May 24, 2026 – Pentecost Text: Acts 2:1-21
Dear Friends in Christ,
Recently I told Toni that I am a common sense person living in a nonsensical world. This is especially true with language. I have shared some of my experiences in other sermons. Here is one I haven’t shared.
This one involves the church. A few months ago, we got a new copier. Simple enough and we got a better deal. We had leased the other copier back in 2016 for five years. As part of the lease, we were to get toner, service etc. Because of changes in the church office and Covid, we didn’t realize all of this. We also shouldn’t have been charged after 2021, but we were. After getting the new copier, we had to return the old copier. That became a communication challenge. They finally came and got it. All good. Not quite, my Lutheran friend. They continued to bill us. Phone calls were made, but while speaking English nobody seemed to know what was going on. They are aware we did everything we were supposed to and hopefully after some office personnel frustration this will come to an end.
Do you ever wonder if your fellow man or woman is speaking your same language? I have experienced more language problems in America than I did in Germany two years ago. Today is Pentecost, 50 days after the Passover Sabbath. Language is a mess. Everyone is talking in a different language. Is anybody listening? A good question to ask . . .
“ARE WE UNDERSTANDING THE LANGUAGE?”
OK, so what is happening here? The apostles and believers come together after Jesus’ Ascension and the calling of Matthias. The Holy Spirit comes and people are speaking and hearing in their own language. Pentecost is the time when the message of Jesus is going beyond the bounds of Israel. It will be taken to the world. There was amazement and perplexity and of course the mockers.
Just as some rejected the earthly Jesus, so mockers and skeptics have always dismissed the church’s message. In this instance they figure the men must be drinking. At this point Peter gets up to give his Pentecost sermon. He answers the naysayers. They aren’t drunk. It is only 9 o’clock in the morning. We also know that the Jews only drank wine with meat and meat was only served at the evening meal.
Now it is time for some language clarity. What better place than God’s Word. Peter quotes the prophet Joel. He prophesied around 870 B.C. By drawing from the Old Testament, Peter is showing this event is part of God’s plan. This is nothing new. Peter and the apostles are building on the foundations that God had earlier prepared. This is what was going to happen before the Lord returns. The Lord would pour out his Spirit and send signs and wonders.
One of those signs is in language we understand. “Blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; the sun shall be turned to darkness.” (19b-20a). Blood and fire and vapor of smoke appear together at the time of wars and great calamities of nature. As far as bloody wars are concerned, we have seen this sign often enough, and the Scriptures hold out no hope that it will not be repeated until the very end. Just in the last year or so we also saw the sun turned to darkness. These things continue to happen. The Lord speaks.
In verse 12, the people asked, “What does this mean?” Explain the words uttered. That is what Peter is doing. He concludes our text in clear language that all can understand, “And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (v. 21). I understand that. Do you?
In one of our beautiful mission hymns, LSB 835, it says, “On Galilee’s high mountain Christ gave the great command In words of strength and promise Which all can understand.” The Holy Spirit fights for us and fills us through Word and Sacrament. None of us is any better than anyone else we see on the street. Yes, people are speaking a different language, but the strength of the Holy Spirit keeps us in the true Word. The Word that died on the Cross. The Word that rose to forgive and promise us eternal life. His actions spoke a language all could understand. It is a language lesson for every day. Through the Spirit we clearly communicate through the Church.
The world’s language of confusion isn’t going anywhere. They will continue to confound with their fancy words and nonsense. With the Spirit poured out upon us, we stay clear of junky jargon, and we hear and speak the language of a Savior who loves us. “Preserve Your Word and preaching, The truth that makes us whole, The mirror of Your glory, The pow’r that saves the soul. Oh, may this living water, This dew of heav’nly grace, Sustain us while here living Until we see Your face.” (LSB #658 v. 4)
Amen.