What Does the Holy Spirit Look Like?

The Feast of Pentecost,　June 4, 2017


John 20:19-23
20:19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. 20:21 Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven."

What does the Holy Spirit look like? On Pentecost the Holy Spirit came like a mighty wind and like flames of fire. At the Baptism of Jesus, like a dove. Of course, since the Holy Spirit is a “spirit,” it cannot be seen with the human eye.

What do the other two members of the Holy Trinity, the Father and the Son, look like? Often God the Father is pictured as an old man with white hair and a long white beard wearing a white robe. He looks very strong and wise and kind, too. But more often we meet God in the Old Testament as a voice. The Voice of the Creator in Genesis 1:3,”Let there be light.” The Voice of Concern and Love that called out to Adam in Genesis 3:9, “Where are you?” Followed by the Voice of Curses because of sin. Then the Voice of Judgment and Salvation which in Genesis 6:14 told Noah to build the Ark. Then the Voice of Deliverance from slavery that spoke from the Burning Bush to Moses in Exodus 3. And the Prophets often said, “Thus says the Lord.” And in the New Testament, the Voice of the Father speaks at the Baptism of Jesus, Matthew 3:17, ‘And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”’

What did Jesus Christ look like? First he appeared as the Baby in Bethlehem. He was the Teacher on the Sermon on the Mount. He was the sacrificial Lamb of God on the Cross. He was the Resurrected Victor on Easter. We do not know what his face actually looked like, but we know what he said. It is written in the Gospel Books. He spoke about the Kingdom of Heaven. He spoke about the Forgiveness of Sin. He spoke about Eternal Life and Salvation. The Words of the Gospel are so central to the image of Jesus, that the Gospel Book of John begins this way, speaking of Jesus, 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” And 1:14, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Rather than a photograph or a painting, the image of God is what he said, what he promised, and what he both did and will do. The same is with the Holy Spirit. A spirit is like the wind. You cannot see it; you cannot hold it in your hands. But you can feel its power; you can see what it does. The Holy Spirit is the same.

We said that the Voice of God and the Message of Jesus show us what God is like. That is recorded in the Bible which was written by the Holy Spirit. 2 Peter 1:21 “For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good deed.” And so, when we read or hear the reading of Bible, the Holy Spirit is speaking to us at that very time: speaking to us in order to create faith or to strengthen our faith. [Cf, Small Catechism, Creed III.]

The work of the Holy Spirit is to make us holy. This is done whenever and wherever the Gospel is spoken and heard in faith. That means that the Holy Spirit is working in us and through us to others. The Gospel Good News is that by Christ’s death on the cross, sins are forgiven. When that message is spoken, sins are forgiven. And that is the mission of the church. Our work, the work of all of us, is to forgive sin. And to do that work, Christ gave the Holy Spirit to us and the whole church on earth. The full power of the Holy Spirit was given on Pentecost, but on Easter Evening, Jesus had already given that mission to his disciples. John 20:21-23, “Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven."”

What does the Holy Spirit look like? It looks like you and me and these who are being confirmed today. We are witnesses of the Holy Gospel. We are witnesses of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Michael Nearhood, Pastor
Okinawa Lutheran Church


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