“Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.” (Mark 3:20-35)

As followers of Jesus, we are now family – Jesus the radical King is the head of the family and we bear his likeness, sharing his power and authority – sharing the ways of his kingdom and living in obedience – we have a family business of living out God’s kingdom in word and deed. Let’s encourage each other in that task.

I’m always in awe of how people tell stories – of the skill involved in luring in the audience whether that’s in a book or film or TV or theatre . Storytelling has changed a lot as our culture has changed so has the way we take in the telling of stories. I was listening to a podcast recently about how streaming platforms have changed how TV shows and films are created. There’s an expectation that when people are watching this content they might also be on their mobile phones and so their attention isn’t fully on what they’re watching. Content creators are to not make storylines too complicated because it’s unlikely that full attention is being given. Theres a need for things to be fast paced. There’s nothing wrong with a slow developing story but even I find myself wanting quickness and action with what I’m involved with, whether that’s a book or a show. I want to get stuck into the action of what’s taking place.

Mark’s Gospel is definitely a gospel of action. Mark’s gospel doesn’t contain the the sermon on the mount of Matthew or the sermon on the plain of Luke. There aren’t big chunks of teaching – a lot of it is about the action of Jesus. If we look through the first three chapters of Mark we see that. Jesus has been busy: healing and driving out demons (1:21-34); healing and forgiving sins of the paralysed man (2:1-12); befriending sinners (2:13-17); upsetting the pharisees (2:23-3:6); encountering crowds (3:7) and impure spirits (3:11) and finalising his team (3:13-19). There is a lot of action that all points to who Jesus is and what he came to do.

Up to and including our reading today from the first three chapters of Mark there are already opinions of Jesus and his ministry. Word has got around – the general public have seen his power and the crowds flock wherever he goes. Today’s passage shows us that there was so many people crowded there there wasn’t room to eat. We also get an idea of what his family think of him – words got back to the family about what he’s doing and they seem to take it upon themselves to find him – thinking that he’s mad. And then we have the opinions of the teachers of the law, the scribes, Pharisees, herodians – in the beginning of chapter 3 they want to destroy Jesus. In our passage today, they think he’s possessed.

As we said, Marks gospel is one of action things are punchy and to make it punchy Mark has a way of editing and composing his book to communicate in really effective ways to highlight who Jesus is. I’m fascinated by the role of editors in the entertainment industry – there’s this plethora of material that has been written or filmed and then a really skilled editor can cut things in a way that gets to the heart of what the storytelling is about. They are able to edit and cut and position things in a way that really gets the message across. And that’s what Mark has done in his writing. He’s edited his material in way that really communicates things about who Jesus is and the kingdom he demonstrates in quick snappers of information.

One of Mark’s editing tools is the use of a sandwich. He’ll start something then they’ll be an interruption and then he finishes the starting thought. like a sandwich. the starting and the finishing are the bread and the middle is the filling. Together it makes sense and holds together and communicates something that might seem separate but actually holds together to make a strong point.

In our passage today the bread are the first two verses and the last five verses and the filling is from verse 22 to 31, where we have this weird kind of Beelzebul controversy and on first reading we might think how is that related but hopefully we’ll see.

In v 22, we get the accusation from the teachers of the law that Jesus is of the Devil, that he has an impure spirit. Almost feels like desperation on the part of the teachers of the law that they’re so desperate to destroy Jesus they’re trying to create any kind of conspiracy to diminish Jesus’ ministry and popularity.

Then we get this explanation in v 23-26 that shows if that were true why would Satan want to destroy himself – Jesus has been casting out demons so why would Satan drive out Satan? if Jesus was of Satan what would be the point? When a kingdom is divided it often collapses or becomes weaker as a result – division leads to Civil War. Satan’s reign would end.

And Jesus says that’s what he has come to do, not because he’s of Satan but he’s come as a stronger one to tie up the devil. Tom Wright put it this way: the stronger one has arrived and the strong one finds his house burgled. Jesus’ healings and particularly his exorcisms are signs that God‘s kingdom is indeed arriving – the kingdom in which people who have been held captive will at last be set free. This freedom comes through the forgiveness of sins (v28) as he brings in the new kingdom.

