From our Pastor

                         Peace I Leave With You

John 14:23-31, Acts 2:1-21                                                             May 26/27, 2007

          We enjoy stories.  How we enjoy a story about a guy and a girl who meet, fall in love, and get married.  There can be some interesting stories about romance.  Some like to stories that have to do with mystery, danger and intrigue.  My father-in-law was very good at telling stories.  He would sometimes tell us stories about the war.  They were especially interesting to us because he was a part of it.  There are stories about children trying new things, and persevering despite difficult problems, accomplish great things and on and on.  So many stories.  So many different types of stories.  Such interesting stories. 

          But one of the most fascinating, interesting, joyful stories we celebrate this morning.  The disciples had been told to wait for the Holy Spirit.  They didn’t know when or how he would come.  How can you tell when the Spirit shows up?  You can’t see him.  You can’t touch him.  That’s part of the suspense of this true story.  By the way, aren’t true stories the best of all?  So the disciples are waiting for the Spirit.  Suddenly, there’s the sound of a strong rushing wind/spirit/breath.  That’s not the only unusual thing in this story.  There appears to them tongues like fire that split up and sit on each one of them.  If that’s all that happened, that would be amazing in itself.  But there’s even more.  The disciples begin to speak in different languages>  Each speaks whatever language the Spirit decides to give to them.  Everybody’s in town for the celebration from all over the world.  People are hearing these mostly uneducated disciples speaking in their native languages.  This is just so interesting.  There’s never been anything like this before.  Clearly the Holy Spirit is here.  And Peter gets up to speak.  Clearly “something” has gotten into Peter.  And we know who it is!  Peter speaks boldly and clearly.  He tells the people that this is just what was foretold in the Old Testament.  God said, I will pour out my Spirit.  Your sons and daughters will prophesy and so forth.  And then this blockbuster, this best of all news.  Peter says, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Acts 2:21)  Wonderful!  Fantastic!  God has done great things!  Can you top a story like that? 

          This is what Jesus was trying to tell the disciples before the fact.  Jesus had told them ahead of time that the Spirit would come, so that when it happened they would believe.  “The comforter, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you all that I told you.” (John 14:26)  Just the fact that Jesus would make such a prediction would be quite a story to tell in itself. 

          The situation is that Jesus has also been predicting something else.  He’s been telling his disciples that he’s going to be leaving them.  He’s been telling them he’s going to leave by death to be their savior and ours.  This doesn’t sit too well with the disciples.  Jesus is their leader.  Where would they go without him?  How could they survive without him?  He can’t leave.  It reminds me of stories I’ve heard of some of the early missionaries and some of the sacrifices they had to make.  Way back then if you were going on the mission field, one of the things that was done before leaving, was to have all your teeth removed.  No dentists on the mission field.  You can’t just come home to have your teeth cared for.  All the teeth had to go.  Can you imagine doing that?  A further sacrifice was that the children of missionaries were often separated from their parents for long periods of time.  They’d bring them to a school that would take a considerable time to get to.  Even little children would be dropped off at the school, and finally, it was time for Mom and Dad to leave.  Can you imagine how scary?  Can you imagine how many tears a little first or second grader would shed when his parents left?  He wouldn’t see them again until Christmas at best. 

          I think maybe it was a little like that for the disciples.  ‘Don’t go Jesus!  Don’t leave us alone!’  Sure they were grown men.  But this was a unique situation.  This is the Messiah, the one who was to rescue his people.  How could that happen, the disciples wondered, if Jesus left.  But Jesus comforted them.  I can imagine a parent leaving a little child for school trying to say it will be all right.  I’ll see you in a few months.  But the fact is that the child would be without the parent.  How could Jesus comfort his disciples when he was leaving?  He could do a much better job than the parents.  I’m leaving, but I’m right with you, Jesus said.  “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you.  Not as the world gives do I give to you.  Don’t let your hearts be troubled.  Don’t be afraid.” (27)  Jesus gives peace like the world cannot give for the following reasons.  First, the peace Jesus gives is because our Prince of Peace went through the most troubling, the most peace destroying mission ever.  He suffered for our sins.  He knew exactly what he would go through.  No wonder he sweat as it were great drops of blood in the Garden of Gethsemane.  But because he went through that suffering and death, we can be at peace.  We will not pay for our sins.  Jesus has done that.  Further we can be at peace because Jesus is with us.  Through his Spirit who dwells within us, we have the comfort, the peace of knowing that Jesus is always with us.  We are never alone.  We are never undefended.  We are protected.  We are cared for.  We are provided for in every way.  We are loved.

          And so we love.  There is a clear marker that demonstrates, that just reveals so clearly, that someone loves Jesus.  The person who loves God does what God’s word says.  When you love God, you have the same desires he has.  Further, you want to please God.  To please him, you do what he wants you to do.  So there will be evidence in your life by what you do and by what you say that you love God.  You’ll do his word.  There is a war going on within a Christian, between our desire out of love to live for God, and the desire of our sinful flesh to live contrary to that way.  That’s not an excuse, God certainly doesn’t take it as an excuse not to live his way, but it is the reality.  There is forgiveness available for the one who has sinned.  But the point Jesus makes is that if someone loves Jesus, he’ll keep his word. 

          Finally, Jesus says to his disciples, “get up, let’s go.”  Get up.  Let’s go.  Don’t sit around doing nothing.  Get busy.  That’s his will for you.  His word is that we should spread his word and let people know what God has done for them, that they also may have the peace which the world cannot give, that they can receive the love of God and love God in response.  That they can have the joy of relationship with Jesus.  Get up. Let’s go and lovingly serve our Lord.  You’ve received the Spirit who enables you to do his will. 

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