Sermon for June 8, 2025 (Acts 2:1-21) by Rev. David Domanski
It might surprise you to hear this, but Pentecost is equally important to the Christian Church as Christmas and Easter! Yes, we know that the birth of Christ was essential to our salvation, because if Jesus had not been born, he would not have been able to rescue us. Easter is also crucial in God’s plan to save us because our Lord, through a cross, purchased our salvation by Jesus’ shed blood payment for sin. Since Jesus is risen, we know his payment for sin was accepted. Easter Sunday provides all believers eternal life.
But Pentecost stands with Christmas and Easter as equally important! Why? Because, beginning with Pentecost, the Holy Spirit fills believers and spreads the Gospel! By the Spirit’s power, all are made aware of the Gospel’s saving power, and all can be drawn by the Spirit’s action to Christian faith and service.
About the importance of the Holy Spirit in the Christian’s life, John R. W. Stott wrote, “Without the Holy Spirit, Christian discipleship would be inconceivable. [Further], there can be no life without the Life-giver, no understanding without the Spirit of Truth, no fellowship without the unity of the Spirit, no Christlikeness of character apart from the fruit of the Holy Spirit, and no effective witness without his power” (John R. W. Stott, The Message of Acts: The Spirit, the Church, and the World [Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1990], 60).
So the Third Person of the Trinity provides the power for Christian faith, life, and growth. And here at the first Pentecost, the Holy Spirit gets the Good News out! In this passage from Acts, a huge assembly of people is made aware of the Gospel’s saving power and is drawn by the Spirit’s gracious work to a saving faith in Jesus Christ. So let’s take a look at how the Gospel is proclaimed that first Pentecost.
The Spirit’s miracle gets everyone’s attention (vv 1–4). The crowds hear the sound of a blowing, violent wind. The disciples are filled with the Holy Spirit. The Spirit gives the evidence of its presence through appearing as tongues of fire. The Spirit then gives the languages: “other tongues.” But at first, the meaning of all this isn’t clear to the people (vv 5–13).
Some respond with surprise. They are “bewildered” (v 6), “amazed and astonished” (v 7). The devout Jews, for the most part, listened to the message. But some responded with ridicule. Drunkenness on new wine was the scoffers’ explanation. Unable to comprehend the supernatural, they conjecture a natural explanation.
Then Peter explains this miracle of the Spirit (vv 14–20). They’re not drinking, it is only 9 a.m. This was the time for morning prayers and sacrifice; no Jew was allowed to eat or drink before this time. The crowds are witnessing the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy, the Spirit being poured out. And Peter’s reference, Joel 2:28–32, had full authority for devout Jews.
The Holy Spirit’s amazing miracle is that languages were not a barrier to that day’s Gospel proclamation. All heard “the mighty works of God” (v 11) in their own tongue. The Holy Spirit made sure the Word of God would be effective (Is 55:11) in communicating Jesus dead and raised for the forgiveness of sin.
George Bernard Shaw once said, “England and America are two great nations separated by a common ocean and a common language,” and that is right! The English say a car has a bonnet, yet we call it a hood. They say lorry; we say truck. There weren’t many people in England I could understand on the first try.
But on Pentecost, the Lord wanted the Gospel to be easily understood. Knowing the Gospel message and receiving Christ in faith is of crucial importance, both then and now. So that day and now, the message of salvation is clear (v 21)! Christ has come!
It’s interesting that in verses 17 and 18, we see that the prophets always saw the First and Second Advents of Christ together. And these words are fulfilled at the first Pentecost and as needed and directed by the Lord today. Prophecy is less a matter of foretelling future events. Prophecy is more a matter of “forthtelling” the Gospel news of salvation in Christ. And verses 19–20 are a clear reference to Christ’s Second Advent on the Last Day. But even if we don’t live to see that last day, we have our lesson concluding with this Gospel blessing, “All who call on the name of the Lord will be saved!”
And so today, the good news is that the power of God and the Word of God will triumph over all opposition. God will not, then or now, permit the message of his Son to be lost. By the work of the Holy Spirit in creating faith and opening our hearts and ears to receive the Good News of Jesus, God draws all people to Himself.
With the Holy Spirit calling people to Jesus’ cross, God now stands in immediate relationship with His people. That first Pentecost, a new world was presented to devout Jews in Jerusalem. In this Spirit’s power, they heard Christians confessing what they had seen and heard, and the clear message was that in Jesus Christ, all answers were supplied for life today and eternal life as well. May this Good News of Christ’s peace, joy, love, forgiveness, and salvation strengthen and encourage you. Amen.