In the context of Jesus being accused of being if the Devil Jesus reveals more about who he is and what he has come to do. Then we get this interesting verse, v 29, which is often taken out of context and causes lots of puzzlement and confusion. We need to keep it within the context of what Jesus is saying in response to this accusation that he’s possessed by the devil and the misunderstanding of who he really is.

With relation to this verse about this unforgivable sin and blaspheming of the Holy Spirit- I found Tom Wright’s thinking on this really helpful so I’m going to read this: ‘Once you label what is in fact the work of the Holy Spirit as the work of the devil there is no way back you will be blind to the truth if you decide firmly that the Doctor who is offering to perform a lifesaving operation on you is in fact a statistic murderer you will never give your consent to the operation.’

I found that imagery really helpful – Jesus himself said earlier on in Mark’s Gospel about a doctor being for the sick and not for the well. If you don’t believe that Jesus is going to be able to forgive our sins, if we don’t believe he is the Son of God and has the power to conquer sin and death then where do we stand? The Holy Spirit helps us to understand who Jesus is and if we reject him, we are blaspheming the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit helps us to come to a place where we invite Jesus into our lives and this unforgivable sin is about saying I don’t want Jesus in my life – I think that that is what this verse is about in the context of Jesus being the Son of God who is going to bring in a new kingdom and defeat the evil one.

So who is Jesus? From the passage is he the devil? Is he a madman? He was bringing in a new kingdom with power and authority. I think sometimes we might think that Jesus is meek and mild, that he is all about fluffy love. But last week Paul talked about how Jesus is a radical king bringing in a radical kingdom that turned a lot of the thinking of the day on its head.

If the filling of our passage from v22-39 is about Jesus bringing in a new kingdom that will oust Satan, where does the bread fit in? As we look at those verses from Mark 3:20-21 we read: When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.” that’s the top bit of bread. And the bottom bit of bread comes from v31 to 35. These bread parts are emphasising the importance of whose family Jesus part of. Jesus is not of the Devil’s family. He’s bringing in a new kingdom that will extend God’s reign beyond the Jews to include Jew and Gentile, slave and free.

This new kingdom breaks the mould of what has gone before. Jesus doesn’t even fit with the normal family values of his day, he’s shaken them up. Jewish culture the family unit was tight and long-lasting, children often lived and worked closely with their parents. There was a sense of loyalty to family as being part of their God-given thinking. And yet in these verses following on from Jesus being accused of being a member of Satan’s family – Jesus challenges his loyalty to his family unit: “Who are my mother and my brothers? … Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.” Jesus will extend his family to include all believers in Him.

Jesus is not a madman he’s not the devil, but he is the Son of God shaking things up. He’s shaking up the understanding of who God is and how he acts and who he has chosen.

We are family. All who follow Jesus and want to do his will, are family. Part of our obeying God’s will is that we are a family of believers – some of us are quirky, we might not always get on with each other, there might be disagreements, but we are all family. How can people tell that we are family? What does that look like?

I think our demonstration of being family is impacted by who we think Jesus is in our lives. Are we trusting in God’s power to give us the strength and energy to show love for each other in the care and support we give to one another? What do we need Jesus to shake up so that we really are being family to each other?

How can we continue in his will, being part of the radical kings’ kingdom, being part of his family, growing in his likeness? In God’s family, we all have different skills and giftings, but we all work together in obedience to him.

So how do we show our community that we are family? How can they tell? What are we going to do so it’s clear that we are family with the authority and power that Jesus has given to us through his spirit as we live out our lives in obedience to Him?

Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So, the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:27-28)

God commanded the Sabbath for our good. As Jesus says, “The Sabbath was made for man.” Yes, Jesus also challenged the legalism that had been built up from human tradition around what could or could not be done on the Sabbath, because those Sabbath regulations had become a kind of slave master themselves. Yet he still saw the Sabbath as good for us.

Do we make sure we get the weekly day off work that God commands for our good? Or do we allow work to enslave us?

Mark 2:23-3:6 – What is the Sabbath for?

