Pentecost

Pentecost
Based on Psalm 104:24-34 & Acts 2:1-21
By Chris Hensley
Sardis Baptist Church
June 8, 2025

            Pentecost is considered the birthday of the Church within Christianity. It coincides with the Jewish festival of Shavout or the Feast of Weeks throughout the Hebrew Bible, which commemorates Moses reception of the Torah from God at Mount Sinai which occurred five weeks after Passover – hence the “penta” prefix in Greek meaning five.  Our Psalm for this morning is a hymn of renewal, a declaration of the good works of God which serves as encouragement for the people of God to offer their praises and adorations. This idea here is that God renews things, bringing about a freshness which enriches the experiences of the people and solidifies God’s standing among the people as provider. A fitting hymn for the celebration of Pentecost among Christians when we celebrate the birth of the Church who is called to continue the ministry and work of Jesus the Nazarene.

Our Christian Testament reading is the scriptural recording of the birthing event of the Church. This is following the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus the Christ and is in a period of uncertainty for the disciples as they wrestle with whether how they might continue the ministry of Jesus and awaiting the arrival of the promised Spirit. Acts may be considered to be the Gospel of Luke part two as tradition tells us, and the texts themselves tell us, that they are parts one and two of the author’s recordings of the ministry of Jesus and the birth of the Jesus movement for their patron, Theopholis. Now, it is important that recognize that this book within scripture – while appearing as a historical retelling – is not that but is a theological document wherein the author is putting speeches onto the lips of the figures within. That said, it is easy to read intentional and overt connections which the author is making to events outside of the recorded events.

For example, in our reading for this morning, Luke – the traditionally understood author – appears to be making connections to Mount Sinai and Israel being given the Law through Moses. It is Luke’s way of saying that the people of God in Judaism began with the reception of that which was central to their theological and spiritual identity in the Law and the people of God in the Christian Church begin with the reception of that which is central to their theological and spiritual identity in God the Holy Spirit. Both occur at roughly the same time on the calendar and Luke appears to be influenced by the first century Jewish philosopher, Philo who made combined the image fire and the phenomenon of language in his discussion of Mount Sinai. The point is to say that there s continuation in the working and moving of God – or how God interacts with God’s people.

Getting to the text proper in Acts, we may divide the reading into two parts, the second of which continues beyond our reading for this morning and serves as the initial sermon which Peter gives in Jerusalem. Verses one through thirteen give to us a miracle of language and continue a theme for Luke which was seen in the Gospel account which bears his name, the theme of God working when God’s people pray. The gathered followers are praying and then are filled with the Holy Spirit – a theophany of wind and fire fill the space whilst the Spirit fills the hearts and minds. This leads to a miraculous ability to speak and understand languages which the disciples had not previously shown any aptitude for prior to this event. That is the physical manifestation of this theophany and miracle, that other persons outside of Judeans and Galileans are able to understand these disciples and their message. It is interesting to note that the last time one of Jesus’ followers was identified as a Galilean, he was denying Jesus. Now, these Galileans are announcing the Good News of Jesus Christ as they are empowered through the Holy Spirit.

What follows is a mixed bag of responses from the gathered crowd and then Peter offers his first sermon, beginning with an interpretation of this miraculous event which concludes our portion of the reading for today. Peter points out that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is an eschatological event, hence his tying in to a passage in Joel which he partially quotes for us in v.17. The purpose appears to be signaling persons of faith in the Jewish God to come to a place of repentance akin to the people of Joel’s time, and recognize the workings of God in and through the Holy Spirit which is now among the Church in the here and now.

This same Spirit journeys with us today, empowers us today, groans with us today. It is this Spirit which grants the Church the power and authority to speak truth to power, to challenge those who might use the Church as a cudgel against the marginalized or as a tool to justify harm, violence, or cruelty against others who might be different in some fashion. This is the Spirit which continues to work today and to which we must sensitize ourselves and activate within our journey in life to serve as agents of the Kin-dom of God in the here and now. It is this Spirit which does these things through us, if we would only allow it to work. May we find encouragement on this birthday of the Church to be renewed as God renews us through the Spirit to continue the good work to which we have been called.

References

Burridge, Richard A. Four Gospels, One Jesus? A Symbolic Reading 3^rd Ed, William B.  Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, MI, 2014

Chance, J. Bradley, Smyth & Helwys Bible Commentary: Acts, Smyth & Helwys Publishing,      Inc., Macon, GA, 2007

McConnell Jr., James R. Lecture on the Acts of the Apostles, Gardner-Webb University    School of Divinity, Boiling Springs, NC, January 2016

Pentecost