9.00am and 10.30am Sunday 4 June 2006
The Bible is a truly remarkable book. Although it was written over a period of 1400 years with at least 40 different authors, and although parts of it are over three thousand years old, its message is still just as relevant and applicable to today as it was when it was first written. There is a timelessness about its truth that makes it an exciting book to read. It can be read like any other book, as an academic exercise, but to get the most from it, it needs to be read prayerfully, constantly bearing in mind the question, "What is God saying to me through these words?" Sometimes the words God wants us to note leap out from the page like flashing neon lights. Most times, however, it is more likely to come after careful study and meditation, like mining for diamonds, and as you wrestle with what it says, a gem of truth will emerge that you had never noticed before, though you may have read that same passage many times. Such a revelation can be deeply moving, even moving you to tears as you contemplate the depth of God's love and what he has done for you in Jesus Christ. Its truth will burn within you, just like the two who walked the Emmaus road with Jesus experienced.
The Bible is unique among other books because it is "God-breathed" (2 Timothy 3:16 TNIV). It is not like the other books you read. God still speaks his truth through its words. Peter gives the reason for this in his second letter when he says, "For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along (or under the control of, or inspired, or guided) by the Holy Spirit" (2 Peter 1:21 TNIV). This is why it is so special.
On this Pentecost Sunday morning we are going to look a phrase from the passage we read from John which says, "And you also must testify about me..." These words are found at the end of John 15, which in Today's New International Version say, "When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father - the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father - he will testify about me. And you also must testify about me, for you have been with me from the beginning." Notice the legal terminology in these verses. The word "Advocate" is a legal term, and refers to any person who helps someone in trouble with the law. The Concise Oxford Dictionary defines it as "one who pleads for another". Jesus is saying that the Holy Spirit will fulfill that role for you. He will help you, and as we read in Romans he will do that for us before the Father when he "intercedes" for us. And the word "testify" is also a term we use in legal settings. It means to give evidence, to affirm, to declare. This is what a witness does when he or she is called upon to give evidence in a trial. A witness speaks of what they know, of what they have seen and heard. It involves what they know from first-hand experience, what they are an expert on. Jesus said, "You also must testify about me."
Let's consider each of these words for a moment. The first word is "You". When Jesus says "You", does he really mean to implicate you and I in these words? Surely he means this to apply only to the apostles? That lets us off the hook, and we can breathe a sigh of relief. There is little doubt that the apostles bore the definitive testimony to Jesus since they were uniquely chosen and taught by Christ and were eyewitnesses of his glory. They were the ones who had the wonderful privilege of walking and talking with Jesus, of listening to his teaching and seeing the many wonderful things he did. No other human beings were as blessed as they were. But do these words apply only to them, or do they have a wider application?
Notice that these words
are almost identical to what Jesus said to the apostles before he ascended into
heaven, just a few days before the first Pentecost Sunday. He said, "...you will receive power when
the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in
The next word is "also". "You also must testify about me." This means that we are not the only ones to testify about Jesus. In the context of this verse Jesus is quite clearly referring to the Holy Spirit. In the previous verse he said, "When the advocate comes ... he will testify about me." Listen to those words again. That is a very important statement. The Holy Spirit will help us to testify because he loves to make Jesus Christ known. That is part of what it means when Jesus said that the Holy Spirit will "glorify" him (cf. John 16:14). We are not expected to do this alone. Jesus promises to send the Holy Spirit to you and to me from the Father. This is why he said, "...very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you, but if I go, I will send him to you" (John 16:7 TNIV). Other translations use the word "expedient" to describe why it is necessary for Christ to leave before the Holy Spirit can come. Jesus had first to accomplish his saving work on the cross before the Holy Spirit could come. But after his ascension he would ask the Father to send the Spirit. We may not fully understand why that was so, but what we can be sure about is that Jesus did not intend to leave neither his apostles nor others who follow him without all that would be necessary to accomplish his mission in the world. This is why he had said to his disciples a little earlier on in their time together that night, "If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever - the Spirit of truth... I will not leave you as orphans..." (John 14:15-18 TNIV). We are not alone. You and I have all we need to accomplish what we have been asked to do. We are fully equipped. We are to testify to Christ in the power of God's Spirit. This is the significance of Pentecost for the church. We remember the fulfillment of God's promise to "pour out his Spirit on all people" "in the last days" (Acts 2:17), irrespective of age or gender or social class. This is what is promised along with forgiveness to all who repent and are baptized - the gift of the Holy Spirit (cf. Acts 2:38).
