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Disclaimer: This is a transcript of Pastor Fenker’s sermon. It was preached from an outline, and the transcript taken automatically from the audio. Please forgive any typographical or formatting errors.

Peace, I leave with you, my peace, I give to you, not as the world gives, do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

᛭ INI ᛭


What sort of Pentecost does Christ wants you to have? The answer is pretty simple and not maybe what you expect, but Christ in the upper room, the night on which he was betrayed, right before he goes out to the garden of Gethsemane has the answer. The type of Pentecost that Christ wants you to have is one that is filled with peace. 


And this, of course, has everything to do with the Holy Spirit. But we’ll get there in just a little bit. Christ today promises peace, peace, I leave with you, my peace, I give to you. 


Christ promises peace because, as we know from the scripture, he is the prince of peace. In his birth, in his incarnation, Christ brought peace on earth and goodwill toward men. That is what the angels proclaimed at his birth, and it is true. 


He has brought peace on earth, unifying all peoples in himself by faith. By baptism through faith, there is now neither Jew nor Greek. We are all one in Christ Jesus, who was born for us. 


Christ promises the peace that he’s secured by his cross. He made peace by the blood of his cross, Paul says. And this is why Christ himself speaks of bringing his peace to his disciples here in the upper room right before he goes to his suffering and death. 


Christ also promises the peace that his resurrection brings. And we have peace now, even in the face of all that the world can throw at us peace, even in the face of death, so that we know, we do not grieve like others do who have no hope. Because we who believe in Christ have peace, knowing that Christ will come again, and that God will bring with him those who sleep in Jesus, as Paul says. 


Christ promises peace. But it’s a different sort of peace than the world has, not as the world gives. Do I give to you, Christ says. 
And the world, pedals, peace. They offer a fake piece. or a piece that is no not lasting at all. The world only knows of one type of peace where one walks softly and carries a big stick. 
It was the same piece that was offered in the time of Christ. It was called the Roman piece, the pox Romana. A piece secured around the Roman Empire by brute force. 


Christ was on the receiving end of the Roman peace, a peace that would line the streets, with crosses, pave it with blood. But no matter who’s in charge, the world proclaims that there’s peace and there’s safety. There’s no reason to freak out or get upset. 
Or maybe there is, but then they’re always wrong. But the peace and safety that the world proclaims gives way. As Paul says to swift destruction. 


And no matter what peace the world gives, it is temporary. The Roman peace didn’t last. Where is the Roman Empire now? 
Nowhere. Even in our day, the peace we have is temporary. Nations rise and fall. 


They wax and wane. Warmongers campaign on platforms of peace. But not as the world gives does Christ give peace. 
And for this, he goes away to his father. That the Father would send the helper, the comforter in Christ’s name. And the spirit is the helper and the comforter because the spirit is the one who brings peace. 


And peace in the scriptures is not any sort of mental well being or state of mind. It’s a way of being. It’s a state of being. 
It is wholeness. It is wellness. It is mental peace, physical peace, all wrapped up into one. 


And of course, the spirit is the one who brings peace to you and to me, because that’s his job. It’s what he does. He did it in the beginning. 


At creation. Hovering over the waters. He brought peace to creation. 
He is the Lord and giver of life. And the Spirit brought peace to Pentecost. as well. When the day of Pentecost was completely fulfilled, and the sending of the Spirit on the apostles. 


The world was churning with many languages, the curse of Babel. But now the many languages are united. in one gospel, the preaching of the apostles. But the spirit here brings peace, not just of a state of well being, but rather Christ peace. 


He brings Christ’s peace to your remembrance. That is fully the spirit’s job, not just to bring peace, but to bring Christ’s peace to your remembrance. And to do this, Christ says that he will declare all that Christ has said, And that is true. 


And so we have the gospels. The spirit inspired the apostles to write them. But the Spirit also brings to remembrance all that Christ has done. 


As John declares of Palm Sunday. shortly before this reading in John 12, that the disciples did not understand Palm Sunday. But after Christ was glorified, raised from the dead, then they remembered. And here we see that it was the spirit, bringing them to remembrance. 


So also you and me, the spirit proclaims to you, what Christ has done, that Christ has died for your sins, that he was raised for your justification on the 3rd day, that, and that whoever calls on the name of the Lord, the Lord, who was crucified and raised for him, then that person, is saved. And Christ preaches this message, the Spirit preaches this message all over the world. Christ preaches peace to those who are far off. 


And those who were near. For through the word and the sacraments, the Holy Spirit is given, and he works faith in those who hear the gospel, where, and when it pleases God, and those who believe that they are received into God’s favor for Christ’s sake alone. The Spirit brings Christ, peace, death, and resurrection. 


Christ has died and is raised for you. You are baptized. You receive Christ’s body and blood. 


This is all the spirit’s work for you. But the spirit’s not done. The Holy Spirit not only brings Christ’s peace to your remembrance, the forgiveness of sins, to remembrance, that you have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, to remembrance. 


But the Spirit then brings Christ’s peace into your life. As Christ says, The ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing on me. It is true. 


Christ died and risen. But the ruler of this world, the devil, has nothing on you either. Christ gospel goes out. 


That he is the son of the living God, died for the sins of the world. And on this, Christ builds his church and the gates of hell. cannot prevail against it. The devil cannot withstand it, not only the kingdom, but Christ’s brothers, the sons of peace, as Christ calls them, and you too, are a son of peace. 


For Christ has called you by name. You are his in and through the waters of holy baptism. And the spirit has been poured into your heart. That you would cry out in prayer. Pray to the Father. The spirit is your gift so that his fruit would be manifest in your life. And one of those fruits is peace. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. This is the fruit of the spirit.


And the spirit in your life works peace, not only in your heart, but through you, to others. so that we no longer overcome evil with evil, but rather we overcome evil with good. The kings of the earth might walk softly and carry a big stick, but not so amongst Christians. Christians one to another, or Christians with their worldly neighbors. 


We no longer overcome evil with evil, but evil, with good. We live peacefully, with everyone, so far as it depends on us. We let our love be genuine, fervent, toward one another, as Christians, and then of course, to all people. Be angry and do not sin. Forgive one another, as God in Christ forgave you. This is the message and the work of the Spirit. 


And the peace of Christ that the Spirit brings into your life is one that endures your whole life through. Not only in terms of faith in Christ and love for your neighbor, but ultimately, Christ’s peace will be yours eternally. For dwelling in the resurrection. 


Then there will be final and full peace. For there will be no more death, nor mourning, nor sickness, nor crying, nor pain, for the former things will have passed away, swallowed up in the power of Jesus resurrection, and the Lord God will wipe away every tear from your eye. All of that. 


All of this, is the sort of Pentecost that Christ wants you to have, a peace filled one. He himself promises peace as the prince of peace, the one who crucified and raised for you, different from the world, and the spirit brings it to you and works it out in your life. This day, each day and even forever. 
In the name of Jesus.