There are a number of very significant “commissionings” recorded in our Bible. On this Trinity Sunday, we might think of the commissioning of the prophet of Isaiah when he sees the Lord on the throne and the holy angels flying and singing, Holy! Holy! Holy is the LORD Almighty! (Isaiah 6:3) Or we might think of the commissioning of Moses at the burning bush to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt. Whenever the Lord commissions, it’s a big deal!
We celebrate today the Festival of the Holy Spirit. Someone has called the Holy Spirit “the forgotten member of the Trinity.” It was their experience that in churches much is said of God the Father. Much is made of God the Son – and with good reason! But to them, the Holy Spirit seems to be neglected.
Someone has said the scariest words to pray are “Thy will be done.” Those words, in essence, turn every situation over to God and say, “Do everything the way you want.” That can be scary! There is a part of us that doesn’t want to turn everything over to him. We would rather that God run his ideas past us. Ask for our input. Give us the “right of first refusal” if we don’t like the direction of things. Simply to turn all things over to him?
What we observe today is one of several “ascensions” recorded in the Bible. Before you label me a heretic, let me make my case. In Genesis 17 there is the story of when Abraham was 99 years old and, we are told, the LORD appeared to him. (Genesis 17:1) That’s important to note. Abraham didn’t just hear some disembodied voice. The LORD appeared visibly to Abraham.
Are you ready? Jesus told us to be. He told his followers: You will be hated by all nations because of my name. (Matthew 24:9) Do you feel the hatred of the nations? Here is the honest truth. We in our nation have been living a sort of “divine exemption” from all of this. By God’s grace and protection, our experience as Christians has been almost persecution-free.
At the center of Jewish worship life in the Old Testament was the Temple in Jerusalem. The first Temple was built at the time of David’s son, King Solomon. It was a magnificent structure! The Most Holy Place, that sacred inner room where the Ark of the Covenant was kept, was overlaid with about 20 tons of pure gold!
In order to understand our text this morning, we need to have an understanding of how sheep were cared for at the time of Jesus. During the day, flocks of sheep would be out on the hills grazing under the watch and protection of a shepherd. But at night, shepherds might lead their flock to a pen. This pen would be enclosed all around by a stone wall, high enough that sheep could not climb or jump over it. This large, open-air pen would be large enough that a number of flocks could be kept in there overnight together. In one of the stone walls there would be the one opening into the pen.
I don’t know if you have ever experienced a time in your life like this, but for me it was when I began my studies at the Seminary. It was unlike anything I had ever experienced! Each and every day we would go from one class to the next and do nothing but study Scripture. Each and every day my mind was blown by the discovery of something new. I remember thinking at the time, “This can’t really be what I get to do!” It was Scripture study to a degree and depth I had never known before.
Thomas was having none of it. His friends have told him that they have seen the risen Lord Jesus! It happened on Easter evening. They were all locked in a room to hide from the Jews. For whatever reason, Thomas was not with them. All of a sudden, the risen Lord was present with them! They tell Thomas, We have seen the Lord! (v. 25) And for them, seeing was believing!
Today is all about “good news.” It is the good news proclaimed by the angels at the empty tomb. He is not here; he has risen! (Matthew 28) This is such good news that it has its own word. The word the Church has used through the ages for this good news is “gospel.” “Gospel” comes from the Old English “good spell” which means “good news.”
