When we become Christians we are born into a community of love, for God is love. Before the earth was created love flowed from the Father, Son and Holy Spirit to each other. We cannot love if we are isolated from everyone for there is always a practical outworking of love. It is therefore important for us to see God as a Trinity. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are equally one God. They have the same mind, are all involved in creation, have the same heart of love each playing their part in saving us and bringing us into their communion. As we see them working in scripture and experience their love in our lives we see them working together with one purpose in different roles. “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life,” is the loveliest scripture. It reminds us that life here and throughout eternity depends upon God our life-giver. God so loves. He loves the world he created with its rich variety of life and colour, the heavens, planets and stars he flung into space. Looking at our world teeming with life, beauty and variety we see something of what God is like and what he enjoys. God loves us and wants to enjoy a relationship with us. Humans were created in the image of God for that purpose, to walk and talk with God sharing fellowship with members of the Kingdom of heaven. We have all failed to stay in relationship and work with God. We have followed the devices and desires of our own hearts which Romans calls living according to the flesh. If we live according to the flesh, Romans says, we will die. We see the dangers of not working together. Our planet is groaning as a result of pollution and greed, yet we don’t change our lifestyles. Shootings and stabbings are a common occurrence on our streets and the loss of life and injuries suffered as a result of cruel wars and callous leaders is immense. God has created abundant life, yet we suffer misery and death. Strangely God loves all those who are perpetrators of the most terrible atrocities as well as those suffering. Because God is love, he never gives up on us. Looking at the Trinity, we see love in action. Love is always life giving and creative. It always looks outward as well as inward, looking for others to love. A loving community is attractive drawing others into it whereas a hateful, toxic community eventually destroys itself. Love is powerful, redemptive and giving. The greatest gift anyone can give is their life so that someone else can live. We tend to think that God the Father sent God the Son who became a victim while he dwelt in heaven above it all. Jesus came to earth of his own free will. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit out of love suffered together and worked together to bring us back into their circle of love. All three were involved with God’s plan of redemption. They all loved, gave and suffered. Love is costly and often hurts. In coming to earth and suffering a sinner’s death on the cross, Jesus distanced himself for a short period of time from the love he had experienced from before time began. Jesus talked to Nicodemus, of how he would die. He said, just as “Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.<sup>”</sup> The Hebrew people in the wilderness had to look at the snake held up by Moses if they were to be forgiven for their sins and healed of their wounds. If they didn’t look they would die. Jesus asks us to look at his suffering because he wants each of us to know how much God loves us and the cost he bore to give us eternal life. God gave his only begotten son to die on the cross for everyone. Whosoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life. God always acts in love. He didn’t come into the world to condemn us but in order that the world through him might be saved. When we look at Jesus we see love and holiness in action. He shines the torchlight on our lives exposing all who are unloving and unkind, giving us the opportunity to be born again, and to be filled with his Spirit. Nicodemus came to Jesus by night, not wanting anyone else to see what he was doing because of the dangers involved. His status as a religious leader would be threatened if he was seen with Jesus and he wanted time with him alone. Night also describes the darkness in his life. Love attracts. Nicodemus had seen enough of what Jesus said and did to want to find out where his power came from. He could see Jesus had the presence of God in his life and he knew even though he was a Pharisee, he hadn’t got what Jesus had. The name Nicodemus means victorious among the people or born to rule. He was a Judean, not a Galilean country bumpkin, a Pharisee, a member of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish council, a judge in the highest Jewish court, a ruler in Israel; one of the highest ranking Jews of Christ’s time. He was one of an elite sect of which there were only 6000 men at any one time. Allowing God’s rule in his life would affect his political power and self determination. He would have to become a follower rather than a leader; a disciple before he could teach others. Nicodemus was rich. When Jesus died he purchased a mixture of myrrh and aloes which cost a fortune. He was reputedly one of three richest men in Jerusalem. Riches might buy us plenty here but mean nothing in heaven. He had great learning and had to keep studying. He had pledged in front of three witnesses to keep every detail of the scribal law; the first five books of the Bible which he believed to