Pentecost “Where is God?”
May 23rd, 2021 – John 16:7
May you receive from God the good you have not deserved, not get the bad you have, and may you have peace with God through the blood of our Ascended Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Where is God?
Where is God? Last week, we talked about Jesus ascending from earth into heaven. Jesus is God so God is in heaven. We also know that Jesus ascended to sit on His throne at the right hand of God the Father to rule our world. The Father too is God, so God is in Heaven.
When a Christian dies, we know they go to be with God (Luke 23:43). Again, this says God is in Heaven.
Is this our final answer to the question, “Where is God?”
Next question, “Where are we?”
Many things would tell us we are on earth. If you do not agree with this point, we should probably talk. Assuming we recognize the fact that we are on earth: then God is in Heaven, and we are on earth. It would seem a great chasm has been fixed between us and God which can only be crossed when we die and ascend up to heaven in spirit while our body remains below.
This is a problem.
Chasm
In fact, this is an ancient problem. In the beginning when God formed Adam from the earth with His hands; God was with Adam. When God breathed life into Adam, God was with Adam. When God took a rib from Adam and formed Eve, He was with Eve. With Eve, God looked at His creation of mankind and called it ‘very good.’ God walked with Adam and Eve in the garden. It was perfect as it should be; and perfect as it will be in The Resurrection. It was intimate. God was forming with His hands, breathing with His mouth, and walking with His legs in a closeness with humanity.
We all know what happens next, humanity disobeys God. Humanity betrays God and hides themselves from God. Humanity can no longer be with God and will need to die.
All the while after, the history books show God trying to make a way to be close to His humanity again and humanity always messing it up. All the rules and regulations of Leviticus – The Temple and sacrificial system are God making a way to be close to His people. He dwells in the centre of Israel’s camp, literally in the bullseye, on His throne atop the ark of the covenant but only when they follow the rules. They must be clean and holy as God is holy in order to be in His presence. For humanity to go into God’s presence unclean would be like a Bruin’s fan going to a Montreal Canadian’s house wearing their Bruin’s jersey. No good.
To be in God’s presence they need to be pure as He is pure. They need to be like Him.
God Provider
So, God has some intimacy with His people, but it is not like it was in the garden.
Yet, God never stops being their Father. God never stops providing for them. God still sent the sun and the rain. Still caused the seed to grow. God still provided for his creation of the ‘mother’ earth. God cared for the mother earth that he formed and brought humanity out of. Yet, everything about the earth and in the earth is His creation and not Him.
It’s like God is a Father who builds a house and leaves His kids in it as He goes off to work for many years. Perhaps they recognize where the money sent home to them comes from – maybe they don’t believe they really have a father anymore. Maybe they believe it is the wood and four walls themselves that provide for their needs. They do have a father, and a father who provides for them, but what good is that if their father provides but is never there with them?
A Father’s Intimacy
There is something very important, very necessary, about a Father’s intimacy. It’s one thing for a father to send letters back, like God speaking through the prophets, but it’s not the same as God actually being here with us.
Christmas
Christmas is the massive celebration it is because it finally is God coming from heaven to earth to be with us. Christmas is about God being born into our world to walk among us and finally make a way to be with us forever. It’s our Father coming to live among us as the Son. But after Jesus’ ascends, it seems a little lacking. We have to now wait for Him to come back? We hate waiting! Here’s where the big event of today comes in. Pentecost.
Pentecost
Jesus knew His disciples were sad about His leaving (John 16:6). Jesus knew they were worried about being left as orphans (John 14:18). Jesus knew they still had much to learn (John 16:12).
Jesus made a few promises about being with them, and us too, going forward. Jesus says, “surely I am with you to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20); “Never will I leave you or forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6); “I will send the [Holy Spirit] to you” (John 16:7). Jesus does not intent to leave us. He does not intend to be that distant Father and rule the world tossing us the odd bone. He intends to dwell within our very selves through the Holy Spirit.
At first glance, the great rushing wind and tongues of flame at Pentecost do not seem like much. Maybe they seem like something new. When we look back, the Holy Spirit, is the Ruach that hovered over the waters at creation. The Ruach is the breath of God, the great wind that Ezekiel prophesies and the enters into the dry bones in the valley and they live. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth. The presence of God with the Israelites in the desert was a pillar of cloud and a pillar of fire. Now, through Jesus’ perfect Temple Sacrifice, God’s very presence dwells in us. God lives in our very bodies through His Spirit which Jesus sent to us. The tongues of fire represent the God who was in the desert with the Israelites is now dwelling within us (1 Corinthians 6:19).
So, if God is dwelling in us, where is God? God is in Heaven and on earth in us. That started at Pentecost. Pentecost is like Christmas 2.0. It’s like “Spiritmas.” It’s also known as the Birthday of the Church. Christians gathered together through the ways God tells us the Spirit is at work among us.
Sacramental
What ways does God tell us the Spirit is at work among us? In Baptism where God pours out The Holy Spirit on us (Titus 3:5-8). In Holy Absolution where sins forgiven on earth are forgiven as in Heaven (John 20:20-23). In the Supper where Jesus says He is present among us in His body and blood (Luke 22:19-20). In His Word where the Holy Spirit convict us concerning sin and righteousness and judgment (John 16:8).
The Spirit began this work among us, the Church, on Pentecost. The Spirit works forgiveness of sins through these Means of Grace applying Jesus death in Jerusalem 2000 years ago to us in the here and now using these special ways.
The fire of the Holy Spirit still spreads even today. The Holy Spirit spreads and burns among us in the Church even now. The Holy Spirit will burn and will be God-with-us until Christ comes again and we live with God forever in the paradise of The Resurrection.
Where is God?
Right now, He burns within you. And He nourishes you with His body and blood. And He cares for you from Heaven above as our Lord and Father, with the Holy Spirit, one God now and forever. Amen.