The Day of Pentecost

The Day of Pentecost (C)

The Confirmation of Brandon Nicholas Alexander Yadao Wyatt

June 8, 2025

Text: John 14:23-31

            What is Confirmation?  Our brothers and sisters in the Roman Church call it a Sacrament.  They say that Confirmation more perfectly binds a person to the Church, and imparts a special strength of the Holy Spirit.  That is not our theology, for the simple reason that the rite of Confirmation is not commanded by God in Holy Scripture.  It does not meet our definition of a Sacrament, which is a ceremony instituted by God, God’s Word and command combined with a visible element, imparting the forgiveness of sins.  That definition isn’t new with Lutheranism, by the way.  That is St. Augustine’s definition in the Fifth Century. 

            This is to say that Confirmation is a human rite, a human tradition.  It is a good rite, a good tradition.  But it is neither commanded nor forbidden in Holy Scripture.  What is commanded by God in Scripture is catechesis, the teaching of the faith, Catechism class.  And for Lutherans, as for other Christians, the rite of Confirmation is often the capstone of a particular course of catechesis.  Not a graduation!  We never graduate from Catechism class.  That is a lifelong pursuit.  But the culmination of a special time of catechesis, leading to public confession of the faith and full immersion into the sacramental life of the Church. 

            So, again, what is it?  What is Confirmation?  It is the opportunity for the confirmand (the one being confirmed) to publicly confess his faith, to publicly confess that he believes what he has been taught in catechesis, that he believes what this Church teaches on the basis of Holy Scripture.  He publicly renounces the devil, and all his works, and all his ways.  He publicly adopts the Christian Creed as his own.  He publicly promises, by the grace of God, to hear the Word of God and receive the Lord’s Supper faithfully… that is, to come to Church faithfully… to live according to that Word, and suffer all, even death, rather than fall away from this faith and confession… that is, he promises to be a martyr, if necessary.  This is so important, because Jesus says, “whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.  But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 10:32-33; NKJV).  Confirmation is not commanded, but the confession of faith, the confession of Jesus that happens in the Confirmation, is commanded.

            And think how important this is for one who was baptized as an infant, whose parents and Godparents made these vows on his behalf (the vows in Confirmation are virtually the same as those made during a Baptism).  Here the confirmand gives his “yes” to these vows with his own mouth. 

            For that matter, think how important this is for one who was baptized as an older child or adult.  In that case, he already had a little catechesis… enough, at least, to understand the basics of the faith and what was happening in Baptism.  And he spoke those vows at his Baptism with his own mouth, but now he has an even fuller understanding of the faith, and what those vows mean, and again, he’s boldly and consciously saying he’d rather die a martyr’s death than renounce this faith and confession. 

            Think how important it is for you to hear that, whether you’re anticipating your own Confirmation, in which case this is preparing you for that day, or if you were confirmed years ago.  Every Confirmation is an opportunity for you to review what you confessed, the vows you made, and commit yourself to that once again. 

            And then, the blessing.  Pastoral hands on the head of the confirmand.  In the Bible, the laying on of hands is always connected with the impartation of spiritual gifts: The healing of a sickness, an ordination into the pastoral office, some kind of consecration (the Confirmation blessing is that), the bestowal of spiritual strength, or some other gift.  Confirmation is not a Sacrament by Augustine’s definition, but Lutherans sometimes go too far the other way, as though Confirmation is nothing at all, other than a rite of passage.  Knock it off, Lutherans.  Christian blessing is not just a pious wish for good stuff to happen, but the actual bestowal of the good stuff, the stuff of God’s Promises in Christ.  Pastors are to give blessings, to be sure, but it’s not just the pastor’s job.  Priests give blessings.  And all of you who are baptized into Christ are God’s priests.  So you should bless.  Say, “God bless you,” to people, and mean it.  And believe that God does just that when you say it… He blesses people!

            So, what is the blessing in Confirmation?  “Brandon, the almighty God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has given you the new birth of water and of the Spirit and has forgiven you all your sins, strengthen you with His grace to life X everlasting” (LSB 273).  And that is what God then does.  Strengthening, in His grace, to life everlasting.  And then a Scripture passage, the very Word of God, that does what it says.  I’ve talked about Confirmation verses before.  If you know your Confirmation verse, memorize it, meditate on it often, and make it a theme verse in your life. 

            And then, prayer.  The prayer of the Church for the confirmand.  Powerful stuff.  Never underestimate it.  The devil wants you to think prayer is useless, but it is, in fact, the mighty gift of God that fends off the hordes of hell, and carries the whole world in God’s preservation and care.  So, think what this does for the confirmand, when the prayers are spoken, and you add your “Amen” to them. 

            What is Confirmation?  It’s a human rite, to be sure.  We don’t have to do it.  But, oh, how good it is to do.  It is wise.  It is helpful.  It is beautiful.  It builds up the body of Christ.

            And what does all this have to do with Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit?  The Spirit gives us faith in Jesus Christ.  It is only by the Spirit, active in His holy Word, and in Holy Baptism, that our confirmand, or any one of us, has faith in Christ, his Savior.  It is only by the Spirit that our confirmand, or any one of us, grows in the faith, and in holy wisdom and understanding.  It is only by the Spirit that our confirmand, or any one of us, can stand before this assembly to make the good confession.  The Spirit, poured out on the Church at Pentecost (and on us in Baptism), gives us to love Jesus, and keep His Word, and become a dwelling place for our gracious Triune God (John 16:23).  The Spirit, the Helper, whom the Father sends in Jesus’ Name, teaches us and brings to our remembrance all that Jesus says to us (v. 26).  The Spirit takes the peace (the Shalom, the wellness, the wholeness) Jesus gives, and makes it our own, so that our hearts need not be troubled or afraid (v. 27).  The “ruler of this world” (v. 30; ESV), the old evil foe, is working his deadly woe, but he can harm us none.  Because he is judged, the deed is done.  He has no power over the Lord who has conquered him by His blood and death.  And so, he has no power over us, whom the Spirit has joined to our crucified and risen Lord.  Sins forgiven.  Life bestowed.  We’ll confess it unto death.  Because we won’t really die.  We live in Christ.  We live by the Spirit.  And we’ll live forever, risen, bodily, because that is the Promise of the Father in Christ Jesus, and the Spirit delivers it, and gives us to believe it and confess it.

            And so, this is not nothing, what Brandon is doing here, today.  Or better, what the Spirit is doing in Brandon today.  And it’s not nothing, what the Spirit has done, and is doing, in you and me.  Confirmation is not nothing.  It is a glorious something.  A miracle wrought by God, that a poor sinner, once lost, but now found, redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ, is given a mouth to confess Him, even unto death.  When God says, through the Prophet Joel, “I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy” (Acts 2:17)?… This is it.  This is what is happening here.  It is our participation in Pentecost.  This Scripture is being fulfilled today in your hearing.  In the Name of the Father, and of the Son X, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.