The Presence of the Spirit
Commentary
Whether considering the Hebrew or New Testament selections, one is made fully aware that all the writers connect the presence of God with the presence of the spirit. This clear connection is revealed in statements about God. Jesus summed it up beautifully to the Samaritan woman, "God is Spirit."
The theologians of the Hebrew-Christian tradition have always waged valiant battle against the spatializing or anthropomorphizing tendency when speaking of God. All such talk reduces God to nothing more than a super imaging of ourselves and places limits of time and space on him to which we as creatures are subject. The God of this tradition is hemmed in, bound by no such concepts. His freedom is complete. Again Jesus puts it clearly to Nicodemus, "The wind blows where it wills ... so it is with everyone born of the Spirit."
From the commandments which prohibit spatializing or anthropomorphizing God and the denial of seeing God that Moses requested, to the sayings of Jesus, the battle is waged, and for good reason.
Now God is not limited as to where he may choose to be nor as to when he might show himself.
Now he is not limited to any earthly concept of his power. We are always trying to depict him as the one whose power is greater than our last achievement. He is always escaping our word boxes by revealing even greater power.
Now he is not limited to our imaginings as to his purposes and plans. Though we are forever speaking as if we are certain of what he will do next, he is continually surprising us.
We have created big words to hold him: omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence. In the end all of these hold nothing. They only probe at the majesty and glory of the God of creation and salvation. There is nothing beyond his power, no place without his presence, nothing shielded from his knowing, and nothing (or person) outside his love. Truly he is Immanuel.
OUTLINE I
Understanding in Retrospect
Genesis 1:1-5; Isaiah 42:1-7; Acts 10:34-38; 19:1-7; Mark 1:4-11
Introduction: Begin by pointing out how old ideas and insights take on new meaning and dimension at a later time. Use some illustrations from life, from your own experience or the common experiences of the congregation. Then move to show the same in the scriptures for today.
Creation: The writers of the Genesis and Isaiah selections surely shared the same insight that related creation and salvation. For both the giving of the light was something more than that which comes in through the window. Note that in Genesis the light given is given before daylight. It is that light (revelation? enlightenment? knowledge? insight? etc.) which opens eyes and frees the captive. Only he who created all things can unwind the coils of captivities of the spirit and illumine the dark places in our hearts. Now relate all of this to John 1:1-5.
Salvation: Note how the Isaiah selection makes clear the assertion that salvation is related to creation. The spirit is given to the servant in order that the servant will fulfill the purposes of the giver. Little wonder that Mark sees all this taking focus in Jesus and noting it at the baptism. That insight had gradually come to clarity in the 30 to 40 years since his death. Such persons as Paul and Peter had contributed to this understanding. Now, looking back, it was the natural thing to "see" that Jesus was the servant.
Conclusion: Make the message personal. The same Jesus who said, "I am the light of the world," also said, "You are the light of the world." And he said "As the Father has sent me, even so I send you." Creation and salvation are related. We who stand in wonder at the creation also stand in wonder that he chooses us to share in the drama of salvation.
OUTLINE II
Telling Who Jesus Is
Mark 1:4-11
Introduction: Begin with a recollection that Mark is the first of the gospels. For 30 to 40 years the naescent church has lived on the word of living apostles. During this period (The Epi-Christian Era) they have been sorting through their experience in an effort to understand fully all that has happened. Like the bewildered exiles who asked the question "why?" and sought to understand the meaning of Babylon, now the disciples have had to ask the same questions and decide just who this Jesus truly is.
1) There were those who had concluded that John was the Messiah. Mark contends otherwise. Show how this understanding persisted for at least another seventy years and was finally (?) laid to rest by the Gospel of John. A "John" sect exists till this day. Begin with showing how both in Mark and in John the Baptizer is ushered on stage as a witness to whom Jesus is.
