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June 8, Pentecost

Ezekiel 37:1-14
Psalm 104: 24-34/35b
Acts 2:1-21
John 15:26-27
John 16:4b-15

Pentecost is one of the great festivals of the Christian year. The tradition is that it falls 50 days after Easter (hence the name). This is convenient as a way of spacing out the time between Easter and Pentecost, but they really belong together. The resurrection of Jesus and Pentecost belong together as the giving of the Holy Spirit. With Jesus no longer a physical presence the Spirit, the Comforter, comes. This is described in one of the teachings from an earlier section in this series (April 27-John 20: 19-31; see especially v. 22).

Pentecost is an exciting time for worship. Good, lively hymns, prayers relating to the theme (there are plenty of good sources here) and some spirited preaching. The seasonal colour for Pentecost is red, signifying fire, which is one of the pentecostal symbols.

John 15:26-27/16:4b-15. The key verses for preaching would certainly include 15:26-27, 16:7 and 13. Taken together they link the rest of the passage. This is part of Jesus' discourse in the upper room. It begins at Ch. 13 and goes through to Ch. 17. It might be helpful to stress the nature of John's gospel if you have not already done so on a previous occasion. John, unlike the first three gospels, is not a narrative work; that is, it does not attempt to draw an historical account of Jesus' ministry. Instead it takes one or two historical events and builds around these a number of scenes taken from a source known only to John.

So we have an upper room episode, but one quite different from the other gospels. Instead of the details of the Last Supper the passage consists of reflections from John's understanding of Jesus' ministry, taken from the years between Easter/Pentecost and the writing of the gospel. The theme of this passage is comfort and assurance. Jesus will be taken from them, but his presence will remain in ways which will actually enhance the witness of the disciples. They will speak with more authority and the word will be carried out to all the world.

Ezekiel 37:1-14 This is one of the great passages of Scripture. It is possible that Ezekiel had seen a battlefield where his people had fought a foreign power and had suffered defeat. The scene is one of the many pathetic scenes where battles have been fought: the remains of dead soldiers lie scattered about. Dry bones picked clean by carrion and bleached by the sun. Some writers think this may have been the valley of Meggido, in northern Israel, a place where many battles were fought.

As the opening verse suggests, this is a visionary experience. The prophet is transported by the Lord's spirit. He does not go by his own volition, but is carried out in order to be a witness to the Lord's miracle - the calling back to life of a fallen army. They actually represent the fallen nation (v11). It is by the power of the Lord's spirit (v14) that the nation will be brought from death to life. This is an excellent passage when preaching about life through the spirit, because its vivid imagery is wholly memorable.

Psalm 104: 24-34/35b This fine psalm is a litany of praise to the God who has called the creation into being and who gives life and sustenance to every creature. The breadth of the Psalm is part of its appeal, reflecting as it does, the breadth of God's spirit. The particular passage describes how dependent all creatures are on the spirit of life. When it is withdrawn they die. Even the ground itself is renewed by the Spirit (vv29-30).
This theme was taken up by Jesus when he spoke of the God whose sun shines on good and bad alike, and whose rain falls on the just and the unjust.

Acts 2:1-21 One of the key texts for Pentecost. This describes the day itself, from Luke's perspective. Having compiled his gospel, which concludes with the account of Jesus' resurrection, he now writes the sequel: the coming of the promised Spirit. Notice the quote from the prophet Joel. Prophecy from the Hebrew scriptures was often quoted in support of the 'new covenant' in Jesus Christ. The quote from Joel is in the style of apocalyptic writing (apocalyptic means the revelation of God's plan for the earth and the destiny of its people. It was usually presented in times of crisis, peril or disaster). It is important to see this for what it is; a visionary writing emanating from the imagination of the writer, or the writer's community. Attempts to apply this in any literal manner are not helpful.

An Approach: The Ezekiel reading is the most arresting and so is the best one for introducing your sermon. You might begin by reminding the people of the rather grisly scenes from the Nazi death camps of W.W.2 or those from Pol Pot's regime of genocide in Cambodia: human skeletons, thousands of them, victims of the brutality of others and stark symbols of a nation's death. How, from such a ghastly scene can come life and hope?

Yet this is exactly what Ezekiel saw, and from this came a vision of resurrection, (v12). Note, however, that this is resurrection in the traditional Hebrew meaning, namely, a restoration of the people and a return to their own land.

The key to this is the Spirit which brings life out of death and hope out of despair (v14). This could be your text. The John and Acts readings, while related to this theme, are saying it in different ways. You may have difficulties in tying them in, so it would be better to use them as supporting texts. You may however, rather start with the passages from John or Acts.

"The winds of God are always blowing. All you have to do is hoist your sails". {Old Arab saying}

"Lord, Holy Spirit,
You blow like the wind in a thousand paddocks.
Inside and outside the fences,
You blow where you wish to blow.

Lord, Holy Spirit,
In the love of friends you are building a new house,
Heaven is with us when you are with us.
You are singing your song in the hearts of the poor.
Guide us, wound us, heal us. Bring us to God".

[James K. Baxter] Could be used as a Call to Worship.

Prayer:

I will light a light
In the name of God
Who lit the world
And breathed the breath of life into me.

I will light a light
In the name of the Son
Who saved the world
And stretched out his hand to me.

I will light a light
In the name of the Spirit
Who encompasses the world
And blesses my soul with yearning.

We will light three lights
For the trinity of love:

God above us,
God beside us,
God beneath us:
The beginning,
The end, The everlasting one. World Council of Churches

 

Pentecost  | Pentecost 1 | Pentecost 2 | Pentecost 3  | Pentecost 4 | Pentecost 5  | Pentecost 6