Russell Brand

Russell Brand is someone who in the past has not been worried about coming across as a radical, but who last autumn was also mired in controversy when he was accused of rape and abuse. More recently still, in perhaps a surprising twist, he has announced that he has become a Christian and been baptised.

We need to be careful about focussing on celebrities becoming Christians. Christianity is no more true or good because it is endorsed by a particular celebrity. There can also be a danger for celebrities who are new Christians and find that they have an authority to speak about Jesus because of their celebrity but lack the Christian maturity they need to do that in a Christian way.

Nonetheless, for someone like Russell Brand to become a Christian is an encouragement that people like him can and are turning to faith in Christ. It is useful to consider what has attracted him to Jesus.

In a recent video he said this:

“Is becoming a Christian a political act? Yes!

Is it about joining an institution that is by its nature conservative?

When I say conservative, I mean leave things the way they are. No!

I have become a Christian because I have surrendered to a figure that was a great radical and a great rebel. That believed that God’s kingdom would come to Earth, that indeed it did come to earth in his figure.”

It was the idea of Jesus as the ultimate rebel king, bringing in not just a better world, but God’s kingdom on earth that seemed to appeal.

But is it right to see Jesus as a great rebel? As someone who wanted to change the status-quo?

In our passage, Jesus is certainly seen as a controversial figure. At the end of the passage, the people in power want him dead!

The main arguments are around the issue of Sabbath – and we will think about how we should see the Sabbath today – but from the start of chapter 2 to the plot to kill Jesus in 3:6 Jesus has recorded five incidents in which Jesus is in conflict with the religious leaders of the day. He is challenging the status quo and claiming he has the authority to do so. Jesus is acting as a rebel king leading a true revolution.

Jesus the Rebel King:

He claimed a radical authority

Let’s look first at his claim for a radical authority.

1. Authority to Forgive Sins (2:1-12)

The story at the start of chapter 2, is the famous one, where Jesus heals the lame man who is friends have lowered from a hole in the roof to Jesus’ feet because the house is too crowded. That alone makes the story memorable, but the really radical thing that happened was that in front of some teachers of the Jewish Law he told the man that his sins were forgiven.

This was unheard of. Only God can forgive sins. In the eyes of these lawyers, to claim to forgive sins was to take the place of God. It was blasphemy.

Jesus response is to say in verse 10:  “I want you to know that The Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…” (2:10) and he proves his point by healing the lame man.

Jesus has claimed the authority of God to forgive sins and backed the claim up with an amazing miracle. He has also called himself by a new title: ‘The Son of Man.’

1. The Bridegroom (2:18-22)

In the third incident, Jesus goes a step further. He is asked why his disciples do not fast, like the disciples of all the other religious leaders, including John the Baptist. Jesus does not respond by saying that fasting is wrong or unnecessary, rather he responds by saying, that in their case fasting is inappropriate, because he is the ‘bridegroom’ and the guests of the bridegroom do not fast while he is with them, because they are celebrating his coming wedding. It would be a very strange stag do if no-one ate or drank.

This is a very strange thing for Jesus today. Calling himself a bridegroom, suggests a wedding, which in itself is a joyful celebration of a new beginning, a new relationship. Jesus seems at least to be claiming that he is bringing about a radical new beginning that is centred on him as a person.

But, it could be that Jesus is going even further. For in the Old Testament, it is God himself who is described as the bridegroom of God’s people. Once again, Jesus’ claims about himself, if untrue are verging on blasphemy.

1. Lord of the Sabbath (2:23-28)

In the fourth incident of conflict, when Jesus is criticised for allowing his disciples to pick corn on the Sabbath, his response it to refer back to an Old Testament story where David leads his men to break the law and eat the bread that only the Priests were allowed to eat. This was clearly breaking the law, but in the circumstances, David is not condemned for it, rather it is accepted as appropriate in the situation.

By using this argument, Jesus seems to be putting himself in the place of David, the king of Israel, to whom God promised that one of his sons would always be on the throne. But Jesus goes even further in verse 28, by claiming that he as the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.

