Sermon for the Festival of the Holy Trinity

LISTEN

Jesu Juva

“The Sound of Creation and Re-creation”

Text: Genesis 1:1 - 2:4a; Acts 2:14b, 22-36; Matthew 28:16-20

 

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

If you’re like me, when you hear the account of creation from Genesis like we just did, you kind of form a picture in your mind of what God’s new and perfect creation might have looked like. Or maybe you think of pictures you’ve seen in books. But this morning, instead of that, think about this: creation isn’t just something to be seen - creation has a sound to it as well.

Laurie and I spent a few days at a cabin this week and we heard sounds other than car engines, honking horns, construction equipment, and the constant sound of technology dinging, beeping, and ringing! It was quite delightful! We heard birds and animals, water, wind, and rain. Lots of rain! The sounds of creation. And imagine Adam and Eve in the Garden hearing for the first time the sounds of creation around them - the singing of birds, the flowing of water - the joy they must have gotten from that! 

But even before that creation had a sound: the sound of the voice of God. Before there was anything else, there was God’s speaking let there be . . . and that sound of the Father, through the Son, and in the power of the Holy Spirit, brought into being all of creation. And then, on the sixth day, no let there be, but instead the sound of God speaking, Let us make man in our image. And when God carefully crafted the crown of His creation, His man and woman, then more sound! The voice of God speaking again - not just instructions, but gifts: Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and subdue it. Have dominion over every living thing. And every plant you shall have for food. And this voice of God Himself I imagine was more beautiful to the ears of Adam and Eve than anything else they ever heard. 

But soon that beautiful voice wasn’t so beautiful anymore . . . when sin distorted the hearing of God’s man and woman. When they heard a satanic mockingbird, imitating the sound of God’s voice, speaking as God did, but not to create - to destroy. To corrupt and ruin all that God created good. You see, sin has a sound, too. It is the sound of doubt, uncertainty, questioning, deception, contradiction. Satan was the first scammer. Like when you get that text, that email, and just for a moment wonder if it’s real, if it’s true . . . Well, Eve clicked. She fell for it. And they got nothing promised in that scam - only pain and grief. And then a sound not heard before: accusing and blaming voices.

But then another sound . . . the sound of the Rescuer. God walking in the Garden in the cool of the day. Sound that before would have brought Adam and Eve joy, now bringing dread and fear. But God didn’t just make the sound of walking in the Garden - God again spoke. This time, a promise. To fix what they had broken. To scam the scammer. To restore the life and innocence he had taken. To make them whole again. And with the sound of that promise, God created again. He created faith in His children. To give them hope. 

The sound of that hope and promise was then repeated through the years and centuries, until the sound of God’s very voice sounded forth from a most unusual place: a manger. The Rescuer had come. The Father had sent His Son into our flesh. And once grown, with the sound of His voice He created, He healed, He restored. To many, it was the most beautiful sound they had ever heard. But others heard His voice not with joy, but with anger and spite. And they silenced that beautiful voice of God . . . on the cross.

That’s what we heard Peter talk about in the reading from Acts today. His preaching on the Day of Pentecost. Of the Son of God, the Word of God made flesh, silenced in death by men of distorted hearing, which caused them to live twisted and distorted lives. But this Peter also said: that this happened according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God. Which is to say, according to the promise the sounded forth from God in the Garden. This was the sound of hope from the mouth of Peter. The sound that rescued Adam and Eve, to rescue their descendants as well. The promise of God fulfilled, the rescue of God accomplished, when the one whose voice was silenced on the cross sounded forth again in His resurrection.

And remember what we heard last week: those who heard the sound of Peter and the others preach this were people from all over the world. And they were hearing the sound of this beautiful good news in their own language. Now to appreciate how beautiful that must have sounded to them, realize that up to now, they would bring their offerings to the Temple and present them to the Lord with Hebrew words the priests said and they repeated but didn’t understand! But now they could! Hear and understand. 

Because just as creation has a sound and sin has a sound, so too does re-creation have a sound. The sound of the voice of God spoken by His apostles, speaking of His promises and gifts. Of what once was and now is again in Jesus. But not just that. The sound, too, of the splashing of water that gives new life, and the biting and chewing and swallowing of bread and wine that is far more than just bread and wine - but the Body and Blood of God Himself. The one who in the beginning gave every green plant for food, now giving His Body and Blood for food! And with that, the beautiful sound, the good news that the tree of the cross is now the tree of life giving its fruit again.

