The Festival of Pentecost – Pr. Anderson sermon
St. John 14:23-31 “To Love Him and Keep His Word”
June 8, 2025 | Christ Lutheran Church
In Nomine Iesu
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The Exordium
The beginning of the festival season had us searching for hope and joy. While it is hard to find this in the world, we continued to read about a lowly couple from Nazareth, who traveled down to Bethlehem. On that quiet night, perfect hope and joy came down from heaven taking on the form of man. A baby who would grow with confidence. As we look at our own lives, there are times we can find hope, joy, and confidence, but there can be many times where we don’t have any of these feelings. These feelings go together and there is a reason that Jesus embodies them all. The Prophet Isaiah foretold, And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD (Isaiah 11:2).
In all three persons of the Trinity found in this prophecy, we see our hope, joy, and confidence. It is found in the wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, and fear of the Lord our Savior has through the Spirit, now given to us. This work was witnessed by many and still witnessed. St. Paul points His readers to the Spirit’s gifts we hear in Jesus’ work. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). With these gifts, it is no wonder Jesus was full of hope, joy, and confidence in what He would do. He is the perfect Son of God. While we hear this list and know which gifts are our shortcomings, there is no end to the gifts that flow from Him. Through the Spirit we see Jesus is the true leader of His people, perfectly fulfilling all the law and God’s promises. So, as St. Paul writes, Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1) our faith and peace comes from the love of keeping His Word through the help of His same Spirit. And with the Spirit’s help, we rise and sing stanza one of hymn # 27. O Holy Spirit, Enter In.
O Holy Spirit, enter in and in our hearts Thy work begin,
Thy temple deign to make us.
Sun of the soul, Thou Light divine, around and in us brightly shine,
to joy and gladness wake us.
That we to Thee Truly living, to Thee giving Prayer unceasing,
Still may be in love increasing.
The sermon text for today is taken from the 14th chapter of the Gospel according to St. John. We read some verses once more in Jesus’ name:
Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.
“These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
We Pray: Lord Jesus Christ, almighty Son of God: We beseech You, send Your Holy Spirit into our hearts, through Your Word, that He may rule and govern us according to Your will, comfort us in every temptation and misfortune, and defend us by Your truth against every error, so that we may continue steadfast in the faith, increase in love and good works, and firmly trusting in Your grace, which You purchased for us by Your death, obtain eternal salvation; for You reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one true God, now and forever. Amen. (Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary, by Veit Dietrich, p. 157)
We witness the Spirit’s knowledge being put to use as Jesus is continually asked about His kingdom which most believe should be earthly. However, Jesus has in mind a heavenly goal over a political one. Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. Jesus is echoing the voice of Himself from many years ago at the age of twelve. This little boy from Nazareth heard the Words of His heavenly Father as found in Scripture. He was their learning from Him in His house. And as He heard His Father’s love, He now brings to His disciples this same Love from the Father. Love that comes from listening to Father’s Heavenly Word. It was important to Jesus as a boy, and it is important to Him now. Through the Word that brings the Father’s love, is seeing God’s plan of salvation in the sending of His only Son.
While Jesus spoke of Him and the Father making a home with those who believe in the Word, it looks like Jesus is contradicting Himself when He talks about the temple, His Father’s house being destroyed. Jesus Word is understood by the disciples on this day when they see that He was speaking about His body dying on the cross. With simple parables and Jesus speaking plainly, the people struggled with His Word. As they push back saying this will never happen, they reveal the power of the Word and how important it is to believe it as Jesus says, He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me. For many, this can sound like it is too hard to do. It looks like there are too many rules. Jesus’ enemies typically struggled as they heard the truth, and the truth pointed out their sins. While fifty days earlier His disciples would fall away, Jesus with perfect love, joy, peace, and especially patience would call His disciples back. They would witness His enduring love and so would the people around them. St. Luke records, and they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers (Acts 2:42).