be the perfect word of God. Scriptures and learning couldn’t save him. He was blinkered, trained to view life through the eyes of a Pharisee. He was considered a saint, revered and respected as he went down the road, clearly recognisable by his robes. Pharisee means separated or holy one. Nicodemus was racist believing his was chosen race and salvation was of the Jews. He didn’t believe God loves everyone. He had the wrong view of who God was. To think of God as a community of Father, Son and Holy Spirit was shocking. To think of Jesus as God incarnate was unthinkable as it still is to Jews, Moslems and Christian sects. Being born of the Spirit and guided by Him was totally beyond his experience. The law was his guide. Those who disobeyed suffered God’s wrath. He didn’t understand that there was nothing he could do to gain eternal life. It was the gift of God. Just as he was born into life as a baby, as the result of a loving act between a mother and a father, so he needed to be born again from above. Our status, riches and good works cannot win us eternal life. “No one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.” We need to be cleansed and forgiven. We need the same anointing of the Holy Spirit which enabled Jesus. When we receive Jesus we are born of God, given a new way of living and a new nature. We become members of a new family; Romans says, “For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, Abba! Father!<sup> </sup>it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, <sup> </sup>and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ.” We become members of the kingdom where God rules through his Holy Spirit. Our own attempts to live differently inevitably fail. When we are born through the love of God into his family our identity, possibilities, character and life choices change. When we say yes to Jesus as Saviour and Lord, we are immersed into the love and life of God the Father, the grace and truth of God the Son and the power and purity of God the Spirit. We have yet to know the fullness available in our Triune God. As we enjoy living within that fullness lets wrap each other and the world out there with love.
When we become Christians we are born into a community of love, for God is love. Before the earth was created love flowed from the Father, Son and Holy Spirit to each other. We cannot love if we are isolated from everyone for there is always a practical outworking of love. It is therefore important for us to see God as a Trinity. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are equally one God. They have the same mind, are all involved in creation, have the same heart of love each playing their part in saving us and bringing us into their communion. As we see them working in scripture and experience their love in our lives we see them working together with one purpose in different roles. “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life,” is the loveliest scripture. It reminds us that life here and throughout eternity depends upon God our life-giver. God so loves. He loves the world he created with its rich variety of life and colour, the heavens, planets and stars he flung into space. Looking at our world teeming with life, beauty and variety we see something of what God is like and what he enjoys. God loves us and wants to enjoy a relationship with us. Humans were created in the image of God for that purpose, to walk and talk with God sharing fellowship with members of the Kingdom of heaven. We have all failed to stay in relationship and work with God. We have followed the devices and desires of our own hearts which Romans calls living according to the flesh. If we live according to the flesh, Romans says, we will die. We see the dangers of not working together. Our planet is groaning as a result of pollution and greed, yet we don’t change our lifestyles. Shootings and stabbings are a common occurrence on our streets and the loss of life and injuries suffered as a result of cruel wars and callous leaders is immense. God has created abundant life, yet we suffer misery and death. Strangely God loves all those who are perpetrators of the most terrible atrocities as well as those suffering. Because God is love, he never gives up on us. Looking at the Trinity, we see love in action. Love is always life giving and creative. It always looks outward as well as inward, looking for others to love. A loving community is attractive drawing others into it whereas a hateful, toxic community eventually destroys itself. Love is powerful, redemptive and giving. The greatest gift anyone can give is their life so that someone else can live. We tend to think that God the Father sent God the Son who became a victim while he dwelt in heaven above it all. Jesus came to earth of his own free will. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit out of love suffered together and worked together to bring us back into their circle of love. All three were involved with God’s plan of redemption. They all loved, gave and suffered. Love is costly and often hurts. In coming to earth and suffering a sinner’s death on the cross, Jesus distanced himself for a short period of time from the love he had experienced from before time began. Jesus talked to Nicodemus, of how he would die. He said, just as “Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.