This is the second time he has used the title, ‘Son of Man.’ It is one he will use frequently in Mark and usually in the context of his conflict with the authorities, who are out to kill him.

The title refers to a great vision recorded in Daniel 7. There the different kingdoms of the earth are pictured as terrifying beasts, which is meant to show the corruption and oppression of human power systems. God, however, replaces these beastly kingdoms with a new kingdom, which has one like a ‘Son of Man’ in charge.  The title is probably meant to show that the new kingdom God brings in shows us the true humanity, that the beastly kingdoms fail to bring in.

In using the term, Son of Man, Jesus claims to be the figure bringing in God’s new kingdom. He also claims to be bringing in a rule that enables true humanity as opposed to the corruption created by the man-made systems of the world.

In contrast, those who seek to kill the Son of Man show themselves to be representatives of the beast-like kingdoms of the world. Radically, that turns out to include the Pharisees who are meant to be upholding the Law of God. So, what had they got wrong?

The challenge to the Pharisees

Let’s look at two of the key confrontations between Jesus and the Pharisees illustrated in Mark 2 and 3.

1. Eating with Sinners

example, they thought that to encourage righteous living, the wicked and unrighteous should be shunned and avoided. Jesus, however, did the opposite. In 2:14 he called a tax-collector, Levi to become one of his followers, someone who had sold his soul to the non-Jewish occupying forces, by agreeing to collect taxes for them in order to get rich himself.

Then rather than avoiding the wicked and sinners, he spent time with them and had a party with them at Levi’s house. To the Pharisees this was outrageous: “Why does he eat with sinners and tax collectors?” They asked. Jesus’ response was not just to claim that such behaviour was OK, but fundamental to what he was about:

“It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but those who are ill. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (2:17)

We may have qualms about someone like Russell Brand, with his reputation for wrongdoing, becoming a Christian. But surely Jesus celebrates people like him coming to faith. It is the Pharisees who would see it as unacceptable.

1. Healing on the Sabbath

The second issue on which Jesus and the Pharisees clashed on was the Sabbath. Observing the Sabbath was a key identity marker for Jews. It set them apart from the rest of the world and they were keen to make sure they observed it properly, to make sure they did not work on the holy day.

But what counted as work? And were there exceptions? Such questions caused a lot of discussion and debate and led to the Pharisees and teachers of the law drawing up a very long and complicated rulebook about what was and what wasn’t allowed on the Sabbath. The point was they said, to ensure the Sabbath was kept.

But they had built a man-made rulebook on top of a divine command. They had distorted the good law aimed at making us more human and created a beast of legalism that demanded the obeyance of all before it or risk public condemnation.

In contrast, Jesus, the Son of Man, says,

“The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” (2:27)

He as the Son of Man has come to destroy the beast, to restore the Law to its true purpose. The Sabbath was to bring liberation from work, joy and blessing to people, not curse them with a legalistic straight jacket

So, a showdown is set in 3:1-6. As Jesus comes into the synagogue that Sabbath, with a man who has a withered hand, would he as the Son of Man defy the beast and risk their wrath by healing the man or would he challenge their excessive legalism and bring restoration and healing – true humanity.

The tension is high, and the emotions are strong. Jesus says:

“Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to good or to do evil,

to save life or to kill?” (3:4)

No-one answers. They are not concerned with the truth, goodness or salvation. All they care about is obedience to their ways.

Mark tells us that Jesus was angry at their hardness of hearts, their unwillingness to change or let go of the status quo. Anger is an appropriate response to the oppression of the beast. It is a necessary emotion in any revolution.

So, Jesus defies the beast. He heals the man. How does the beast respond? It licks its lips and goes away plotting to destroy Jesus. Even here at the start of the gospel, the shadow of the cross looms large. The beast will have his day, but the Son of Man will ultimately triumph.

Jesus Lord of the Sabbath: How should we embrace the Sabbath?

So, if we as Christians are followers of this rebel king. How should we live and behave in our world? The man-made power structures of today are different to those that Jesus was dealing with. Each beast corrupts true humanity in different ways, but we are called to follow Christ, the Son of Man, even when it means rebelling against the ways of our world.