On this day, we see the apostles now have the knowledge Jesus said would come to them. The love of keeping their Teacher’s Word finally set in. This is also the day another birth takes place. This is the day the church is born. The church we belong to, hearing the same apostles’ teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread, and the prayers. None of this would be here and we couldn’t be here if the Holy Spirit had never been sent to bring us understanding. Our sin won’t allow us to love God with our hearts. If there is no love for Christ, then there is no keeping of His Word. When we have turned from it, we have watched as our confidence in the world disappears. It can be hard to find hope and joy. We see this in Jesus’ last moments being with His disciples as long as He could, “You have heard Me say to you: ‘I am going away and coming back to you.’ If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said ‘I am going to the Father,’ for My Father is greater than I. And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe.” When faced with trials and temptation, it is in this message we believe and have joy in what Jesus has to say. We are like the disciples as we hear the very Word of the Son of God.
This is the Spirit of God working in our hearts. The same Spirit who gives wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. Fear to love and keep His Word. Through the Word, the Holy Spirit reveals man’s only hope for survival. The disciples learned it comes from the peace Christ brings through the Spirit. Peace that equals reconciliation with God. Heavenly peace that covers the disciple’s failures and doubts and now gives them faith in His Holy Word. The Word which they will write down knowing it will still reveal the protection and salvation of the cross. Protection and salvation that stretches far back in time as the ancestor to Jesus would write, God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling (Psalm 46:1-3). From the Old Testament to the New Testament, the timeless Word of promised redemption fulfilled in cross gives the disciples hope and joy to share through the power of the Holy Spirit.
This hope and joy they have is revealed to them in the truth they now know, and the new church will follow. The church will follow them because they know the disciples’ teaching is the Lord’s teaching and they see it in His signs the apostles performed on Pentecost and for the time after. In their actions of love for God and keeping His Word which the disciples have written down, reveals the Holy Spirit working among them. Through the means of grace given to the new church, they continued the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. As Jesus had taught the disciples, those newly believing His Word and following it were finding joy and hope in their sufferings. This could only happen if Jesus had truly died on the cross taking away the sins that convicted them. In His empty tomb they then found the Spirit’s strength. They knew who their true enemy was. In Jesus there was now nothing the Devil could call his own. Jesus Word states, Peace I leave with you, My peace I give you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Jesus peace of going to the cross brings His destruction.
With the devil’s defeat and soon complete demise, you know he isn’t going to rest. Your safety is found in the love and keeping of His Holy Word. It was passed down by the church through the Holy Spirit beginning on this great day of Pentecost. The same timeless message you are hearing now. Christ promises He and His Father will come to dwell in those who hear and believe His Word and that He does send the Holy Spirit as the Helper. St. Paul writes, Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple (1 Corinthians 3:16-17). Here is your protection and belief. The world will try to point out your doubts, unbelief, and lack of love. The Spirit calls you back to the love of God, bringing forth repentance, pointing you to the Son who died on the cross, and revealing to His church all He has done with the sending of the Helper. Through His help, you don’t have to rely on feelings, especially if they may have disappeared. You know for certain the Triune God has made His home in you.
Celebrating the Festival of the Holy Spirit, you can cast all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you (1 Peter 5:7). There is no need for you to sigh, longingly for the union with the Triune God in heaven. For His throne is also right here on earth, wherever His Word is preached and He enters the hearts of the believers. A blessed mystery and a glorious fact. The mystery of the Means of Grace is truly a blessed mystery. The world will ridicule your beliefs. But the Spirit comes into your hearts, through the disciples teaching, governing you according to God’s will, comforting you in every temptation and misfortune. You can be confident that your sins are forgiven with Jesus’ death on the cross and in your toughest moments, your God dwells within you. Joy, hope, and confidence have come full circle. With these gifts, you will rejoice, having them forever as your God dwells within you, strengthening you to love and keep His Word through the work of His Son, given to you by the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, forevermore. Amen.
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