<sup>”</sup> The Hebrew people in the wilderness had to look at the snake held up by Moses if they were to be forgiven for their sins and healed of their wounds. If they didn’t look they would die. Jesus asks us to look at his suffering because he wants each of us to know how much God loves us and the cost he bore to give us eternal life. God gave his only begotten son to die on the cross for everyone. Whosoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life. God always acts in love. He didn’t come into the world to condemn us but in order that the world through him might be saved. When we look at Jesus we see love and holiness in action. He shines the torchlight on our lives exposing all who are unloving and unkind, giving us the opportunity to be born again, and to be filled with his Spirit. Nicodemus came to Jesus by night, not wanting anyone else to see what he was doing because of the dangers involved. His status as a religious leader would be threatened if he was seen with Jesus and he wanted time with him alone. Night also describes the darkness in his life. Love attracts. Nicodemus had seen enough of what Jesus said and did to want to find out where his power came from. He could see Jesus had the presence of God in his life and he knew even though he was a Pharisee, he hadn’t got what Jesus had. The name Nicodemus means victorious among the people or born to rule. He was a Judean, not a Galilean country bumpkin, a Pharisee, a member of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish council, a judge in the highest Jewish court, a ruler in Israel; one of the highest ranking Jews of Christ’s time. He was one of an elite sect of which there were only 6000 men at any one time. Allowing God’s rule in his life would affect his political power and self determination. He would have to become a follower rather than a leader; a disciple before he could teach others. Nicodemus was rich. When Jesus died he purchased a mixture of myrrh and aloes which cost a fortune. He was reputedly one of three richest men in Jerusalem. Riches might buy us plenty here but mean nothing in heaven. He had great learning and had to keep studying. He had pledged in front of three witnesses to keep every detail of the scribal law; the first five books of the Bible which he believed to be the perfect word of God. Scriptures and learning couldn’t save him. He was blinkered, trained to view life through the eyes of a Pharisee. He was considered a saint, revered and respected as he went down the road, clearly recognisable by his robes. Pharisee means separated or holy one. Nicodemus was racist believing his was chosen race and salvation was of the Jews. He didn’t believe God loves everyone. He had the wrong view of who God was. To think of God as a community of Father, Son and Holy Spirit was shocking. To think of Jesus as God incarnate was unthinkable as it still is to Jews, Moslems and Christian sects. Being born of the Spirit and guided by Him was totally beyond his experience. The law was his guide. Those who disobeyed suffered God’s wrath. He didn’t understand that there was nothing he could do to gain eternal life. It was the gift of God. Just as he was born into life as a baby, as the result of a loving act between a mother and a father, so he needed to be born again from above. Our status, riches and good works cannot win us eternal life. “No one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.” We need to be cleansed and forgiven. We need the same anointing of the Holy Spirit which enabled Jesus. When we receive Jesus we are born of God, given a new way of living and a new nature. We become members of a new family; Romans says, “For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, Abba! Father!<sup> </sup>it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, <sup> </sup>and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ.” We become members of the kingdom where God rules through his Holy Spirit. Our own attempts to live differently inevitably fail. When we are born through the love of God into his family our identity, possibilities, character and life choices change. When we say yes to Jesus as Saviour and Lord, we are immersed into the love and life of God the Father, the grace and truth of God the Son and the power and purity of God the Spirit. We have yet to know the fullness available in our Triune God. As we enjoy living within that fullness lets wrap each other and the world out there with love.
We cannot live the Christian life in our own strength, be holy and loving, lead someone to Christ; witness effectively in God’s power, bring healing or exercise the many spiritual gifts unless first we receive the gift of the Spirit. We cannot even pray properly. We are totally ineffectual without the Holy Spirit. Today has been called the birthday of the church. We are celebrating the pouring out of the Holy Spirit upon the new community of followers of Jesus for the first time. In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit fell on individuals, prophets such as Elijah and Elisha, priests and Kings and those who received an anointing for specific tasks such as Bezalel and Oholiab who were enabled to produce beautiful crafts and ornaments for the temple. In the upper room the Holy Spirit fell on everyone present. On the day of Pentecost the disciples, the mother of Jesus, his brother, men and women, slaves and free, 120 in all, were in an upper room in Jerusalem, where they had hidden for fear of the Jews. It was 10 days since Jesus had ascended into heaven, 50 days since Jesus had died during or just after the Jewish Passover. The