That will include like Jesus, being willing to mix with and call those that others might avoid or reject, in the hope that they too might come to know the joy of following Jesus. But it will also include a right attitude towards the Sabbath.

Two points to make.

A Positive view of Sabbath

Firstly, Jesus did not reject the idea of Sabbath, he says the Sabbath is made for man. It is something that does us good. It is a gift for us to enjoy. The question should not be “What am I not allowed to do on the Sabbath?”, but “How can I ensure I receive the liberation from work, restoration and joy that God designed the Sabbath to bring?”

A Rebel attitude in our society

Secondly, though in our society, to receive the blessing of the Sabbath, we do not need to be rebels against legalism, but the strong pressure to work 7 days a week. A pressure that comes from desiring more money or wanting to please our bosses.

For many people in our society to take the command of the Sabbath seriously does not require rebelling against legalism, but against the constant pressures to work more and more. Let’s pray for God’s strength to do just that. Let’s pray that we can truly be followers of Jesus’ the rebel king.

‘The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ.’ (Romans 8:16-17a)

This week we celebrate Trinity Sunday where we reflect on the mystery and wonder of God, being Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Trinity is not some sort of abstract description of God. The Trinity bears witness to the fact that the life of God is shared life – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – in relationship with each other, distinct but one.

This shared life between Father, Son and Holy Spirit is a life we’ve been invited in to. We are part of that relationship – we’ve been co-opted into the family.

“And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:22)

This weekend Fiona and I celebrate twenty years serving at St. Luke’s in Ramsgate. God has been at work during those twenty years. People have come to faith and others have found a Christian home and family within the church or been helped in their walk of discipleship. People come and go, but the Christian faith is not ultimately about filling a building. Rather, as the verse above says, it is about God building a community of people to fill it with his Holy Spirit. Let us pray for God to do that more and more in the future!

Does Twenty Years feel like a short time?

A number of people have said to me in the lead up to the twentieth anniversary, whether twenty years has felt like a short time? I have generally been answering, “No!”

I think the reason I answer, ‘No!’ is because a lot changes in twenty years. For example, twenty years before I came to St. Luke’s I was only 14. That means in the twenty years before coming to St. Luke’s, I had left home, done two degrees, spent five years teaching, got married, ordained and had three children. A lot can happen in twenty years!

And the last twenty years have seen big changes for us as a family as the children have grown through school and gone off to university.

Similarly, over the last twenty years, many of those who were at St. Luke’s when I arrived and still at school are now married, with careers and children. One or two are even preachers in their own right! Twenty years is almost the transition from one generation to the next.

Different phases of life

It has been interesting to reflect over the last twenty years. It is hard to remember what happened in what year, but more naturally, we tend to remember changes or moments, that bring in new phases of life, when life shifts gear from one way of living to another.

National Events bringing in new phases of life

And nationally there have also been significant changes over the last twenty years, that have led over time to transformations in people’s lives:

• 2004 – Facebook is launched and social media begins to grow into a major part of people’s lives.
• 2007 – First Smart Phones launched and access to the internet and social media is turbo charged.
• 2008- 2009, The financial crisis internationally and the closing of Pfizers, locally led to significant increases in deprivation in this area.
• 2016 – The vote for Brexit, which has changed our relationship with the rest of Europe.
• 2020 – The Covid Pandemic, the long term effects of which are unclear, but the short term effects of which we are only just recovering from.

It would be interesting to debate which of these changes in the last twenty years will have the biggest ongoing effect on our society or indeed the church. Also, whether the last twenty years will turn out to be an even more significant period, that moves our world not just from one phase to another, but one era to another.

Events in Church life bringing in new phases:

Looking back over twenty years as vicar at St. Luke’s, I think some of the key moments could include:

• 2005 – Introduction of small groups, although the style and make up of these groups has changed over the years, they have continued to be a key part of church life.
• 2009 – Start of Fusion Youth Group, which ran on Friday evenings for 10-18 year olds up until Covid.
• 2011-  New toilets installed in the church. One member, Reg Richardson, said I would be the vicar remembered for installing the toilets.
• 2020 – Interruption of Covid, led to massive overnight changes, and the ending of some ministries at St. Luke’s, but also lead to services on YouTube, which still continues.
• 2021 – Partnership with St. George’s and the Start of Cafe4All, were perhaps two of the biggest changes as we come out of Covid.

