The Spirit is not the endpoint of the sermon, but the means by which this name is delivered and confessed.
This Pentecost, as you develop a message on the actual episode of Acts 2, dedicate yourself to sticking close to the narrative and interpreting it faithfully as a call to all of your hearers, even as Peter was inspired to preach to those confused about the mighty works of God being proclaimed in every tongue of every known people and tribe. Devote yourself to properly dividing law and gospel. And commit yourself to proclaiming, above all, the Christ who saves.
Now, that is an interesting challenge with the Acts 2 text. Notice how in Acts 2:1-21, Jesus is oddly absent (at least on the surface). I think that is where a homiletical opportunity exists. All the explicit narration of Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension is yet to come (and comes hot on the heels of this pericope, starting right at Acts 2:22 to the rest of the episode!). Do not gloss over this superficial absence. It is doing something.
This is not to say, of course, that there are not indirect references to Jesus which you should do your best to exploit and marshal for your purposes. The “ta megaleia tou theou,” the mighty works of God, is what the crowd hears at Pentecost, but in Luke’s writing, the content of those mighty works is the incarnation and cross, the resurrection and ascension of Christ. Jesus is present as content, but not yet explicit as proclamation. That is your calling this day, even as it was Peter’s! Even the timeline (for Peter’s people and for you and yours) is Christologically triggered. Joel’s prophecy signals eschatological fulfillment and Luke is clear that the last days begin with Jesus’s death, resurrection, and ascension. This is what Peter’s Pentecost sermon is all about, including the classic Yahweh-judgment language of the “yom Yahweh,” the Day of the Lord, now interpreted through the risen Jesus as Lord and judge. Jesus is the interpretive key to all of this, just not (yet) spoken aloud!
But the most important hinge is the very end of the pericope, where Peter quotes Joel 2:32 (3:5 in the Masoretic Text), saying, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Acts 2:21). In Joel, the Lord is Yahweh. Peter concludes his sermon by underscoring the identity of Jesus as this same Lord (refer to Acts 2:36). This is the Christological time bomb. The text says “Lord.” And Peter’s sermon will shortly say this Lord is Jesus.
So, what does this mean for your sermon? Consider that the text withholds Jesus in order to deliver Him. The question, “What does this mean?” (Acts 2:12) is not answered by the Spirit as spectacle (and entertainment to be mocked, as much as the morning crowd might want to imagine they are drunk on sweet wine!). The answer to the question is Jesus, the one finally named at Acts 2:22. At the end of this post, I will offer an outline which overtly front-loads Jesus and His person and work in the message, should you want to go that direction. But for just another few moments, let us imagine taking our cues from the suppression and tension, perhaps imbibing on the bewilderment of Peter’s own audience, and see where we can go if we do not resolve the tension too early.
The Spirit is not the sermon’s endpoint. The Spirit is a pointer, pointing beyond miracle to the mighty works of God.
The Spirit is not the sermon’s endpoint. The Spirit is a pointer, pointing beyond miracle to the mighty works of God. The content of the proclamation of tongues-speakers is already Christ-shaped, even if it is not specifically named. A good preaching move here follows suit: Do not preach about the Spirit as a phenomenon; preach the Spirit as the one who puts Jesus in your mouth. This is where we want to end, but it is also where we want to begin. Textually we can do that well with Acts 2:21: Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. As a preacher, you can say early on that Peter is about to tell you who the Lord is. This holds the tension but signals your destination early on. But you cannot rest on just phenomenon (Acts 2:1-13) and interpretation (Acts 2:14-21). The phenomenon as narrated is just confusion without Christ named. The interpretation as narrated is just Scripture without Christ specified. To phenomenon and interpretation must be added identification, and that is Acts 2:22, the Christ explicitly proclaimed. The bottom line for getting ready to preach this text is recognizing that Jesus is not explicitly present on the surface of the text, but He is the content of the mighty works, the cause of the last days, and the identity behind Peter’s “Lord” preaching. So, a Pentecost sermon that stays in Acts 2:1-21 without naming Jesus, without delivering His person and work for your hearer, is not just a gospel-less sermon, it is also textually incomplete.
Therefore, let the pressure of the text itself demand Jesus’ mention, and deliver Him concretely. Declare Him not as an idea(!), but as the crucified and risen Lord for your hearer (as Peter did for his). One way to do this is to start with the wrong question and then expose it. Luke gives us, “What does this mean” (Acts 2:12)? The crowd is assuming the meaning lies in the phenomenon of wind, fire, and languages. Preachers often follow them there, explaining the Spirit and unity, and the like. But you do not have to. Just turn it around on your hearer with, “If you are asking what the wind means, you are already asking the wrong question.” And you do not have to fill in that blank yet. Instead, name the pressure without naming Jesus yet. You can summarize Acts 2:1-21 by describing. Something has happened from Heaven. It is for all flesh. It signals the last days and judgment. And it demands a response, to call on the name of the Lord. This will land existentially for your hearer if you conclude with: “Something has happened that means the world is ending – and you are in it.” This is law preaching which has its effect. The hearer feels the weight of the “Day of the Lord” without relief. The question that does the work for you is not, “What does this mean?” Point it out, once again, and substitute the better one. “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. The only question left is not, ‘What does this mean?’ The only question left is, ‘Who is that Lord?’”
