Pentecost Sunday,
John 14:8-17, 25-27
Grace, peace and mercy to you from God our Father, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The sermon for this Pentecost Sunday is based on John’s gospel reading.
25 “All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
It was exciting for me to find out I was preparing a sermon for this Pentecost Sunday. Where we focus on the Holy Spirit. A topic I covered in the Foundation of Christian Beliefs course I did with Pastor Mark. At the same time, when I looked at today’s gospel reading, I thought to myself, this is going to be a challenge. Pastor Mark has just walked us through John’s gospel last year. How could I follow that? How could I find something new and fresh to talk about?
Then I stopped for a moment and prayed. ‘Lord, may my words be pleasing to you, and a message to those who hear.’ This brought me relative calmness and peace. Just like Jesus’ closing words in today’s gospel reading, ‘Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid’ (Jn14:27).
The Church calendar covers similar themes year in and year out. Some may see this as boring repetition, others a harmonic rhythm. A sense of familiarity and, dare I say, ‘comfort.’ Pentecost is one such event in the Church year. It is a reminder of the coming of the Holy Spirit, and an opportunity to reflect on its purpose and importance in our lives.
Looking back, we are reminded of the things Jesus did for the believers of Christ and all creation. We are reminded that despite the worry in the world, loneliness, rejection and fear, Jesus will always be with us. Jesus says ‘I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever’ (Jn14:16).
At the same time, we also look forward. We look forward to the hope. A hope that we will rejoin our Heavenly Father. Hope that comes in the form of the Holy Spirit, who comforts in times of need, and guides us in Jesus’ teachings. The Spirit encourages us to lovingly share the good news that “when we call on the name of the Lord, we will be saved” (Acts 2:21).
In the reading for today, John shares Jesus’ final words with his disciples. That he will soon leave them to fulfil his father’s will. With Jesus returning to the Father, he will go ahead and prepare a place for them. But Jesus assures them that they will not be alone. That, despite physical separation, they will not be orphaned. Jesus’ parting gift is one of ‘comfort.’ He will send a comforter, the Holy Spirit, to guide them in truth. To remind them of all that he has said. He said they didn’t need to be afraid or troubled of heart, for he was with them. Jesus’ parting gift is one of ‘comfort.’
I recently visited my parents in Ipswich and was gifted my ‘lambie.’ This used to be my comforter when I was very young (VERY YOUNG). I used to carry it around with me, sleep on it, and sleep next to it. Lambie and I were never far apart. Just ask Mum when she tried to wash it. Now, despite the comfort that Lambie provides, there are a few issues:
- Some people are allergic to Lambie. If I gave it to our daughters, they will break out in hives.
- I can’t really take Lambie with me wherever I go. Could you imagine a 46-year-old me walking around with Lambie today? No doubt, I would get some looks.
- And Lambie is a little small for me to sleep on now. Not very comforting at all.
I suppose you could say Lambie’s ‘comfort’ comes with limitations. There are restrictions. But where Lambie fails, Jesus never does. Jesus gives us himself. That he and the Father are one, inseparable beings. And the same goes for the Spirit and the Son. That despite his departure, he remains with us in Spirit and will return. He offers togetherness. The Spirit is a personal guarantee of Christ’s presence among believers. Unlike Lambie, the Spirit is with us always, always comforting, always teaching and always guiding.
Now, this promise is hard to believe. Hard to believe when we live in a world where seeing is believing. How do we believe in something we cannot see? Something we cannot touch. This is the same thing the disciples struggled with. And they had Jesus under their nose. He was there doing the Father’s work and performing signs. There in the flesh and blood. And yet Phillip asked Jesus to show him the Father. Show me the Father and then I will believe. They were calling for comfort and assurance from Jesus that everything will be ok.
And Jesus gently rebuked them. He said, ‘you already have!’ If you see me, you see the Father (v9). Believe in my word, for my word is truth (v11). And if you don’t believe my word, well, believe my works (v11). That’s pretty clear, isn’t it? That Jesus and the Father are one. That, despite the separation anxiety the disciples faced, their Lord would not orphan them (v18). That the Spirit was to remain with them, to be with them no matter what they faced. Just as the Father and Son are inseparable, so too are the Son and the Spirit.
Jesus promised that He and His Father would come in the Spirit. He would make a home with those who love and keep His Word (v23). This is a profound and incredible promise! A promise of God taking up residence in His faithful people. The Spirit is moving house, and it happens in this Pentecost period. He has his bags packed full of comfort and assurance. No Lambie required. He comes through fire and wind. He comes in his word. The Word made flesh and sent to earth to dwell among us. Who cleared the pathway to the Father through his death and resurrection. The Word, present in the waters of baptism and with us today in the bread and wine. And when we meditate on the scripture, when we pray, we share in the Spirit. He is there interceding for us, translating and guiding us through his teachings.
Yes, there will be tough seasons in our lives. Jesus never promised that life would be easy and free from pain. We will go through seasons of suffering, despair and loneliness. We will feel abandoned. We shout, WHY ME? And it is there that he meets us. Where we least expect him. Where there is no hope, he is the hope. The Spirit nudges our eyes upward to the cross. Where we see death, there is life. Life through the death of the Son who reconciles us to the Father. He paid the price for our salvation, rescuing and reclaiming us from powers we cannot overcome.
And when the darkness lifts and the light shines through, we look back on the scars of life. They serve as a wonderful reminder to us. That despite what happens in our lives, or around us, we are not alone. That there is comfort, mercy and love. Or as John reminds us in the words of Jesus, Peace, not as the world gives (v27). A peace that brings ultimate comfort.
Dear friends, Pentecost serves as a wonderful reminder that we live forever with God. It reminds us of the abiding presence of Christ in those who love and keep His Word. We will never be alone again for we live with the Holy Spirit. So, seek the word and meditate on it. Prey boldly and proclaim the good news. For we draw comfort from an ever-present, indwelling Holy Spirit. A promise that as co-heirs and children of God we will share in His glory (Rom8:17).
“Behold, I am making all things new.…write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”(Rv21:5). These words are true. So “do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (v17), for “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved (Acts2:21).
Amen.
Garth Schultz
Lord Jesus, as you sent your Holy Spirit to the disciples on the day of Pentecost, filling them with boldness to proclaims the good news of your death and resurrection, so send us out in the power of the same Spirit to witness to your truth, so that people everywhere may be drawn to the fire of your love and comfort. Amen.
Prayer from Pastor Mark Worthing.