machine turned off. She did not want to live
on a machine. I explained that I thought it would only be for a short
time. The doctor wanted to get her through a tough spot. I told my mother
that I had some important things to say. “I have never really told you
thank you. I want you to know that I love you and that I am pleased you
are my mom.” She looked at me with the greatest of appreciation. She knew
it but she also needed to hear it. My mother did not die until the
following December and we have many other conversations but this was an
important milestone in my life. The important
milestone in our lesson today is the coming of the Holy Spirit. The time
Jesus spoke of was being fulfilled. Jesus told the disciples that the Holy
Spirit would be coming. He told them about the advocate, helper or
counselor who was coming. Jesus talked about the coming of the Holy
Spirit. This is the fulfillment
of what Jesus was teaching them. Luke explains the coming of the Holy
Spirit. We read about the way in which the Holy Spirit comes:
the sound is “like the rush of a violent wind” and then, “divided
tongues, as of fire”. Luke tries to describe the event in human
terms, but it is never easy to explain a divine mystery. Most often all we
can do is say what it is like. The coming of the Holy Spirit is the gift
initiating the final stage of the salvation story. The arrival of the Holy
Spirit is the fulfillment of our Lord’s promise. We read about it last
week in Acts 1:8. Acts 2:14-17 But
Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, “Men
of Judea and all who live in Acts is about
mission. It is about speaking and proclaiming the good news to people
everywhere. We proclaim it in languages others can understand. Luke tells
us that the Holy Spirit is the driving force behind this work. They spoke
in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. The Holy Spirit is
the launching pad for this mission. The Holy Spirit is active in the
church today. The Holy Spirit is active in the five students being
confirmed. The Spirit is active in church members gathered to hear. You
are hearing the word of God in ways that you can understand. Maybe you
understand God’s message for the first time. You hear what our Lord is
saying when the preacher preaches. When you hear the word of God
proclaimed you hear what the Lord is teaching you. Those gathered in
Accept the
revelation that comes through the Holy Sprit. Accept the teaching of our
Lord. Proclaim the word of God as you are given ability. Bless our
students with your wisdom and your God given knowledge. They have not come
to the end of their education. They need your guidance and your example.
Give it freely. Let our children know God through you.
Peter told about
the Holy Spirit and about its power. Let that spirit work through you. Let
the Holy Spirit provide the milestone that shapes everything you do.
AMEN |