Pentecost Sunday Homily

Pentecost Sunday - Witnesses for the Defense

By Rev. Rudolf Ofori

In today’s Gospel we hear Jesus give his final address to his disciples. He promises to send them a good lawyer! Lawyers are needed only when there’s trouble, and there is plenty of that knocking at the door. Soon there will be arrests, charges, court scenes, trials, accusations, sentences. Jesus promises his disciples that the lawyer he will send will lead them out of confusion and bewilderment into the complete truth. This lawyer is no human advocate; he is the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father. Jesus consoles his followers with the promise: I still have many things to say to you, but they would be too much for you now. But when the Spirit of truth comes, he will lead you to the complete truth.

  One of the fascinating characteristics of John’s Gospel is how he presents the story of Jesus as a lawsuit between God and the unbelieving world. Witnesses are ranged on either side to argue the case. And the case at issue is: is Jesus the Messiah and the Son of God? God’s witnesses are his word in Jesus, the great prophet John the Baptist, the signs and mighty works of Jesus, and finally the Holy Spirit and the apostles. That is the group of witnesses who support the claim that Jesus really is the Son of God. The opposition is represented by the unbelieving Jews, who bring their own testimony against the claim. 

When Jesus’ trial gets under way, the accusers are invited to bear witness regarding the evil that Jesus is alleged to have committed. Jesus boldly challenges the officer in court: ‘’If there is something wrong in what l said, point it out, but if there is no offence in it, why do you strike me?’’ (Jn 18:23) No one takes up the challenge. According to John’s account Jesus win the most important lawsuit in history. Because Pilate declares Jesus’ innocent three times, the judge is convicted of perverting justice when he hands Jesus over to be crucified. The trial of Jesus is seen as a masquerade; the innocent one is handed over to be executed.

  When Jesus dies, however, the lawsuit is not finished. His claim to be the Messiah and the Son of God is confirmed in his resurrection, when the Father raises the innocent one to glory. But there are still many who not accept the evidence. The principal advocate for Jesus’ claims is now the Holy Spirit. He is the big lawyer who advances the claims of Jesus before the court of the unbelieving world. And the Advocate’s principal witnesses are the apostles; those who have been with Jesus’ right from the beginning of the ministry. 

What we celebrate at Pentecost is the coming of the Advocate, the one who enables the apostles to be witnesses to Jesus’ claims in the world. Before the coming of the Spirit, the apostles were incapable of acting as witnesses; they were frightened men who were too confused and hurt to act as effective witnesses on behalf of Jesus. With the help of the Spirit, they are graced with a new courage. Their courtroom is the marketplace of the world, and they are willing to testify to the truth of Jesus’ claims to anyone who has ears. 

As we know from experience, the lawsuit continues, the case is not closed. There will always be opposition to face, there will always be a jury to persuade. The Spirit continues to be the Advocate, calling on generations of Christians to come forward as witnesses in the case.

  We are the witnesses. To us it is given to continue the case on behalf of Jesus. The disbelieving world still looks to Jesus’ witnesses to make their case, not so much by the quality of our information, but by the quality and courage of our lives.

  The World is not dying from lack of information. It might be dying from not having life in Jesus’ name. The evangelist John finishes his case on behalf of Jesus when he tells his readers that he has advanced his cause ‘’so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing this you may have life through his name’’ (20:31). So, the case continues.