Pentecost 2025

John 15:26–27 (NIV84)

26 “When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. 27 And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.

1a: a solemn declaration usually made orally by a witness under oath in response to interrogation by a lawyer or authorized public official

b: firsthand authentication of a fact : evidence

c: an outward sign

2a: an open acknowledgment

b: a public profession of religious experience

3a(1): the tablets inscribed with the Mosaic law

(2): the ark containing the tablets

b: a divine decree attested in the Scriptures

A key word in our text today is “testify”. What comes to mind when we hear that word?

We may think of a court room scene. A person is on trial and accused of some crime. That person is innocent until proven guilty. One technique in proving his/her guilt or defending his/her innocence is to call a witness to the stand. That person is sworn in to “tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.” The witness may speak about what they have seen or heard. Or it might be an expert witness used to identify and assert that certain evidence is true like fingerprints, ballistics, DNA etc. The goal of the witness is simply this. Tell truthfully what it is that they have witnessed without changing it or making stuff up.

The use of witnesses in a trial is nothing new to judicial law. In Old Testament law it was required that at least two witnesses be used that they agree with each other. You may recall how this was used against Jesus in his trial before the Sanhedrin.

Deuteronomy 19:15–21 (NIV84)

15 One witness is not enough to convict a man accused of any crime or offense he may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. 16 If a malicious witness takes the stand to accuse a man of a crime, 17 the two men involved in the dispute must stand in the presence of the LORD before the priests and the judges who are in office at the time. 18 The judges must make a thorough investigation, and if the witness proves to be a liar, giving false testimony against his brother, 19 then do to him as he intended to do to his brother. You must purge the evil from among you. 20 The rest of the people will hear of this and be afraid, and never again will such an evil thing be done among you. 21 Show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

The purpose of two or more witnesses was to prevent any attempt for a false witness to lie. The legal term for that is perjury. Perjury, or lying under oath, is a serious crime in both federal and state courts, punishable by fines and imprisonment. In federal cases, perjury can result in up to five years in prison, along with potential fines. State laws vary, but generally, perjury is a felony, carrying a prison sentence of at least one year and potentially fines. 

Undoubtedly you are familiar with witnesses in a courtroom from watching Perry Mason, Law and Order, or reading John Grisham novels. You may even have been a witness yourself or been on a jury which listened to the testimony of witnesses.

Testifying and giving a testimony is serious business. It is much more binding that word of mouth, gossip, or a YELP review. It is a long standing practice that the truth be attested to and that what is testified is as reliable as can be.

God himself gives testimony as we read in the Bible. (research the ark of the testimony and how the Bible is divided into the old and the new testaments. We can rely on God to speak the truth.

So when Jesus promises that the one who will testify about him is none other than the Holy Spirit (The Spirit of Truth), we should be completely confident of the veracity of his statements and the truth of his inspired word.

“God is not a man that he should lie . . . “ In the past God spoke . . . through his Son.”

Numbers 23:19 (NIV84)

19 God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?

1 Samuel 15:27–29 (NIV)

27 As Samuel turned to leave, Saul caught hold of the hem of his robe, and it tore. 28 Samuel said to him, “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to one of your neighbors—to one better than you. 29 He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a human being, that he should change his mind.”

Titus 1:1–3 (NIV)

1 Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ to further the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness—2 in the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time, 3 and which now at his appointed season he has brought to light through the preaching entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior,

Jesus’ claims of speaking the truth.

John 3:11–15 (NIV84)

11 I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. 14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.

John 7:16–18 (NIV84)

16 Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from him who sent me. 17 If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. 18 He who speaks on his own does so to gain honor for himself, but he who works for the honor of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him.

John 7:16–18 (NIV84)

16 Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from him who sent me. 17 If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. 18 He who speaks on his own does so to gain honor for himself, but he who works for the honor of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him.

Those who heard and believed in Jesus could have confidence that he was speaking the truth.

But Jesus doesn’t speak directly to us anymore, does he? But he has given us a most reliable witness to him and to the way of salvation.

He promised to send the “Counselor”. Acts 4:27–31 (NIV84)

27 Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. 28 They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. 29 Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 31 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

On Pentecost we celebrate the outpouring of the SS.

The book of Acts gives many examples of the SS inspiring people to proclaim the message of Jesus.

The Epistles also assure us of this testimony.

Romans 8:16–17 (NIV84)

16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

The Apostles’ testified about Jesus — even when ordered to keep silent.

The Word of God has gone out into all the world. We can rely on the truth of God’s Word for it testifies about Jesus.

But why do so many “scholars” deny the truth of the testimony of the Bible? This is not a new development but it has gained traction and is becoming the accepted approach to the Bible. This is because opponents of the Bible refuse to accept the uniqueness of inspiration. St. Paul reacts to that wrong approach already in 1 Corinthians 2:13–16 (NIV84)

13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. 14 The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man’s judgment: 16 “For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

Those who have the mind of Christ accept and are encouraged by the promise he made prior to Pentecost and which as been fulfilled. God sent the Holy Spirit to testify to the truth and to inspire godly men to speak and write down that testimony so that we may have a 100% reliable source for our faith and hope.