Grace Evangelical-Lutheran: Acts 2,1-18. Pentecost

✠ One Message: Christ crucified and risen for you ✠

The Word of the Lord Endures Forever

se cwide þæs béaggiefan ábireþ ferhþ

Acts 2,1-18 3016

Pfingstsonntag 043

Rupert, Confessor in Mainz, 9. c.

Dympna, Virgin, Martyr in Gheel, Brabant, Netherlands 7. c.

15. Mai 2016

1. О Lord Jesus Christ, Almighty Son of God: We beseech You, send Your Holy Spirit into our hearts, through Your Word, so that He may rule and govern us according to Your will, comfort us in every temptation and misfortune and defend us by Your truth against every error, so that we may continue steadfast in the faith, increase in love and all good works, and firmly trusting in Your grace, which through death You have purchased for us, obtain eternal salvation, You who reigns, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, world without end. Amen. (Veit Dietrich for the Pentecost)

2. When the day of Pentecost arrived, the disciples were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and restedon each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit gave them utterance. Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. And they were amazed and astonished, saying: „Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians – we hear them telling in our own languages the mighty works of God.“ And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another: „What does this mean?“ But others mocking said: „They are filled with new wine.“ But Peter, standing with the Eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: „Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day.But this is what was uttered through the Prophet Joel: »And in the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters will prophesy, and your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams; even on My male servantsand female servants in those days I will pour out My Spirit, and they will prophesy.«“

3. In Genesis 11 we read: »Now after the Flood the whole earth had one language. And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. Then they said: „Let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.“ And the Lord went down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. And the Lord said: „Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Let us go down and confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.“ So the Lord dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city and the tower.« (Genesis 11,1-2.4-8).

4. When we examine the diverse cultures and languages of mankind, we find some similarities. Most cultures have myths and stories explaining man’s fall from God’s presence. Most have a Flood story and tell how God preserved a few human survivors. Mankind has been trying to get reconciled with God since eating the forbidden fruit. Unfortunately, man’s attempt at religion is twisted and perverted into works we must accomplish in order to reconcile ourselves with God. Our religiosity has not advanced much farther than Adam and Eve’s attempt to cover themselves with fig leaves. Our sin is too great and numerous to be paid off by paltry attempts at works righteousness. Nor do we seriously consider what God demands for our sin and reconciliation.

5. The Prophets proclaim:

»He has told you, O man, what is good, and what the Lord requires of you: to do justice, to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God« (Micah 6,8).

»The person who sins shall die« (Ezekiel 18,20).

»For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your lives, for it is the blood lambs, goats and bulls that make atonement by the life.« (Leviticus 17,11).

6. We cannot secure our own justification, but Jesus has done what His Father requires for reconciliation. The Gospels and Epistles proclaim:

»Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves know« (Acts 2,22).

»Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree [Deuteronomy 21,23], so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith« (Galatians 3,13-14).

»The next day John the Baptizer saw Jesus walking toward him, and said: „Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!“« (John 1,29).

7. In Genesis 11 man desired to build a tower, make their name legendary and ascend into heaven to draw near to God. In Acts 2 God descended from heaven to draw near to man, save them and build His Church on earth. Today we heard from Acts 2: »And the disciples were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit gave them utterance. Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven.«

8. Jesus has fulfilled the Law and the Prophets, and this was the proclamation Peter and the disciples preached on Pentecost 50 days after Jesus’ resurrection. They preached this gospel Jews from across the Roman Empire, Jews whose native language was not Aramaic, but Greek, Latin, Arabic and other languages. The gospel was first preached to the Jews, but Jews from many different nations, and then the Holy Spirit sent disciples and apostles to the nations to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. The first post-ressurection Feast of Pentecost began the undoing of God’s curse at Babel. Now languages were not a means to keep mankind from working together in order to barge into God’s presence; at Pentecost God used mankind’s languages to preach Christ and Him crucified.

9. St. Luke the Evangelist records for us one of the sermons the apostles preached on the first new testament Day of Pentecost: »Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves know— this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised Him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for Him to be held by it. Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the Patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that He would set one of his descendants on his throne, he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that He was not abandoned to hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified. Repent and be baptized every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to Himself« (Acts 2,22-24.29-33.36.38-39).

10. May we, like those first Pentecost believers, devote ourselves to the apostles’ teaching through the preached Word, gathering each Sunday for fellowship, partaking of the breaking of the bread in Holy Communion and the public prayers (Acts 2,42). May the Holy Spirit pour out upon us His blessing: adding to our number those who are being saved (Acts 2,47). Amen.

11. Let us pray. O Lord Jesus Christ, You send forth Your Spiritso that faith is created and renewed. Draw near, Holy Spirit, to fill the hearts of Your faithful and ignite in us the fire of Your Divine love. Amen.

To God alone be the Glory

Gode ealdore sy se cyneþrymm

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All Scriptural quotations are translations done by The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind using the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, 4. Edition © 1990 by the Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, and the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 27. Edition © 1993 by Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart.

Grace Evangelical-Lutheran

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church

Monday, May 16, 2016

Acts 2,1-18. Pentecost

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