2) Both symbol and word are mobilized on stage as a witness to whom Jesus is. The words "like a dove" are akin to Luke's words "as of fire" in Acts 2. We cannot fully describe such events except by simile. Our words only probe at the reality. The reality is spiritual and how can words capture that? The voice sums it all up. It is the same word (voice) spoken in Isaiah 42: "Behold my servant." The tie is firmly made.
Conclusion: Witness from the earth (John) and from the heavens (dove and voice) tell us whom he is. Heaven and earth are bound firmly together to make the proclamation. This is the Lord who created the heavens (Isaiah 42:5) and spread forth the earth (Isaiah 42:5), the same Lord of whom the prophet had declared earlier, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts: (heaven) the whole earth is full of his glory." (Isaiah 6:3)
OUTLINE III
Pentecost for Everybody
Acts 19:1-7; 10:34-38
Introduction: Begin by recalling our tendency to focus so much attention on the Pentecost experience of Acts 2 (Jewish) that we lose sight of the fact that one of Luke's main purposes is to declare the giving of the Spirit to the Gentiles as well. That gift comes, of all places, at Ephesus, strong-hold of the worship of the goddess Artemis (see Acts 19:23-41). The Spirit does exactly what Jesus had implied. It goes where it wills. And hence it shows itself in some mighty strange places.
1) The Spirit was present at creation. Who would wonder at that? But in Babylon? Who could believe that? See Psalm 137. But Isaiah reminds the exiles that God comes to them in Babylon. So did Jeremiah (see Jeremiah 24 and Jeremiah 29:10-14).
2) And the Spirit showed up not only at Ephesus' center of worship of Artemis but at Joppa and Caesarea. And in such strange fashion. In a vision that shocked kosher Peter and through Peter (always in the middle, it seems) to a Roman named Cornelius. Surely all this was a rebuke to those who concluded that God's salvation and grace were reserved for a special few.
3) And at the Jordan River. Perhaps that could be expected. But baptism at the hand of John who preached a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins? Exactly so. Mark does not hesitate to make Jesus' identification with us a full identification.
Conclusion: The Spirit, creator and bringer of salvation is not hemmed in by our definitions and expectations. The good news is that Pentecost is for everybody. Make certain that the hearer includes himself.
The theologians of the Hebrew-Christian tradition have always waged valiant battle against the spatializing or anthropomorphizing tendency when speaking of God. All such talk reduces God to nothing more than a super imaging of ourselves and places limits of time and space on him to which we as creatures are subject. The God of this tradition is hemmed in, bound by no such concepts. His freedom is complete. Again Jesus puts it clearly to Nicodemus, "The wind blows where it wills ... so it is with everyone born of the Spirit."
From the commandments which prohibit spatializing or anthropomorphizing God and the denial of seeing God that Moses requested, to the sayings of Jesus, the battle is waged, and for good reason.
Now God is not limited as to where he may choose to be nor as to when he might show himself.
Now he is not limited to any earthly concept of his power. We are always trying to depict him as the one whose power is greater than our last achievement. He is always escaping our word boxes by revealing even greater power.
Now he is not limited to our imaginings as to his purposes and plans. Though we are forever speaking as if we are certain of what he will do next, he is continually surprising us.
We have created big words to hold him: omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence. In the end all of these hold nothing. They only probe at the majesty and glory of the God of creation and salvation. There is nothing beyond his power, no place without his presence, nothing shielded from his knowing, and nothing (or person) outside his love. Truly he is Immanuel.
OUTLINE I
Understanding in Retrospect
Genesis 1:1-5; Isaiah 42:1-7; Acts 10:34-38; 19:1-7; Mark 1:4-11
Introduction: Begin by pointing out how old ideas and insights take on new meaning and dimension at a later time. Use some illustrations from life, from your own experience or the common experiences of the congregation. Then move to show the same in the scriptures for today.
Creation: The writers of the Genesis and Isaiah selections surely shared the same insight that related creation and salvation. For both the giving of the light was something more than that which comes in through the window. Note that in Genesis the light given is given before daylight. It is that light (revelation? enlightenment? knowledge? insight? etc.) which opens eyes and frees the captive. Only he who created all things can unwind the coils of captivities of the spirit and illumine the dark places in our hearts. Now relate all of this to John 1:1-5.
