What Does This Mean? – June 5, 2022, Pentecost!

Joel 2:21-29, Acts 2:1-21
June 5, 2022, Pentecost!

After my sermon title last week, “What’s Next?” I thought this question of the people in the Pentecost story was a fitting follow-up.  They saw all that was happening, they heard the Apostles speaking in their many languages, they saw their boldness, and they asked, “What does this mean?”

I think the disciples knew what it meant – finally!  Although it took a supernatural act of God to get through to them!  Sometimes I think this was like the proverbial rubber mallet, bopping them on the head, and the sudden, “Aha!”  “Now I get it!”

As I said, even as Jesus was about to leave this earth, they still didn’t get it.  They were still asking when he was going to restore the kingdom of Israel.  At the same time Jesus was trying to get them to understand then that they would receive power, that they would be his witnesses.  Now, with the power of the Holy Spirit upon them, they got it… finally!

That’s what this meant!  And Peter was quick to tell the people what it meant.  Here, in what has come to be known as the first Christian sermon, he quoted from the prophet Joel.  This comes from Joel’s wonderful words about God’s restoration of his people.  Earlier in this chapter, we read these words.  “Fear not, O land!  Rejoice and be glad!  For the Lord has done great things!”  There’s a wonderful choir anthem based on that passage.

And at the end, there are these words that Peter quotes.

“And in the last days it shall be,” saith the Lord,
“That I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh.
And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy
And your young men shall see visions,
And your old men shall dream dreams.
Even upon my menservants and my maidservants in those days,
I will pour out my spirit.”

The power of God would now be with his people!  I’ve always liked the fact that Pentecost was at first a Jewish festival.  It commemorated the giving of the 10 Commandments, the Law, the Covenant.  It was God saying, “I will be your God and you will be my people.”  Now it would be more than just that.  Now the people would have his power!  That’s what this meant!

Before, it was as Nicodemus said, when he came to visit Jesus.  Do you remember?  He came to him at night in John chapter 3.  And he said, “We know that you come from God, because no one can do the things you do unless God is with him.” (John 3)

And “old Nick” was right.  Jesus could do the things he did because he had the power of God.  He could because he was God!  (That part Nicodemus didn’t know!)  But now, on Pentecost, God was giving that power to his people.  They would receive power!  They would be his witnesses!  And that was only the beginning.  That’s what this meant!

And Jesus told them that all this would happen.  In our sacrament today, we think about him being with his disciples in the upper Room.  And, besides that being the time he gave them this communion, it was also the time when he was preparing them for what was ahead.  Because he was about to leave them.

In John’s Gospel we have this long talk about that.  It was Jesus’ “farewell discourse,” as it’s been called.  And in it, Jesus told them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do!”  “And not only that, but greater works than these will he do because I go to the Father.” (John 14:12.)  That’s what was happening at Pentecost.  That’s what this meant!

Earlier in John, Jesus said, “I am the light of the world.  Whoever walks with me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12.)  But in Matthew’s Gospel, he also said, “You are the light of the world.  A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.”  “Nobody lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket!”  That’s what this meant!

If you don’t know it already, I usually try to focus on one passage on a Sunday morning.  I try not to do what we used to call “machine gunning” too many scriptures at you.  But I’m giving you a bunch this morning because Jesus said so much about this!

So, on Pentecost, the people were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?”  And this is what it meant.  All that Jesus said about his ministry continuing, all that he said about his power being in them, was happening!  That’s what this meant!

In the next couple of weeks, we’re going to look at a story or two about the power that the Apostles were given.  But for now, think about God’s power on that day of Pentecost.  As I said, Pentecost was a celebration of God’s covenant with his people.  Now it would be a celebration of God pouring out his Spirit on his people.

That’s what this meant!  And it means that we have that same spirit.  As we move to a time of communion, may we know the presence of that spirit, and may we know his power within us.  And through that power, may we be his light.  May we be that city set on a hill that cannot be hidden!

Prayer

Eternal God, make us aware of your spirit in our midst.  Help us to have the power we need to be your witnesses in all that we do, and wherever we go.  For we pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.