Acts 2:1-21 Pastor Nathan P. Kassulke
“What Does Pentecost Mean?”
Pentecost June 9, 2019
“What does this mean?” Some people have referred to this somewhat ordinary question as the Lutheran question. The reason that they do that, which some of you may know very well, is that in his Small Catechism, Martin Luther made frequent use of that question. The Catechism explains various fundamental truths of the Christian faith, and it does so by means of asking and answering this question. So, for example, it invites people to consider the First Commandment, which is, “You shall have no other Gods.” Then it asks, “What does this mean?” And it gives this answer: “We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.” And the Catechism is structured that it asks the same question about each of the other commandments and about Holy Baptism and Holy Communion and the articles of the Apostles’ Creed and more. So as you study the Catechism, you get used to the question, “What does this mean?” Of course, that question is not unique to the Catechism or to Lutherans. It is a natural question for trying to reach a better and deeper understanding of something, especially something unfamiliar. We have probably all asked it or something like it. We also find that question being asked in our sermon text today, the account from the book of Acts about what happened on Pentecost. It’s a great question to ask today as we celebrate Pentecost, “What does Pentecost mean?” Now, I won’t promise to explain or describe it with the same eloquence and beauty as Luther explained the parts of his Catechism, but I will take a similar approach to answering the question. I will do that because when the Catechism asks, “What does this mean?” it isn’t interested in gathering opinions and making guesses. “What does this mean?” really equals, “What does God’s Word say about this?” So we will spend time today thinking about Pentecost and what it means for us by looking closely at these verses and others we have read today. So, first off, why did they ask the question? Clearly, it was because something unusual was happening. This was a unique event. There is a sound like a mighty wind, and there are flames of fire that rest over the heads of the disciples. Amazingly, these same disciples started speaking in languages that they had never learned. And all of this commotion was enough to attract a crowd. See, there was unique timing for this event, too. Pentecost was a festival celebrated by the Jewish people. God fearing Jews and converts to Judaism from all over the world had gathered in and around Jerusalem. These were many of the people who gathered around to see the unusual activity, and they are the ones who asked, “What does this mean?” Unusual sounds, unusual sights, and people from all over the world heard the disciples speaking about the wonders of God in their own native languages. No wonder they asked the question. And their question was answered. Peter got up and spoke for all of the disciples. He immediately put to rest the ludicrous suggestion that these men were drunk, as if that would somehow explain what was going on. And then he began to share the truth about what was happening. So what does Pentecost mean? It means first of all that Jesus had kept his promise. Today’s Gospel was just a couple verses long, but set the stage for these Pentecost events. There Jesus said, “When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father—he will testify about me. And you also are going to testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.” A week ago we celebrated Jesus’ Ascension. With these words, Jesus was preparing his disciples for that time when they would not see him. He promised them the Counselor, the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit would remind them of what Jesus had taught them. He would testify about Jesus. He would allow them to testify about Jesus. But Jesus’ words in the Gospel were not the first time God had promised to send his Holy Spirit. Peter in his Pentecost sermon referred to a prophecy from the book of Joel. There God promised that he would pour out his Holy Spirit. And that was precisely what he was doing at this particular Pentecost.
