Sermon 31st May 2020 –
Pentecost
Text: John 20:19-23 – Life through
the Holy Spirit
It seems strange to have today’s
Gospel reading. I say that because we also had this Gospel reading – a
shortened version of it – the first Sunday after Easter. It was then when we
were into our 3rd week of lockdown and isolation and I made the comment how we
were somewhat like Jesus’ disciples – locked away in fear. They were locked
away for fear of the Jews who had just crucified Jesus on the cross. We were
locked away for fear of the Coronavirus – COVID 19. Today’s reading is shorter.
It doesn’t include the situation of Doubting Thomas who wouldn’t believe that
Jesus came to visit them after his resurrection – unless I see the nail marks
in his hands. Today’s focus is on the giving of the Holy Spirit to the
disciples to prepare them for leaving the physical safety and returning to the
world – the world of which they were afraid. That day for us also is getting
nearer and in some aspects is already upon us.
John’s Gospel is quite different to
the other 3 – Matthew, Mark and Luke. John doesn’t have a lot of the parables
and accounts that the other 3 have. And John’s Gospel has stories that the
other 3 don’t have
But something that particularly
stands out for me is that John tells the story of Jesus as a retelling of the
Genesis story of Creation. John’s Gospel and Genesis begin in a very similar
way: In Genesis – In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. In
John’s Gospel - In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and
the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were created; without
him nothing was made that has been made. So, they both start the same way – In
the beginning – and both speak about creation.
Interestingly today’s Gospel reading
also images the Genesis account of life being created. In Genesis chapter 2:
Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into
his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. That breath
of life is the Holy Spirit which God breathed into lifeless Adam. In our Gospel
reading, in John 20, we see again the breath of God creating life: Jesus said,
“Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that
he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s
sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not
forgiven.” We were dead in our sin but the Holy Spirit now breathes God’s
forgiveness into us.
The work of the Holy Spirit is to
bring life. But not just any life but God’s life. A life that brings order and
purpose into life. Look at the disciples before the Holy Spirit was breathed
into them. Their lives were chaotic and meaningless – ruled by fear. Locked away in fear – that’s not quality of
life. Their lives were very much like Creation in the beginning before God
breathed life and order into it: Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness
was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the
waters.
Look at the people gathered together
in Acts on the Day of Pentecost: Gathered in Jerusalem was a whole host of
languages - Parthians, Medes and
Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,
Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from
Rome.
And the Holy Spirit came and brought
them together as one and removed the language barrier that had been confused
from the time of the Tower of Babel.
God’s Holy Spirit created new life in
them to hear the Gospel. And that’s what the Holy Spirit does in our lives too.
Our new life begins in our Baptism when the Holy Spirit is given to renew our
life with God. The old is washed away by the forgiveness of our Original Sin
and a new life emerges to dwell with God. In Jesus’ own life this is when it
all begins for his Ministry. At his Baptism he sees the Spirit of God descend
from heaven and land upon him and the voice of God declaring – this is my Son
whom I love. So, in each situation – there is life already there but there is
no order or meaning. Adam was just dust on the ground before the Spirit of life
was breathed into him. Jesus ministry began when the Spirit declares his
Sonship. The disciples were a disorganised rabble of fear with no life.
And the people gathered in Jerusalem
were a babbling mess brought into order by the coming of the Holy Spirit at
Pentecost. And our lives were in darkness before the light of the Holy Spirit
was given in our Baptism.
There are differing views on what the
Holy Spirit does. And they are all valid – all mentioned in our second reading:
Speaking in tongues, miraculous healings, gifts of prophecy, teaching and
leadership.
And then there are the fruits of the
Holy Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, self-control. But these are all results of the Holy Spirit. Paul
tells us what the purpose of those fruits and gifts of the Holy Spirit are: For
the common good The purpose of the Holy Spirit is to create order in God’s
creation. So when Paul talks about the Holy Spirit in 1st Corinthians it was
because Corinth was a church that lacked
order because they didn’t understand the Holy Spirit: And Paul says that God is not a God of
disorder but of peace.
As we continue to journey this
unprecedented journey together as Church, the Holy Spirit has been the
essential gift of God that has kept us united and in order. He has been our
comforter in times of worry and distress about our church services being
cancelled and our health concerns. He has been our intercessor – praying of us
in those times when we just did not know how or what to pray. And he has been
our paraclete.
A word that means someone who stands
beside us. And that’s what God has done through his Holy Spirit.
He has stood beside us just like
Jesus came and stood among his disciples in their fear.
Just like the Day of Pentecost where
scattered nations were drawn together as one as they heard the gospel message
preached by Peter, so too we have journeyed together at times not sure what to
do or where to go but kept together by the Gospel. And now that lockdowns are
starting to ease we’re having the same challenges to our life and order. Should
we start services – should we wait. Should we have communion – should we wait. Should
we have several services with 20 people each – how do we do it – who does all
the cleaning and sanitising. I want to restart Holy Communion services more
than anyone but we need the guidance of the Holy Spirit so we don’t become like
the Corinthians – a church of disorder. This needs to be a spiritual beginning
and not just a physical beginning of our worship again. There are many physical
requirements we must meet before we begin but more importantly we need the
Spiritual wisdom and presence of God through his Holy Spirit. So we need your
prayers more than ever and we need God’s wisdom which is also the work of the
Holy Spirit. Let us never forget that even while our church doors remain
locked, Jesus still comes in and stands among us. In the midst of our
uncertainty and not knowing which way to go, Jesus comes and breathes his Holy
Spirit onto us and says – Peace be with you.