This, preacher, is where to deliver the goods. Name the cross and resurrection. Attach it to your hearer. It is for him, it is for her, and it is for the forgiveness of their sins. After that, you can return to the text. This is why the “pouring out” is happening at all! Concretizing the identification of Jesus should incline you to making the Spirit concrete as well. Do not let him simply float. He is wind that fills a house. He is fire that rests on bodies. He is tongues that enter mouths. This is some material, bodily, corporeal, concrete stuff. And what is it the Spirit put in their mouths? Not ideas, but a name. That is your bridge to “Jesus is Lord.” It is less explanation and more absolution. Notice how the Spirit is being poured out on all flesh, but that does not mean you have to dwell on the categories (young, old, male, female, and the like). If the Spirit is poured out on all flesh, it means the Lord has something to say about your flesh; your sin, your death, your judgment. So, calling on the name of the Lord is not just generic. It is personal. It is for your forgiveness, second-person-singular, in the here and now.
If the Spirit is poured out on all flesh, it means the Lord has something to say about your flesh; your sin, your death, your judgment.
Preachers are tempted to linger in the spectacle (wind, fire, and languages) or to generalize about “the Spirit at work.” Resist it. Luke himself builds tension toward a single, necessary question: “What does this mean” (Acts 2:12)? Peter’s answer, even before he names Jesus, narrows the field: The last days have come, judgment is real, and salvation hinges on this, “Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Acts 2:21). Do not leave “the Lord” undefined. That is the homiletical hinge. You need not flatten Luke’s sequence, but you must not delay the identification. This Lord is Jesus, the crucified and risen one. The Spirit is not the endpoint of the sermon, but the means by which this name is delivered and confessed. Therefore, move quickly from phenomenon to promise, and from promise to person. The goal is not to explain Pentecost, but to place Jesus on the hearer’s lips and into their ears as Lord-for-them, the one who forgives their sins and saves them from the coming judgment.
Finally, as I mentioned earlier, I leave you here with an outline for a sermon that is basically narrative/interpretation/application to the hearer. It blatantly front-loads the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus, and the confession of His name by the power of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthains 12:3). Whichever direction you go, God bless your preaching at Pentecost this week!
1. The Spirit Makes the Boldest Claim: “Jesus is Lord.”
- No one confesses Christ apart from the Spirit (1 Corinthains 12:1-3).
- The Spirit does not draw attention to Himself but drives us to Christ, crucified and risen.
2. Pentecost Proves the End Has Come (and Judgment Is Real).
- Peter interprets the signs (wind, fire, tongues) as evidence: The “last days” are here.
- The resurrection of Jesus confirms both judgment on sin and His lordship.
- This Word cuts to the heart: We are not spectators but participants in the sin that crucified Him.
3. The Promise: God Pours Out His Spirit on All.
- Joel’s prophecy fulfilled: “I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh.”
- No barriers – sons/daughters, young/old, slave/free.
- The Spirit creates a new people of God, united not by status but by grace.
4. The Spirit’s Work: Conviction → Repentance → Faith → Salvation.
- The Spirit convicts of sin – personally, not abstractly.
- The call is clear and exclusive: Repent and believe.
- Baptism and forgiveness are gifts, not achievements – God “pours out” salvation richly through Christ.
5. The Urgent Divide: Receive the Word or Resist It.
- 3,000 received the Word – but not all did.
- Knowledge is not enough; even belief in facts does not save apart from trust in Christ.
- The promise stands: “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Conclusion:
- The same Spirit who inspired prophets and apostles now claims you.
- Therefore: Confess, acclaim, and proclaim that “Jesus is Lord.”
- In Him: Forgiveness, belonging, and life – now and forever.
Additional Resources:
Craft of Preaching-Check out 1517’s resources on Acts 2:1-21.
Concordia Theology-Various helps from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, MO to assist you preaching Acts 2:1-21.
Lectionary Kick-Start-Check out this fantastic podcast from Craft of Preaching authors Peter Nafzger and David Schmitt as they dig into the texts for this Sunday!
The Pastor’s Workshop-Check out all the great preaching resources from our friends at the Pastor’s Workshop!
