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spent04
The Lord and Giver
of Life
Text:
John 15:26-27; 16:4b-11
Date: The Day of Pentecost 
5/30/04 scins msn messenger 6.1
The
Day of Pentecost is in many ways the goal and summit of the Gospel.
Love came down at Christmas when the Son of God took on our human
flesh in the Person of Jesus. No greater love was shown, however,
than when Jesus gave himself as the one and only sacrifice for the
sin of the world on Good Friday. Because he died, all sin has been
atoned for. He died for us. No greater joy, then, could be known
than when the Lord was raised from the dead on Easter. Because he
is risen, all who put their trust in him are saved, justified, declared
righteous, redeemed, restored, forgiven. As the Lord's Half of the
church year comes to its conclusion today, we have once again heard
the entire story of salvation in the incarnation, birth, life, suffering,
death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus. We have heard the story
vicariously, as it were, through the eyes and ears of those who
experienced it first hand and are our eye witnesses. But what about
us? It would be strange if God would have done everything for our
salvation and then not provided a way for us to know it or to obtain
this salvation for ourselves. Therefore, following his ascension,
after ten lonely days of waiting and wondering, hoping and praying,
this day we celebrate the outpouring of God the Holy Spirit in a
special way on that first Day of Pentecost and in no less a special
way to each person who hears the Gospel to this day.
Let
it be said, right off the bat, that the emphasis and center of attention
of the Day of Pentecost is not as much the Holy Spirit, the third
Person of the Holy Trinity as it is on Jesus. He is the connection.
Jesus is our connection. The Holy Spirit always, always points to
Jesus, proclaims Jesus. Nevertheless, the Holy Spirit is God, as
we say in the Creed, “the Lord and Giver of life.” These are two
things, not one thing as if we were saying he is the Lord of life
and the giver of life. No, he is Lord, the one true God. And he
is also the Giver, capital “G,” of life as he brings, conveys and
distributes to each believer the benefits of Jesus' salvation, namely,
eternal life. He does that by creating faith in people through the
Word of the Gospel, and by delivering the holiness, righteousness
and innocence of Christ, making us to be everything Jesus is.
The
Work of the Holy Spirit is to testify about Jesus. Jesus said to
his disciples, “when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from
the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he
will bear witness about me.” He is the “helper,” God who is present
for every need we face day-to-day. This word is a rich word also
translated “Counselor,” the One who gives advice and help; the “Intercessor”
who presents our needs continually before the Father; the “Consoler”
or “Comforter” who supports us in the midst of our grief; the “Advocate”
who, like a lawyer, pleads our defense before the Father.
Jesus
said he will send the Spirit from the Father and that the Spirit
of truth proceeds from the Father. His purpose is to testify, bear
witness about Jesus. Whenever a Christian tells someone about who
Jesus is and what he has done for us, the Holy Spirit actively works
in the hearts of both the teller and the hearer, creating and strengthening
faith, that is, trust in such a wonderful God who loved his world
and each of us so much as to send his Son to save us as he did.
Then, almost as quickly as he makes us believers, he also makes
us witnesses, our faith testifying to the great goodness of God
through Jesus Christ.
The
Holy Spirit comes to testify about Jesus and to create faith in
the hearts of all who hear this testimony. Then the Holy Spirit
also continues to come to guide Jesus' disciples. Pentecost is a
reminder to Christians that we have the Holy Spirit to aid us in
our Christian walk and life. Given as a gift in our Baptism, the
Holy Spirit continues to come through the Word of God read, spoken
or preached and the Sacraments rightly administered. As St. Paul
said in Romans 10:17, “faith comes from hearing, and hearing through
the word of Christ” (ESV). This guidance is not in some mystical,
mysterious and unexplainable way. The guidance of the Spirit is
simply as he works through the means of grace, first and most importantly
of all, to comfort us with the assurance that our sins are forgiven
for Christ's sake each and every day. But then he guides us by means
of increasing our faith, hope and love that, no matter what we do
or where we go, when it is in line with God's Word and will and
not obviously against it, God blesses our works and ways for, “we
are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which
God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” [Ephesians
2:10 (ESV)].
The
Holy Spirit comes to testify about Jesus and make believers out
of people who hear the Gospel. Secondly, he comes to guide us as
Christ's people. Finally, he comes to call all people to repentance
and faith through the three most important messages: to convict
the world of sin, of righteousness and of judgment.
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