Jesus was keeping his promise, a promise made also at other times, to equip his disciples with a special blessing. He would give them his Holy Spirit. They would know and understand what Jesus had done for them in a deeper and fuller way, and they would be equipped to proclaim that good news. And that’s exactly what happened. A demonstration of power—sounds and sights. A demonstration of the miraculous ability to speak in other languages and to be clearly understood. A demonstration of grace, that God would preach his word to so many who were gathered for the festival that day. Jesus, just as he had previously promised, made his disciples his bold witnesses. Starting right there in Jerusalem and then moving out from there, these men shared the good news of salvation through Jesus with so many. They taught repeatedly about Jesus’ life and death and his resurrection and ascension. Pentecost means that God kept his promises. And it means that the Holy Spirit is powerfully active. We should always realize and should always recognize that the Holy Spirit is powerfully active in our lives, but we don’t always do so. What I mean is that the Holy Spirit doesn’t always work in the obvious and visible and instantly apparent ways like he did on Pentecost. His work doesn’t always involve speaking in foreign languages, flames of fire, and sounds of rushing wind. It often happens in quiet ways and in unassuming situations. But that work is always necessary. It is absolutely essential. We already confessed, rightly, correctly, that without the Holy Spirit, we cannot believe in Jesus as our Savior. By nature we are dead in sin. Dead means dead. We cannot save ourselves or choose to believe or even respond to God’s gracious invitation. That’s the Holy Spirit’s work. He changes hearts. He makes us alive. He connects us to Jesus. That’s one of the reasons the work of the Holy Spirit often seems so unassuming. He doesn’t point to himself. He points to Christ. He testifies about Jesus. He points to Jesus’ life and death and resurrection. He teaches us and reminds us that through Jesus we have the forgiveness of sins and we have eternal life. But we don’t overlook the Holy Spirit only because he often works in such unassuming ways. We do that also because of our sinful selfishness that never wants to admit that we don’t get any credit for our faith or for our salvation. The absolute necessity of the Holy Spirit’s work is a painful reminder of our own shortcomings. But that same Holy Spirit who worked so powerfully and so visibly at Pentecost works just as powerfully in your life and in mine. He makes Holy Baptism out of plain water by connecting it with God’s Word and quietly working through it to wash away sin and to create faith. He comes to us, often imperceptibly, in the Holy Scriptures. He uses the Gospel message to change hearts, to point to Jesus, to draw us closer and closer to him and to lead us to works of service to him. The Holy Spirit works through simple bread and a sip of wine that are used by God’s command and connected to his Word. He brings to those elements the true body and blood of our Lord for the forgiveness of sins. He uses them to feed our souls, to strengthen our faith, and to continue to build us up. These things don’t look like the incredible events of Pentecost. There are no flames of fire when a baby is baptized. There is no speaking in tongues as we read and learn God’s Word. Holy Communion doesn’t appear to be anything more than bread and wine. But the work of the Holy Spirit in these simple and humble ways is exactly what we need. It is the difference between the death we deserve and the eternal life that Jesus won for us on the cross. It is the difference between hell and heaven. What does Pentecost mean? It means that Jesus kept his promise to send the Holy Spirit and that the Holy Spirit remains powerfully active for us. It means that he leads us to call on the name of the Lord and be saved. Our Pentecost account from Acts stops before the end of Peter’s sermon. If you read on, you hear that three thousand people heard and believed and were baptized that day. What power and what grace! And just as surely as that incredible number of conversions was miraculous, each and every person who comes to faith is a miracle of the Holy Spirit’s working. Let us rejoice today in his work and let us pray that he would keep us strong through the gospel until we reach the incredible glory of heaven.
The Text: Acts 2:1–21 (EHV) When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2Suddenly a sound like the rushing of a violent wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3They saw divided tongues that were like fire resting on each one of them. 4They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, since the Spirit was giving them the ability to speak fluently. 5Now
there were godly Jewish men from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. 6When this sound was heard, a crowd came together and was confused, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7They were completely baffled and said to each other, “Look, are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? 8Then how is it that each of us hears them speaking in his own native language? 9Parthians, Medes, and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, and of Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt, and the parts of Libya around Cyrene; visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes; 11Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring in our own languages the wonderful works of God.” 12They were all amazed and perplexed. They kept saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13But others mocked them and said, “They are full of new wine.” 14Then
Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and spoke loudly and clearly to them: “Men of Judea, and all you residents of Jerusalem, understand this, and listen closely to my words. 15These men are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only the third hour of the day. 16On the contrary, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 17This
is what God says will happen in the last days: I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh. Your sons and your daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions. Your old men will dream dreams. 18Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. 19I will show wonders in the sky above, and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and a rising cloud of smoke. 20The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. 21And this will happen: Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”