And with those sounds, Jesus told His disciples, go once again, fill the earth and subdue it! With children born of God, born again, born from above. Go make disciples of all nations, baptizing them with the sound of the splashing water in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them with the sound of the beautiful good news of a Saviour, a Rescuer. Of a promise made and a promise fulfilled. Of life and new life. Of creation and re-creation. Of hope and a future. The same voice of the Father, through the Son, and in the power of the Holy Spirit sounding forth again through His Church.

And now it is our turn. The sound of the Gospel goes forth from this place. It is proclaimed, it is sung, it is splashed, it is eaten, it is confessed. The sounds of men and women, young and old, gathered together by God and joined together by God into this one holy communion here, this Church. To proclaim the praises of Him who called us out of darkness and into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). And the power of the Holy Spirit continues to work through this Word, re-creating, restoring, and renewing by the gifts of forgiveness and faith.

And when other sounds come forth from us . . . other than helpful words, loving words, faithful words . . . sounds that should not be, but are . . . sounds of anger, hate, deception, shame, lies . . . then more sound: the sound of repentance. I am a poor, miserable sinner . . . in thought, word, and deed . . . I deserve present and eternal punishment. But the One who spoke in the beginning and it was so, the One who promised to make things right, the One who came and fulfilled that promise, then speaks again: I forgive you. I am the sinner. I took your sin, I took your punishment - all of it. You are free. 

Because the promise, I am with you always . . . it’s really always been so. You may not always realize it, you may listen to voices other than mine, Jesus says, but from the beginning I have been caring for my creation and caring for you. I am with you always, so that you will be with me always - in a new Paradise. That as it was in the beginning, it will be forever. All that you need, I provide. All that you need, I have done. I created you and redeemed you. I died for you and rose from the dead for you. I baptized you and feed you. And I will until the end of the age. And then I will continue in the life of the age to come.

Hear this sound of the voice of your Good Shepherd, all His words and promises, and follow where He leads. For He is leading you to life. The life of the triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. That life that has no end. And what sound then? Well, just as creation has a sound, and sin has a sound, and re-creation has a sound, so too does glory have a sound! And that sound will be unlike anything you’ve ever heard before! Of angels and archangels and all the company of heaven. One great voice of praise to our triune God, more beautiful than anything you’ve ever heard before.

We’ll confess that now, as we sound forth together the words of the Athanasian Creed, the catholic, that is, universal faith that has been confessed for centuries, from places all around the world, and in languages of every kind. That this is who God is. That this is what God has done. That this is what we believe, teach, and confess. That by grace through faith our sins are forgiven and our good works are remembered. That without this faith, we still bear our sins and have nothing good in us. But that our triune God has spoken life into us. That by His wounds - and then His words - we are healed, forgiven. So that when He comes again in glory, we will go with Him to glory. 

Until that Day, hear the sound of His blessing, and know that it is true. That even better than the hymn we just sang, Saint Patrick’s hymn of the Trinity (LSB #604), that Saint Patrick bound unto to himself the strong name of the trinity - even better than that, this truth: that the triune God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - has bound Himself to us. 

To bless you and keep you.

To make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you.

To look upon you with favor, and give you peace. 

Beautiful words, to give you life. His life. Perfect life. As it was in the beginning.

In His Name, the Name of the Father, and of the (+) Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The Congregation at Prayer

For the Week of the Festival of the Holy Trinity (June 1-6, 2026)

Invocation: In the Name of the Father and of the (+) Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Speak the Apostles’ Creed. 

Verse: Matthew 9:13 – “Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Hymn of the Week:  Lutheran Service Book #689 “Let Me Be Thine Forever”

Hymns for Sunday: 915, 689, 624, 517 (v. 25), 567, 798

Readings for the Week: [The readings for Thursday-Saturday are the Scriptures for this coming Sunday.]

Monday: Deuteronomy 11:18-21, 26-28

How important is the Word of God? Where should they be? Why? When should they be? Why?

Tuesday: Romans 3:21-28

How are we all the same under the Law? How are we all the same under the Gospel? How is God the same always?

Wednesday: Matthew 7:15-29

How does who you are and what you do go together? Who are you? What do you do? Who is and does what you cannot? 

Thursday: Hosea 5:15—6:6

Why should we return to the Lord? How do we do this? What promises do we have? What does God desire?

Friday: Romans 4:13–25

Was it easy for Abraham to believe God? Why is faith hard? How is faith harder than keeping the Law? But why is it better?

Saturday: Matthew 9:9–13

Why were the Pharisees upset with Jesus? What did they think Jesus was doing wrong? What was Jesus doing right?