Perhaps I have made it sound difficult, but in reality it is not like that at all. When you are full of God's Spirit, when God touches your life bringing healing and wholeness, you won't be able to be quiet. This is what Peter and John meant when they said to the Jewish Sanhedrin, "...we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard" (Acts 4:20).
The third word in this phrase is the word "must". "You also must testify about me." This phrase can be translated in a number of ways, but basically they all mean the same. For example, in the version read to us earlier it said, "Then you will also tell others about me" (CEV), or "You are also to testify..." (NRSV). The emphasis is on the "You also..." in the Greek which means that responsibility comes with the privilege of knowing Christ. There is never any indefiniteness about our Lord's commands. There is no might or maybe. When he says, "You must testify..." he means exactly that. This then raises the question, why is it so important? Why did Jesus put such emphasis on this? What is at stake?
The real issue here is the very reason for which Jesus came. There is no less than the salvation of the world at stake. The eternal future of every unbelieving person is at risk. Jesus came to take away the sin of the world. Only he could do that. Cecil Frances Alexander was so right when he penned the words, "There was no other good enough to pay the price of sin, he only could unlock the gate of heaven and let us in." And as we saw from Acts a few weeks ago, his is the only Name in which salvation can be found. There is no other alternative, no matter how hard you try, nor how far you search.
"There is no other name given under heaven by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12 TNIV). His is the only name you can call on to save you. And what is true for you is true for every other human being. This is the reason why the church exists. We have acknowledged its importance by incorporating it into our Church's purpose statement, "To make Jesus Christ known through love in action..." When Jesus was on earth he was always aware of his mission. He knew he had been sent by the father to accomplish this task. He knew that the shedding of his blood would bring forgiveness of sins to all who would repent and believe. There is now hope where before there was hopelessness. There is now help where before there was helplessness. It is now possible to be reconciled with our Creator God and to have a personal relationship with him where before there was godlessness. Before you were alienated and estranged from God, but Jesus has brought peace. Before you were separated from God with no way to bridge the chasm that stretched between us. The cross of Christ has bridged that chasm. A new day has dawned. It is a day of good news and it must be made known.
Which leads us to the fourth word of this phrase, "You also must testify about me." You cannot be a silent witness. A witness speaks of what they know. It cannot be done by actions alone. In several of the verses we have considered so far this is so. In Psalm 107 it said, "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so..."
Peter said, "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." And the apostles said, "...we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard." Words are necessary, and even if we like Moses begin to make all sorts of excuses for not speaking, it will not make any difference. This is the means by which faith is sown in the hearts of people. Paul shared this truth in Romans. He said, "How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? ...faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ" (Romans 10:14, 17) This good news, must be told.
But this doesn't mean that how you live is not important. If your life is not consistent with what you speak, then what you say will count for nothing. The saying, "what you are speaks so loud I cannot hear what you are saying," is very true. To be an effective witness you must practice what you preach.
The last two words of this phrase, "You also must testify about me" provide the subject of what we are to talk about. We are to bear witness to Christ, what we know first-hand from personal experience, what "we have seen and heard". By doing so we are to point people to him. He is to be the subject of our witness. There is no better example than that of John the Baptist. Before Jesus' baptism John spoke of the One who was coming. He had been sent to prepare the way for him. But he also knew that once the One of whom he spoke had come, he would need to move into the background so that people would follow their Messiah. John explained this to his disciples. He said his part was like that of the friend of the bridegroom who attends him, who waits and listens for him and is full of joy when he hears his voice. When the bridegroom arrives, his work is done. John put it this way, "He must become greater; I must become less" (John 3:30). This is how the Holy Spirit works as well. He never draws attention to himself, but promotes the glory of Christ. Jesus said, "He will glorify me..." (John 16:14).
The Holy Spirit is the One who will help us to testify to Christ. It is an awesome responsibility we have, but a wonderful privilege at the same time, to speak of the One before whom every knee will bow and tongue confess as Lord, of the One who loved us and gave his life for us, of the One who will one day judge the world with justice and righteousness, who will put this world's wrongs right, the One who is preparing a place for us, who through our Advocate is interceding for us, and who will one day be revealed in all his eternal glory, a day when we will be lost in wonder, love and praise, for then we shall see him as he really is. May we be counted among those who long for his appearing. But until that day, we have work to do. Let us pray today for God' Spirit to come upon us in all his Pentecostal power, as we sing the hymn, "Breathe on me breath of God."