Pentecost Sunday 2024

Bright Vestments

Ambon Prayer 42

Title

The Temple for the Nations

Outline

To Understand Pentecost we must look at Jesus

In our Gospel Jesus presents himself as the new Temple

Like Ezekiel’s temple and the temple in Revelation he is the source of water

“If anyone is thirsty let him come to me/ let him drink who trusts in me.” Why can they do this? “as the scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.’ ” This is what the water flowing out of the new temples did, it brought life to every place it went. Notice that it flows “out of his heart, which points us to the water flowing from the wound in Jesus’ side from his heart. This is the Spirit, says John, the Spirit that would come after the resurrection.

Like the second Temple in which a huge menorah was erected and like Isaiah’s prophecy, Jesus claims to be a light to the nations. “I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” But the nations do not come to Jesus until John ch 12, which introduces the Passion narrative. Jesus’ mission was mainly to Israel with some hints that it would extend beyond Israel.

Now look at Pentecost

The Church, which was exclusively Jewish Christian and basically Aramaic speaking, had received the Holy Spirit directly from Jesus on Easter evening. It was this that gave them peace. They had started to function as a worshipping body, organized by Peter as head of the Apostles (which he had led in restoring to 12 members), worshipping in the Temple in the prayers, meeting together in the house with the Upper Room, and doing what Jesus told them to do, celebrating Eucharist. They had grown to 120 persons, but had not reached out beyond Jerusalem. They were waiting for the signal to carry the light to the nations.

On the day that Jews and proselytes from all over the Mediterranean world gathered in Jerusalem and as those people were jostling through the streets to worship in the Temple, the Spirit fell in that house the believers were in. They felt the urgency to tell the message and found themselves speaking in a variety of languages. As they burst out of the house declaring the praises of God, the crowd in the streets stopped in amazement. Each realized that these men who were Galilean by dress were speaking in his native language, not butchered Greek. This was a sign from God. The water was flowing to the nations. And, after a speech by Peter, some 3000 commit themselves to Jesus and are baptized. This is instant evangelism of Mediterranean language groups, for the pilgrims would return to their people, usually in groups, carrying the good news.

So there are two types of gifts

There are the inward gifts mentioned in Isa ch 11 and Gal ch 5 that produce a Christian life of virtue, a change of the person within. That came in John ch 20. And there are the external gifts, those designed to spread and build up the Church in all the world. There are mentioned in 1 Cor ch 12 and are seen in Acts. The Spirit is being water for the nations in two ways, creating Christian life in people inwardly who believe and creating communities of believers outwardly through evangelism in places in need. The Patristic writers talk about both.

So, brothers and sisters, let Jesus be your water and light

Be open to the Spirit producing virtue, Christian life within. Listen for his voice. For it is possible to prophesy and do all sorts of signs and wonders and be lost because Jesus life is not in you.

And be open to the Spirit’s thrusting you out to share the praises of God so that others will come to the light and drink of the water. Without that the church will not grow.

Let us show the world that the Spirit is here, the water is flowing from the Temple, and the light is shining from the nations. Let us point to Jesus as the new and final Temple and encourage folk to be become members of that Temple. Then we will be living in the Spirit of Pentecost.