The Wind of Pentecost

This sermon was preached on Pentecost Sunday in 2016 at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Kewanee, Illinois

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Ghost.

Dearly beloved in the Lord,

There came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

We know this wind. We have learned of this wind. For this wind is the Spirit of God that moved upon the face of the waters at creation, when darkness was upon the face of the deep. And as at the beginning, the noise of this rushing wind was soon translated into the preaching of the Apostles of the Lord; for in the beginning, when the Spirit moved upon the face of the waters, God said, Let there be light, and there was light. Such a glorious day, that first day! There was light that shined in the darkness! And there was the voice of God that sounded forth upon the face of the deep! So also on this glorious Pentecost day, the light of God shines forth, and dispels the darkness and gloom of sin and of death. For this light is the blessed Gospel, which these men began to preach to all the world. For they spoke in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance, and thus was fulfilled what was written: God said, let there be light, and there was light.

We know this wind, this rushing mighty wind. For it is very wind that arose when Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left, because of that wind that stayed the sea. See what great power is in the wind of God, for he spoke to Moses, saying, Lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. And it was so. For the mouth of the Lord had spoken it. See how the wind of God was bound to his word, as it was also at Pentecost. The rushing mighty wind was not merely an indiscriminate sound, but when it filled all the house where they were sitting, there appeared unto them tongues, like as of fire. Tongues! Tongues, for the tongue is the instrument of speech. And so they spoke as the Spirit gave them utterance, as the Wind gave them utterance, for this Wind was the Spirit of God.

We know this wind, for this is the whirlwind that carried Elijah to heaven in a chariot of fire with horses of fire, when he cast his mantle upon Elisha. Behold, the mantle of Christ was this day cast upon his holy Apostles also in a whirlwind, and with fire.  For there appeared unto them tongues, like as of fire, because fire has always accompanied the divine inauguration of great men of God. Was there not a fire at the burning bush when Moses was chosen? And was there not fire when Elisha was chosen? Is it not fitting, then, that there be fire when the Holy Eleven are chosen. And fire also signifies judgment, the judgment and wisdom of God. And this fire was spread by the whirlwind of Pentecost to all eleven Apostles, and beginning this day they went forth preaching everywhere.

Yea, indeed we know this wind. We ought to know it well, for we also heard of it at Easter. For in the upper room, we were told, Jesus appeared to his disciples and said Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained. Now it becomes clear just what this breath of Jesus is, and why he breathed on them that day. It is the Holy Ghost, as his very words make clear, and it is also his divine power: it is the sound of a rushing mighty wind. That breath which issued forth from Jesus’ mouth on Easter Day is the very same breath that came like a rushing mighty wind on Pentecost Day. For his breath is infinite; it proceeds forth from his mouth; it proceeds also from the Father, as Jesus himself declared. This breath is God.

For it says, And it filled all the house where they were sitting; and then it says, And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. This mighty Wind filled all the house; the Spirit filled all the house; God filled all the house. For the Spirit is not merely God’s energy, as if a description of some quality he possesses. It is God.

And this same Spirit is bound to the voice of God; truly it is his voice. It fills the house, and alights on their heads, and gives them tongues to speak, that is, to preach to all the nations of the world.

And what does it say?

It says, Let there be light. For it speaks of Christ and his abiding grace. It forgives sins and looses from death and the devil. It gives eternal salvation unto all who believe in him.

It says, The children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea; for it baptizes the people of God in the sea of his mercy and surrounds them with Christ and his holy word, a shield and defense for them against all their enemies.

It declares that a double portion of Elijah’s spirit shall be given to Elisha. Behold what this means, how this is fulfilled: now the words that proceed forth out of the mouth of Jesus are not merely doubled, but multiplied; and not merely into eleven voices, but into myriads of voices of preachers around the world proclaiming the saving name of Jesus, to the comfort and everlasting pardon of all who hear and believe.

This is the blessed meaning of Pentecost: the Spirit of the Lord filleth the world, for the preachers are gone out to the ends of the earth, that you might believe this Gospel and be saved; that you might live by the eternal light and comfort of Christ, and be immersed in his mercy forever.

This is the sound of Pentecost, now come into this house where you are sitting, now translated and proclaimed this day into your ears, that your hearts may burn with holy faith as you hear and believe Jesus’ promise that if a man loves him and keeps his words, his Father will love him, and they will come unto him, and make their abode with him; as the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, repeats his words in your hearing: Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Ghost.