But, I wonder if you are someone who has been at St. Luke’s for twenty years, whether the phases of church life revolve around the key members who come and go. Perhaps the fact I have been here for twenty years, means you feel that not much has changed, that church life has remained relatively stable.

Or perhaps you think back to the involvement of some of the other key leaders who have moved on and the changes that has brought, Joy Brenchley running the Women’s Fellowship, which became Tuesday Friendship Club, led by Fay Hatton. Or the period when Patrick Couch as Lay Reader and his wife Carol who used to run the Sunday Club, both of whom did a lot to keep St. Luke’s going before and when I arrived. Perhaps for people here now, the last three years will be remembered as the era, when Claire was curate.

Pentecost – Launch of a New Era

Well, what has all this to do with Pentecost? All of this talk of different phases in life or changes in era are just tiny examples of the most significant change in history.

Pentecost was the last in a series of dramatic events that launched a new era. The cross, resurrection and ascension of Jesus, followed by Pentecost, when he sent the Spirit on the church were like a stone landing in the pool of human history, which sent out ripples that are still impacting us today.

Pentecost itself, was a dramatic, but incredible moment, which effected the relatively insignificant gathering of 120 of Jesus’s followers who were still in Jerusalem. As they gathered together to pray early one morning, there was a strange rushing sound, then what was like tongues of fire separating out and landing on each of their heads. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and suddenly each was able to speak in a foreign language. Each of these foreign languages could be understood by someone from the international community of Jews that were gathering in Jerusalem for the festival.

This was clearly a miraculous work and sign of God. Those watching on were amazed and perplexed and asked,

“What does this mean?”

It was a good question! Peter gets up to answer and begins with a quote from Joel, an obscure Old Testament prophet.

The quote begins,

“In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit…” (Acts 2:17)

The phrase, ‘In the last days…’ refers to an era. It does not say how many days, only that these are the last days, the era before God comes to finally wipe out evil and restore the earth.

Peter’s point is that these strange events show that this new era has started. They show that the Holy Spirit has been poured out on all the followers of Jesus. This is the fulfilment of Joel’s prophecy. We are now in the last days, the final key era in God’s plan.

Joel’s talk of wonders in heaven and signs on the earth are a figurative way of emphasizing that a new era has come, that something dramatic has changed on earth and in heaven. This is a seismic moment! Now everything is going to be different.

So, what has changed, what is different about this new era? Peter is quick to let his listeners know and he picks up on the last verse from his quote:

“And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

(Acts 2:21; Joel 2:32a; Romans 10:13)

Era of Jesus as Lord – 2:21, 36

Firstly, the pouring out of the Holy Spirit on Jesus’s followers, shows that Jesus is now at God’s right hand. That Jesus rules, that Jesus is Lord.

In history, eras are often linked to those who are in power, the big movers and shakers of the time. So we might talk of the Elizabethan era, referring to the reign of Queen Elizabeth first, or the Napoleonic era, referring to the time when Napoleon ruled over large parts of Europe.

But, Peter says, that Pentecost shows that Jesus now rules on the throne in heaven. In his talk he argues that the resurrection of Jesus demonstrates that He is God’s promised king, who now rules at the right hand of God. His conclusion of the talk is:

“Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” (Acts 2:36)

Unlike any human ruler, his rule is not limited to a few decades or a certain geographical area, his rule is eternal and universal. This is a bold claim for a Galilean fisherman speaking in a city on the fringe of the Roman Empire.

Yet, now most of the world now measures its years from the time of Jesus. We say we live in 2024, because it is meant to be 2024 years from the coming of Jesus. Before we took up this measuring system, people used to date the year, by who was ruling the empire at the time and how long they had been in power. Whether people like it or not, the fact that we measure our years from Jesus’ time, shows how massive an impact this crucified Jew has had on the world and that many people down the ages, say that is because he is now on the throne of heaven.

