On March 30, 1984, a police detective named Robert Cunningham walked into Sal’s Pizzeria in Yonkers, New York. He asked for his favorite waitress, Phyllis, and ordered his usual, linguine with clam sauce. At some point, detective Cunningham half-jokingly offered Phyllis a half-share in the lottery ticket he was about to buy. There were six numbers in all; he picked three, and she picked three, all winnings would be split 50/50. After his meal, Cunningham walked across the street and bought the ticket.
Phyllis laughed and promptly forgot all about it, until the next evening, when detective Cunningham walked back into Sal’s Pizzeria with a lottery ticket in his hand; a ticket now worth $6 million. The detective kept his word to the waitress, and they shared the prize. Because Robert Cunningham kept his word, Phyllis the waitress received a pretty nice tip, which amounted to about $143,000 a year for twenty years.
When people keep their word, powerful things happen. When husbands and wives keep their word to each other, living out their marriage vows each day, powerful things happen. This weekend we remember those members of our nation’s armed forces who kept their word to God and country. When people keep their word, great things happen. That’s what we celebrate on Pentecost Sunday. We celebrate the fact that Jesus kept his word.
In the Gospel of John, Jesus made a promise. He told His disciples that he was going to go away soon, but this going had a purpose. He had to go so He could send his disciples a Helper. That Helper would be the Holy Spirit. In John 6: 13, Jesus calls the Holy Spirit the “Spirit of truth.” The Spirit of truth will tell the truth about Jesus and will inspire Jesus’ followers to do the same. Jesus made the promise to send the Helping Spirit of truth well in advance of his death and resurrection. And on Pentecost Sunday, we celebrate the fact that Jesus kept his word.
Our second reading today from Acts 2 tells us exactly how Jesus kept his promise. Jesus sends the Spirit of truth to his followers, who were waiting in Jerusalem like Jesus had told them to, a congregation of 120 people or so, and that Spirit gets the followers of Jesus up and out and communicating. The Spirit of truth enabled these normal, regular people to tell the truth about Jesus in languages they had never learned before. As a result, 3,000 people repented, were baptized, and came to saving faith in Jesus Christ. When these 3,000 people went back home to wherever they were from, you have the list there in verses 9,10, and 11, everywhere from Rome to Egypt to Asia and Arabia, when those folks headed home they took their newfound faith with them. This was the first expansion of the Christian faith into the wider world—the first mission wave to roll across the land with the greatest announcement of all time! All because Jesus kept his promise; all because Jesus keeps his word.
Fast forward to the year 2012. You and I are here today. Why? Because Jesus keeps His word. You and I are here because Jesus has never stopped sending the Spirit of truth. The Spirit of truth tells the truth about Jesus to our hearts and minds. It was the Spirit of truth that gave you the ability to put all your trust in Jesus. It was the Spirit of truth that created that connecting cord between you and Christ Jesus when you were baptized. It is the Spirit of truth that tells the truth about our real condition inside. The Spirit brings all that out into the open, brings it up to the surface, all the times we have failed to keep our word, gone back on our promises, said one thing and done another. The truth that Spirit brings is that I have failed, miserably. The truth that the Spirit brings is that in Christ, because of Jesus, I am forgiven, completely. Just like in the first reading today, the Spirit of truth takes things that were dead and makes them alive again. Things like my heart, my mind, my will. And you know how the Spirit does that? By focusing our attention on Jesus; enabling us to accept the forgiveness of Jesus; by making us want to be more like Jesus; creating in us this understanding: that more Jesus and less “me” is always a good thing. You and I are here today, enjoying the gift of faith, because Jesus keeps his word.
Jesus keeps his word. Think of everything that means. Jesus said: “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Jesus said: “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.” Jesus said: “Whoever comes to me, I will never drive away.” Jesus said, “The water I give will become in you a spring welling up to eternal life.” Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me…and I am with you always.” How does it feel to know that Jesus keeps his word?
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