The Catechism - The Creed: The Second Article [part 3]: And [I believe] in Jesus Christ . . . suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell . . . What does this mean? I believe that Jesus Christ . . . has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and His innocent suffering and death . . .

Collect for the Week: Almighty and most merciful God, You sent Your Son, Jesus Christ, to seek and to save the lost. Graciously open our ears and our hearts to hear His call and to follow Him by faith that we may feast with Him forever in His kingdom; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

The Prayers:  Please pray for . . .

+ yourself and for all in need (remembering especially those on our prayer list).

+ God’s blessing, wisdom, and guidance for our congregation’s Investment Committee.

+ the Portuguese Evangelical Lutheran Church, for God’s wisdom, blessing, guidance, and provision.

+ God’s blessing, guidance, wisdom, and provision for our Synod’s Soldiers of the Cross program.

Conclude with the Lord’s Prayer and Luther’s Morning or Evening Prayer from the Catechism.

Now joyfully go about your day (or to bed) in good cheer, child of God!

Collect for the Week © 2018 Concordia Publishing House.

Lutheran Service Book Hymn License: 110019268

Sermon for the Feast of Pentecost

LISTEN

Jesu Juva

“From Jesus’ Heart to Yours”

Text: John 7:37-39; Acts 2:1-21; Introit

 

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

What the prophet Joel proclaimed and Jesus promised has now been fulfilled. On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit is poured out in fullness upon the Church.

We heard Joel’s prophecy today from Peter’s preaching in the reading from Acts, that in the last days, God would pour out His Spirit on all flesh. 

And the past few weeks we have heard Jesus’ promises. When He had promised His disciples a Helper, the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, who He would send them from the Father (John 14:26; 15:26). And when right before He ascended, as we heard just last week, He told them they would be clothed with power from on high. And then He instructed them to stay in the city until that happened (Luke 24:49).

And today we heard when it did. The Day of Pentecost. Jews from all over the world had gathered to celebrate the Feast. A Pentecost feast, it turns out, unlike any other. For just as Jesus had transformed the great Feast of the Passover, filling it with new meaning, with Himself as the new Passover Lamb, and with a new deliverance - not from the slavery of Egypt but our slavery to sin - so now He transforms the great Feast of Pentecost, from the beginning of the wheat harvest to the beginning of the harvest of souls, with the work of the Holy Spirit. 

And so led by the Holy Spirit, and empowered with the Holy Spirit, the disciples would now go out to all the world to proclaim Jesus as Saviour and Lord. To proclaim the promise, that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. A calling upon made possible by that same Holy Spirit working faith in hearts through the Word. Working faith in Jesus crucified, risen, ascended, victorious, and reigning as the one true God.

That is to say, Jesus glorified. For our faith is not just in a mighty God, a sovereign God, a transcendent God, but in a dying God. A God whose glory is not just to be mighty, sovereign, and transcendent, but whose glory is to lay down His life to save the world. That’s why many couldn’t figure Jesus out. They expected big and powerful Messiah, not Jesus. They expected their Messiah to smite their enemies, not be smote, crucified, by them! So Jesus . . . He can’t be. 

So the people were thirsty. Thirsty for life, thirsty for God, thirsty for hope. The same ol’ same, ol’ was, well . . . the same ol’, same ol’! Day after day, year after year, nothing was changing. And if it was, it wasn’t for the better. The glory days of Israel . . . they wanted them back! The days of Kings David and Solomon, the days of peace and prosperity, they were a long time ago. Hard to imagine them ever coming back.

And it’s really the same today. Today, too, people are thirsty for life, thirsty for God, thirsty for hope. We’re chasing after life and hope but instead of finding them, we just get more thirsty. And tired. Nothing seems to change. Or if it does, not for the better. The internet came with such promise . . . until it got filled with pornography, and scammers and phishing schemes and trolls and misinformation and influencers and algorithms to addict us to it. AI, too. What’s real? What’s not? How do you know? Who’s informing it? How is it taking over? So maybe you, too, long for the good ol’ days - thirst for the good ol’ days! - when things were simpler, safer, saner. And for the glory days of the Church - a church filled with people, and when the Church had influence in our society. Days that are probably not coming back. 

Thirsty. That’s a pretty good description of our world, isn’t it? In so many ways you can picture the devil offering us a drink, then pulling it back. Here’s a drink! Or, there’s a drink! But never actually giving it to us. Or if he does, giving an empty cup. And then filled with evil glee at the confusion and pain and captivity and emptiness he lures us into.

