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It was a Sunday morning. It had been 50 days since Jesus rose from the dead. The disciples (120 followers of Jesus, to be exact) were gathered together in Jerusalem as Jesus had instructed them. It had been 10 days, now, since Jesus ascended.
The city was full of visitors from other countries. They were devout Jews from every nation under heaven. They came to celebrate a harvest festival called “Pentecost”. Yes, Pentecost was first an Old Testament festival which celebrated the ingathering of the wheat harvest. It was like our Thanksgiving Day. The people gave thanks to God for the wheat harvest. It occurred 50 days after the celebration of Passover.
People came to Jerusalem from all over the Mediterranean, from northern Africa as well as Asia. Some have estimated that there were as many as 150,000 visitors in Jerusalem.
Well, with all these people in Jerusalem, it was a perfect time to tell them about Jesus — His death and resurrection. It was a perfect time to spread the Gospel and to preach the forgiveness of sins and to baptize. None of this could have happened without the work of the Holy Spirit.
At 9:00 a.m. in the morning, a rushing wind was heard but not seen. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared on the disciples and rested on each one of them. In addition, the Holy Spirit gave them the ability to speak about Jesus in another person's language. Each person could understand what the Apostles were preaching. It was a wonderful miracle.
The confusion of Babel was lifted, in a sense. The different languages remained, as they do today, but the Holy Spirit gave the disciples the ability to speak to the people in their own language. The people wondered how lowly Galileans were able to do this? The answer is that God the Holy Spirit made it happen. If God was the one who was able to confuse the language in Babel, then He had the power to give the disciples the ability to speak another person's language.
What did the people hear? The book of Acts says that they heard about “the wonderful works of God” in their own language (Acts 2:11).
The disciples might have said something like this:
Dear friends, let me tell you what happened in Jerusalem recently. A man by the name of Jesus who grew up in Nazareth was not only a man, He was also the Son of God. His ministry began three years ago. During this time He cleansed the lepers, gave sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf. He stilled the storm and even raised the dead. His words were words of eternal life. He spoke with authority and forgave men their sins. Recently, Pontius Pilate sentenced him to death. Jesus was innocent of any crime, but He died for the sins of the whole world. His death was a payment for sin. On the cross, He suffered the wrath of God and died. Three days later, Jesus came alive and rose from the dead. He showed himself to over 500 of us. Ten days ago, on a Thursday, He ascended into heaven.
Christ's death and resurrection shows us that there is a God of mercy for all sinners; there is the forgiveness of sins. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved. Dear friends, take this message back to your own people and tell them about the “wonderful works of God” in Christ Jesus. Tell them what God still does for them.
Then, Acts chapter two, makes reference to Peter preaching a sermon to those living in Judea and in Jerusalem. After Peter's sermon, many people were cut to the heart and asked, “What shall we do?” Peter called them to repent and to be baptized for the forgiveness of sin. They would then receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. And so, over 3,000 people were blessed with faith in Christ and came to be baptized.
The New Testament Church was born. If many people were in Jerusalem for a harvest festival, then Pentecost is now known as the first harvest of believers.
On the day of Pentecost God gathered His people together around the Word and around the water of Holy Baptism. The early church continued to be gathered around “the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers” (Acts 2:42). The church spread to all nations.
If sin at the tower of Babel caused the people to be scattered, then the Gospel on the day of Pentecost gathered people together around the Gospel.
Sin caused a separation between Adam and Eve and between Cain and Abel. Sin also causes separation today.
First of all, it causes a separation between us and our one true God. Our sinful flesh wants us to make itself our idol god. Our sinful flesh says, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves.” Our sinful flesh wants the glory. It wants to control you and me. To make the things of this world our idol god is wrong. To declare independence from God is wrong. To make a prideful name for ourselves is wrong. To try to control the future without seeking God's will is wrong. With an attitude like this, who needs God? We shake our fist at God. God reminded the people at the tower of Babel that He is in control, and He reminds us today that He is still in control.
Secondly, sin causes a separation between husband and wife, between co–workers and friends, and even between church members.
Finally, sin is the cause of death, and death separates us from those whom we love.
The crowd on Pentecost Sunday were cut to the heart. They heard the law and asked, “What shall we do?” Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized everyone one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38).
Yes, the law of God shows us our sin. It leaves us naked in sin. It accuses us of our sin. We are helpless. We cannot by our own reason or strength even believe.
What shall we do? Repent. Pray the words of Psalm 51: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me” (v. 10). “Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin” (v. 2).
Martin Luther says in the Small Catechism: “I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to him.” Well, why not? Our fallen nature prevents us from saving ourselves. We are unable to create faith within ourselves. Unfortunately, we have inherited a fallen sinful nature.
Martin Luther continues, “But the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with his gifts, sanctified and kept me in the one true faith.”
The Holy Spirit called you to faith in Christ. The Holy Spirit enlightened you with gifts of forgiveness, life, and salvation. The Holy Spirit sanctified you and made your life full of love, joy, and peace. The Holy Spirit keeps you in true saving faith in Christ.
The Holy Spirit, by means of the Gospel, unifies us in Christ. Today, God has gathered us together in His name. We come with a repentant heart, confessing our sins of idolatry and our sins of pride. We have the privilege of hearing forgiveness proclaimed in the words of Holy Absolution. Over 3,000 people haven't come to be baptized today, but we administer Baptism to the infant or adult.
We are also gathered today around the hearing of God's Word from the lectern and from the pulpit. From God's Word, we hear about the wonderful things God has done for us in Christ Jesus and what He still does for us in Word and Sacrament. It doesn't matter if we are from different ethnic groups, we are all united in the same confession of faith that Jesus is Lord.
We are also gathered today around the breaking of bread. We receive from our Lord His body and blood for the forgiveness of sins.
If God is able to do powerful things in Babel and in Jerusalem, then He can do powerful things today. In Babel, the people were scattered, but here, we are united around one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of us all. Here, God opens our lips which, then, causes our mouth to show forth His praise.
Pentecost teaches us that the Church's task is not to unite the world in one language. Our task is to confess Christ to those who do not know Him.
There will come a day when we will again be one people with one language. In heaven, all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues will stand before the throne and before the Lamb and will sing with one voice and with one language the words, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne and to the Lamb” (Revelation 7:10).
We anxiously wait for that triumphant day. But until that day comes, may the Holy Spirit continue to gather us together around His Word and Sacrament. May He unite and preserve us in the one true faith founded upon Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
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