feast of Pentecost, the first of the Jewish harvest festivals was in full swing. Jerusalem was again full of pilgrims. Like the pilgrims, the followers of Jesus were continually in the temple worshipping God as Jesus had told them to do, waiting for the promise of the father that Jesus had told them they would receive just before he ascended into heaven. Their baptism in fire would empower them in a similar way to dynamite, energising them, propelling them into the streets to be witnesses from Jerusalem to the uttermost parts of the earth. Jesus had told them they would be his witnesses. The same word is used in New Testament Greek for witnesses and martyrs. Receiving the Holy Spirit was exciting and terrifying. The early Christians knew suffering and probable death awaited them. “Suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.” Rushing winds uproot and destroy, changing the landscape around us forever. The wind that swept over the waters at the beginning of creation was sweeping over them. The breath blown into the nostrils of the first human being was blowing into them. God was creating his new creation. “Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them.” In the Old Testament fire burnt up sacrifices in the temple and consumed all that was not holy. This fire fell upon people willingly obedient to be living sacrifices for their Lord. They knew what this meant. They had watched Jesus die. Amazingly the wind did not blow them off their seats and the fire did not consume them. Today people react in a variety of ways when the Holy Spirit falls on them. Some feel a warmth, some shake, some cry, some laugh, some fall! We do not know that any of this happened. “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.” “All!” Here we see an undivided Church. The Holy Spirit wasn’t sent to divide but to unite our hearts in love. Here it breaks down divisions between male and female and the disciples and family of Jesus. Ordinary friends of Jesus started speaking in languages they had never learnt; proper languages that others would understand. The Holy Spirit didn’t make them speak. This is not the way the Holy Spirit works. When I became a Pentecostal, speaking in tongues was considered evidence of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit as experienced by the early Church. This does not explain what was happening in this instance. The Holy Spirit was loosening tongues used in worship and previously frightened believers took to the streets of Jerusalem. We do not know whether they understood what they were saying but they were understood. Instead of making a name for themselves they exalted Jesus. “Devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem were bewildered because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each.” Most of the Jews in the known Empire would understand more than one language, the Hebrew of temple worship, Latin the language of the Romans, Greek, and Aramaic. It is probably that those in the upper room understood these languages even if they hadn’t been formally educated. This does not explain the reaction of the Jewish pilgrims. “How is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language?” Like the church today, the pilgrims were divided by what they saw and heard. Reasoning didn’t help. The Holy Spirit cannot be understood because as God he is mysterious. Some asked “What does this mean?” But others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.” Some dismissed the early Christian as fraudsters, drunkards. We do not know whether or not they were wobbly. This seems unlikely not just because it was 9 o’clock in the morning but because they were speaking powerfully about God, lucidly. In response to their confusion Peter preached his first sermon. Instead of muddle and confusion, he shows how the Holy Spirit gives us understanding and order. Peter explained that God planned to pour out his Spirit upon all flesh, in the last days by using a quotation from the book of Joel. “Your sons and daughters shall prophesy, young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit.” Peter didn’t fully understand or believe what he was saying. The Holy Spirit is for everyone, Jew and Gentile. Today Christians across the world celebrate Jesus in many different languages and styles. Vision, dreams, speaking in languages and prophesying or speaking out the words of God with power are just some of the many gifts God has given us through the Holy Spirit to communicate his love to others. Spiritual gifts are not just for priests, the educated and rich, but for all the people of God. To receive this wonderful gift we need to call upon the name of the Lord, to ask for forgiveness and believe in Jesus. “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Jesus will then pours out his Holy Spirit upon us. We need the Holy Spirit. Let’s call upon the Lord to fill us with his holy fire.