Salvation: Note how the Isaiah selection makes clear the assertion that salvation is related to creation. The spirit is given to the servant in order that the servant will fulfill the purposes of the giver. Little wonder that Mark sees all this taking focus in Jesus and noting it at the baptism. That insight had gradually come to clarity in the 30 to 40 years since his death. Such persons as Paul and Peter had contributed to this understanding. Now, looking back, it was the natural thing to "see" that Jesus was the servant.
Conclusion: Make the message personal. The same Jesus who said, "I am the light of the world," also said, "You are the light of the world." And he said "As the Father has sent me, even so I send you." Creation and salvation are related. We who stand in wonder at the creation also stand in wonder that he chooses us to share in the drama of salvation.
OUTLINE II
Telling Who Jesus Is
Mark 1:4-11
Introduction: Begin with a recollection that Mark is the first of the gospels. For 30 to 40 years the naescent church has lived on the word of living apostles. During this period (The Epi-Christian Era) they have been sorting through their experience in an effort to understand fully all that has happened. Like the bewildered exiles who asked the question "why?" and sought to understand the meaning of Babylon, now the disciples have had to ask the same questions and decide just who this Jesus truly is.
1) There were those who had concluded that John was the Messiah. Mark contends otherwise. Show how this understanding persisted for at least another seventy years and was finally (?) laid to rest by the Gospel of John. A "John" sect exists till this day. Begin with showing how both in Mark and in John the Baptizer is ushered on stage as a witness to whom Jesus is.
2) Both symbol and word are mobilized on stage as a witness to whom Jesus is. The words "like a dove" are akin to Luke's words "as of fire" in Acts 2. We cannot fully describe such events except by simile. Our words only probe at the reality. The reality is spiritual and how can words capture that? The voice sums it all up. It is the same word (voice) spoken in Isaiah 42: "Behold my servant." The tie is firmly made.
Conclusion: Witness from the earth (John) and from the heavens (dove and voice) tell us whom he is. Heaven and earth are bound firmly together to make the proclamation. This is the Lord who created the heavens (Isaiah 42:5) and spread forth the earth (Isaiah 42:5), the same Lord of whom the prophet had declared earlier, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts: (heaven) the whole earth is full of his glory." (Isaiah 6:3)
OUTLINE III
Pentecost for Everybody
Acts 19:1-7; 10:34-38
Introduction: Begin by recalling our tendency to focus so much attention on the Pentecost experience of Acts 2 (Jewish) that we lose sight of the fact that one of Luke's main purposes is to declare the giving of the Spirit to the Gentiles as well. That gift comes, of all places, at Ephesus, strong-hold of the worship of the goddess Artemis (see Acts 19:23-41). The Spirit does exactly what Jesus had implied. It goes where it wills. And hence it shows itself in some mighty strange places.
1) The Spirit was present at creation. Who would wonder at that? But in Babylon? Who could believe that? See Psalm 137. But Isaiah reminds the exiles that God comes to them in Babylon. So did Jeremiah (see Jeremiah 24 and Jeremiah 29:10-14).
2) And the Spirit showed up not only at Ephesus' center of worship of Artemis but at Joppa and Caesarea. And in such strange fashion. In a vision that shocked kosher Peter and through Peter (always in the middle, it seems) to a Roman named Cornelius. Surely all this was a rebuke to those who concluded that God's salvation and grace were reserved for a special few.
3) And at the Jordan River. Perhaps that could be expected. But baptism at the hand of John who preached a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins? Exactly so. Mark does not hesitate to make Jesus' identification with us a full identification.
Conclusion: The Spirit, creator and bringer of salvation is not hemmed in by our definitions and expectations. The good news is that Pentecost is for everybody. Make certain that the hearer includes himself.