But Jesus promises a drink. As we heard today, Jesus says If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. I will give you what the world cannot. I will give you what the devil will not. 

And is Jesus able to do that? Well, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ Rivers of water that give life - the life and hope we are thirsty for. 

And what is this water? This he said about the Spirit. For the Spirit gives what no one else can - what we need, what we are thirsty for: the gifts of God won for us by Jesus on the cross. 

And so the cross had to come first. For as yet the Spirit had not been given, [like this] because Jesus was not yet glorified. 

Now, the Spirit had been active and working before. He is mentioned often in the Old Testament - from creation to the prophets to overshadowing Mary when Jesus was conceived in her virgin womb. But He had not before been poured out like this. This was new. This was different. Because Jesus had now been glorified in being hung up on the cross. For there, on the cross, in a way like no other, we see the love of God and the glory of God, in all that He would use His might and sovereignty to do for us. And so from there also the Spirit is poured out for us in a way like no other. 

For when Jesus was crucified, we are told that when one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, at once there came out blood and water (John 19:34). Now surely there are physical, medical reasons for that, bit this is not merely a physical report being giving to us - there is also the spiritual meaning for that. That out of Jesus’ side, out of Jesus’ heart - His heart filled with great love for us in laying down His life for us - out of that heart pours the blood of the altar and the water of the font. The very places our hunger and thirst are satisfied. No bait and switch here! No offering and pulling back. Just gifts. The gifts we need. The gifts we can find no where else. The gifts that from the Spirit flow (LSB #498 v. 7). The Spirit poured out from and by Christ crucified.

So what are you thirsting for? Forgiveness, meaning, value, purpose, life, hope, love, peace? The world cannot give these things. Or if it does, only in the smallest measure. And usually only for the shortest time. Until it decides not to. Until it’s standards change, or it’s opinions change, or your usefulness to them ends. And they pull back the cup . . . and you are left thirsty.

But not so with Jesus. From Him comes that river of living water that never runs out. The Spirit poured out to fill us with the forgiveness, life, hope, love and peace of God, and to give our lives meaning and purpose and value. Because if Jesus would lay down His life for you, it was to raise you up as He was raised up, to a new and eternal life. A life you have already begun to live in Him.

Because you have received His Spirit. The pouring out of the Spirit that began on that Pentecost continues still today. The sound of the mighty rushing wind replaced by the voice of those who speak the Word, and the mark of the tongues as of fire replaced by the mark of the cross applied in the water of Baptism. But though the signs change, it is the same Spirit, bringing Jesus and His gifts to you, and you to Jesus. That all you need, all you are thirsting for, you have. 

So if you find yourself still thirsty, still empty, still searching, hounded by sin, tormented with doubts and fears, striving for acceptance, chasing after meaning, what are you trying to satisfy your thirsting and hungering and searching with? Is it with what the world is offering? Where the thoughts and opinions of men are telling you it is? Is it constantly changing? Does the bar keep moving? Are you striving harder and harder but only getting more thirsty, more hungry, and less hopeful, and less peace? 

If so, and I think that happens to all of us from time to time - or maybe a lot of the time! - maybe it’s time for a change; time to be transformed. From the old, to the new. That with Jesus’ new Passover and new Pentecost, there is a new you. In the world but not of the world or filled with the world. In the world but filled with Jesus and His Spirit and His gifts, that you hunger and thirst no more. But when you do, come back and drink deeply of His Word and forgiveness, and eat and drink Jesus’ Body and Blood. And be filled with His life - which has no end.

When Jesus spoke those words we heard from Him today, John told us it was the last day of the feast, the great day. But when Jesus returns for us on the Last Day, the great day, it will not be the last day of our feast, but just the beginning of the Feast! The Feast of heaven. The marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom was has no end. Where, as the book of Revelation tells us (7:16-17), in words very similar to those we heard today . . .

They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; . . .
For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd,
    and he will guide them to springs of living water,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.

No more hunger. No more thirst. Just Jesus. Just life. Life without end. That’s what the Day of Pentecost is all about. Not weird signs and wonders! But this new life. Begun now. And with no end. 

So on this day, we who are thirsty pray: Come, Holy Spirit! Come from the heart of Jesus and fill the hearts of the faithful. Fill us! That from our hearts, too, flow rivers of living water. That filled with You and Your life, that from our hearts and lives, all we think and speak and do, be filled with the Spirit of God. New lives filled with faith and hope and love. 

In the Name of the Father, and of the (+) Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.