From: "Todd A. Peperkorn (by way of Rev. Eric J. Stefanski, )" To: Subject: HP: Pentecost Notes Date: Thursday, November 01, 2001 12:55 PM Pentecost Sermon notes + Burnell Eckardt The tradition of the Church permits abundant reference to the reading from Acts 2 for Pentecost, although the appointed Gospel is St. John 14.23-31. Both readings will be considered here. The Acts reading opens telling us that the day of Pentecost was fully come, which is a reference to fulfillment. For Pentecost came every year, but only now had it fully come; that is, on this occasion its original spiritual meaning comes to pass. Pentecost was the fiftieth day after passover, that is, the day following the seven weeks beginning with the "morrow after the sabbath" of the passover, cf. Leviticus 23. On this day an offering of new grain was to be presented to the Lord: two loaves of bread to be waved, baked with leaven. The passover bread was baked without leaven, but this is baked with leaven. The former without leaven, because it was to be baked "in haste," remembering the flight from Egypt; the latter with leaven, because it was baked at peace, after the Exodus was accomplished. This was a day of "solemn rest, a memorial proclaimed with the sound of trumpets, a holy convocation" (Leviticus 23.23). These things are an allegory: for as the haste and flight of the Passover was followed by the peace of the Pentecost offering, so now, the passion of our Lord is followed not only by His resurrection, but by the peace of His establishment of the Holy Christian Church. For Christ said in today's Gospel, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives," etc. The fulfillment of the solemn rest of Pentecost is now come to pass, for in the proclamation of the Holy Gospel of Christ's passion and resurrection, there is given and offered to the people of God rest from all their labors, even eternal rest in His atoning work of salvation, as He says elsewhere, "Come to me, and I will give you rest." Thus it was that the sound from heaven came and filled the house where they were sitting, but now, unlike even the sounds of the words given by Moses and the Prophets, this sound is translated into words which the people can understand. For in times of old, the truth of Christ was hidden in figures and types, from age to age, and His revelation was not yet fully come. But no longer! Now that He is come, and in His passion and resurrection the fulfillment of all things is come, so too, now His revelation is complete, and it is fitting that sounds, or even words, which were not accompanied by their true and spiritual meaning, might be translated into the language of the people. So it was right that the sound soon give way to speaking tongues, tongues of the consuming fire of God's verdict upon all mankind: through Christ there is forgiveness of sins, full reconciliation with the Father, and life everlasting. So it was fitting that the indiscriminate sound of a rushing mighty wind was translated; translated into the very languages of the people assembled for the feast. And "the multitude came together," for suddenly the confusion which descended upon the tower of Babel was reversed. At Babel, the pride of man brought him humiliation; at Pentecost the humble gathering of Apostles received grace and exaltation. At Babel one language became many; at Pentecost, many languages became one. At Babel men purposed to build a city extending to the heavens; at Pentecost, God's city descended from the heavens. At Babel they sought to make a name for themselves; at Pentecost, God's name was made ours. At Babel God began to scatter them, at Pentecost, He began to gather them. This gathering was the creation of the mighty rushing Wind, the Holy Spirit of God, the same creating Wind which first hovered over the waters at creation. Now it hovered over the waters of the new Sacrament of Holy Baptism, through which the Church was brought forth. At Babel thousands were scattered abroad over the face of all the earth; at Pentecost thousands were brought in from all the earth. For here was God's wonderful grace in action, restoring what was lost, replacing what was ruined, and building for man what man could never have built for himself. This building took place through the Wind, whose rushing indiscriminate sound and whose unintelligible tongues soon settled in for the benefit of all those present as sound each understood well, as soon as it came time for his own language to be the one uttered in its turn. But woe to those who scoff at such a mighty work as this, saying "They are filled with new wine," and not considering the truth latent even in their own scoffing words. Such scoffers reject the beauties of holiness now springing forth from the womb of the morning. This is the dawn of Christendom, when the word of Christ and His long-last completed revelation sounds forth. Indeed these men are quite filled with new wine, as it is written, They shall be inebriated with the fatness of Thy house, Ps. 36.8. Their minds are altered, their earthly judgment and reason is impaired: they are filled with the Spirit. That is, the Word of God is on their lips and in their heart, they speak in the tongues of angels, I Co. 13.1, and they even drink the wine which is Christ in the Sacrament. Here, then, is sending of the Holy Spirit of which Jesus speaks in today's Gospel. For the sending of the Apostles (the sent-ones) and the sending of the Spirit are not two sendings, but one. Pentecost demonstrates this truth in an unmistakeable way. The speaking of the apostles in tongues of fire, what was it? Behold, it was the preaching of the Gospel, by Christ's first called and ordained servants. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid, says Christ. Why not? Because Christ has not left His Church. Although at His ascension He went away, as He said He would here ("I go away"), yet now at Pentecost He returns, as He also promised here ("I, I will come to you."). Now He comes through His preachers. For He did not merely promise that the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, would come; but He promised that the Spirit would come "in My name." What can this mean but that the Spirit whom He sends is His own other Self, even as He is Himself the Father's other Self? And the Spirit is active in the ministry-only in the ministry-of His preachers. For where they preach, He preaches; whom they wash, He washes; whom they feed, He feeds, and what they are, He is: Christ in the counsel of the Holy Spirit who proceeds from the bosom of the Father. Herein is a mystery: we preach not ourselves, but Christ crucified. We not only tell about Him; we are, by His call and command, His mouth to His people, the ones reconciled by His blood. "We beseech you, therefore, be reconciled to God." This is the fire and the meaning of Pentecost. + Historic Preaching + The Historic Preaching list is devoted to preaching on the Propers of the Historic Lectionary as found in The Lutheran Hymnal (TLH) and Service Book and Hymnal (SBH). Subscribe? Send ANY message to: Unsubscribe? Send ANY message to: Respond? Click 'Reply' or write to For further information about this list, contact the list administrator at: Rev. Fr. Eric J. Stefanski or visit our website: + + + + + +