We cannot live the Christian life in our own strength, be holy and loving, lead someone to Christ; witness effectively in God’s power, bring healing or exercise the many spiritual gifts unless first we receive the gift of the Spirit. We cannot even pray properly. We are totally ineffectual without the Holy Spirit. Today has been called the birthday of the church. We are celebrating the pouring out of the Holy Spirit upon the new community of followers of Jesus for the first time. In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit fell on individuals, prophets such as Elijah and Elisha, priests and Kings and those who received an anointing for specific tasks such as Bezalel and Oholiab who were enabled to produce beautiful crafts and ornaments for the temple. In the upper room the Holy Spirit fell on everyone present. On the day of Pentecost the disciples, the mother of Jesus, his brother, men and women, slaves and free, 120 in all, were in an upper room in Jerusalem, where they had hidden for fear of the Jews. It was 10 days since Jesus had ascended into heaven, 50 days since Jesus had died during or just after the Jewish Passover. The feast of Pentecost, the first of the Jewish harvest festivals was in full swing. Jerusalem was again full of pilgrims. Like the pilgrims, the followers of Jesus were continually in the temple worshipping God as Jesus had told them to do, waiting for the promise of the father that Jesus had told them they would receive just before he ascended into heaven. Their baptism in fire would empower them in a similar way to dynamite, energising them, propelling them into the streets to be witnesses from Jerusalem to the uttermost parts of the earth. Jesus had told them they would be his witnesses. The same word is used in New Testament Greek for witnesses and martyrs. Receiving the Holy Spirit was exciting and terrifying. The early Christians knew suffering and probable death awaited them. “Suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.” Rushing winds uproot and destroy, changing the landscape around us forever. The wind that swept over the waters at the beginning of creation was sweeping over them. The breath blown into the nostrils of the first human being was blowing into them. God was creating his new creation. “Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them.” In the Old Testament fire burnt up sacrifices in the temple and consumed all that was not holy. This fire fell upon people willingly obedient to be living sacrifices for their Lord. They knew what this meant. They had watched Jesus die. Amazingly the wind did not blow them off their seats and the fire did not consume them. Today people react in a variety of ways when the Holy Spirit falls on them. Some feel a warmth, some shake, some cry, some laugh, some fall! We do not know that any of this happened. “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.” “All!” Here we see an undivided Church. The Holy Spirit wasn’t sent to divide but to unite our hearts in love. Here it breaks down divisions between male and female and the disciples and family of Jesus. Ordinary friends of Jesus started speaking in languages they had never learnt; proper languages that others would understand. The Holy Spirit didn’t make them speak. This is not the way the Holy Spirit works. When I became a Pentecostal, speaking in tongues was considered evidence of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit as experienced by the early Church. This does not explain what was happening in this instance. The Holy Spirit was loosening tongues used in worship and previously frightened believers took to the streets of Jerusalem. We do not know whether they understood what they were saying but they were understood. Instead of making a name for themselves they exalted Jesus. “Devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem were bewildered because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each.” Most of the Jews in the known Empire would understand more than one language, the Hebrew of temple worship, Latin the language of the Romans, Greek, and Aramaic. It is probably that those in the upper room understood these languages even if they hadn’t been formally educated. This does not explain the reaction of the Jewish pilgrims. “How is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language?” Like the church today, the pilgrims were divided by what they saw and heard. Reasoning didn’t help. The Holy Spirit cannot be understood because as God he is mysterious. Some asked “What does this mean?” But others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.” Some dismissed the early Christian as fraudsters, drunkards. We do not know whether or not they were wobbly. This seems unlikely not just because it was 9 o’clock in the morning but because they were speaking powerfully about God, lucidly. In response to their confusion Peter preached his first sermon. Instead of muddle and confusion, he shows how the Holy Spirit gives us understanding and order. Peter explained that God planned to pour out his Spirit upon all flesh, in the last days by using a quotation from the book of Joel. “Your sons and daughters shall prophesy, young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit.” Peter didn’t fully understand or believe what he was saying. The Holy Spirit is for everyone, Jew and Gentile. Today Christians across the world celebrate Jesus in many different languages and styles. Vision, dreams, speaking in languages and prophesying or speaking out the words of God with power are just some of the many gifts God has given us through the Holy Spirit to communicate his love to others. Spiritual gifts are not just for priests, the educated and rich, but for all the people of God. To receive this wonderful gift we need to call upon the name of the Lord, to ask for forgiveness and believe in Jesus. “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Jesus will then pours out his Holy Spirit upon us. We need the Holy Spirit. Let’s call upon the Lord to fill us with his holy fire.