For us as Christians, when we look to Jesus’s rule, we can feel confident and secure that He is in charge no matter what happens, to us or our world.

What we need to be careful of as Christians, though, is not to allow church leaders or mentors to take the place of Jesus in our lives. Leaders will come and go – even ones who stay for over twenty years. They are far from perfect and will let you down. But we are not told to call on church leaders for salvation or even obey church leaders as our Lord. We are told to call on Jesus as our Lord.

Era of Salvation – 2:21, 38-39

Secondly, this is now the era of salvation, for those who call on Jesus as Lord, who align themselves with him and trust that his once and for all sacrifice on the cross will bring them forgiveness of sins.

Peter’s conclusion says:

“Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” (Acts 2:36)

The people Peter was talking to were mainly not those who condemned Jesus to be crucified. Yet, he says that it is their responsibility. The reality of the human state is that we have so rejected God as our creator and lord and fallen so far into evil, that when his Son came as the most perfectly loving man, performing miracles of healing and preaching inspiring truths, the people called for him to be crucified. The cross revealed the true state of the human heart and how evil it is. We need saving from our sin.

When the people heard Peter, they cried out, “What shall we do?” Peter’s response comes in verses 38-39. He says,

 ‘Repent – accept that you need to change, that your evil heart needs dealing with –

and be baptised – align yourself with Jesus and his ways –

for the forgiveness of sins.’

How can God forgive the evil attitude that crucifies his Son? The rest of the Bible tells us, that the cross was also the means of salvation. Jesus took upon himself the full condemnation for all our evil, he paid the full debt for all our wrongdoing, so that we could be forgiven for our sins, become part of God’s people and live a better life following him. We can be saved when we call on the name of the Lord.

My hope is that as the result of what we as a church have been doing in the last twenty years is that people have been saved. The greatest joy of ministry is seeing people come to faith, the greatest sadness is when people seem to give up on that faith. What the new era of salvation shows us is that the mission of the church has to be about calling people to salvation. That was true that first Pentecost, it was true when I started at St. Luke’s and it is still true now.

Era of the Diverse People of God

Finally, Peter promises those who repent and are baptised will also receive the Holy Spirit.

Back in the prophecy of Joel in 2:17-18 it emphasizes the full diversity of people who will receive the Holy Spirit:

“In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.” (Acts 2:17-18; Joel 2:28-29)

In verses 1,4 of Acts 2, Luke also emphasizes that all those who were together, the Twelve apostles, the men and the women all received the Spirit and all were empowered to speak about God. That is what prophecy is in its broadest sense, talking about God to the world around.

The fact that they were enabled to do this in different languages, also emphasizes the diversity of the church that would spring into life. This was not to merely be an encouragement or spiritual experience for this medium sized congregation, it was to be the empowerment of everyone to play a part in spreading the message about Jesus to the whole world. And that is what they did. And that is how the world has been transformed by Jesus.

There is a danger in celebrating my Twenty Years at St. Luke’s. It can overemphasize the importance of my ministry and so diminish the importance of the ministry of every person in our churches.

Just as the Spirit did not fall on Peter alone, although he did the main speech, but on all 120, so the church is not just about the vicar alone, but about every person. Young or old, male or female, whether in front of large crowds or quietly with one other person, we can all speak about Jesus.

But church is more than just about speaking about Jesus. The word of Christ disconnected from people and community that live for Christ loses its power. Just as those first 120 were empowered when they came together, it is so important that we continue to come together to build a community and lives into which God can pour out his Spirit and from which his word can go out in power.

In my twenty years at St. Luke’s I am really grateful to the many people, who have worked with me to help build such a continuity. Some of you have been here for the whole twenty years and faithfully served in a variety of ways often unseen, others have come and gone, but nonetheless helped us as a community.

Let’s pray that God continues to build us all up, that the next twenty years at St. Luke’s – during which time I can guarantee I will leave, God will use the church even more powerfully to bring many to accept Jesus as Lord and find salvation in him.

Yours in Christ,

Paul