Category: Holy Spirit

The camera targeted the head coach clapping on the sideline in a high profile college football game this past weekend. Then the picture shifted to the quarterback on the field. Though a different age and size and role, the quarterback clapped exactly the way his coach did. So often the spirit of a player and a team reflects the spirit of their coach.

Jesus commented on the connection between a teacher and student. “A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.” (Luke 6:40) But what about the parent and child? Heredity aside, is not the aim of a good father to produce his own spirit in his children? Is not the desire of a good mother to nurture a gentle, loving spirit in her children?

Andrew Murray was a South African pastor who died almost a century ago. His writings and sermons have blessed countless believers over the years. He compared the human goals parents have for their children with the eternal goals the Heavenly Father has for us. “If there is one thing on earth we can be sure of it is this, that the Father desires to have us filled with His Spirit, that He delights to give us His Spirit.” Here’s a passage from one of Andrew Murray’s classic books, With Christ in the School of Prayer:

The best gift a good and wise father can bestow on a child on earth is his own spirit. This is the great object of a father in education — to reproduce in his child his own disposition and character. If the child is to know and understand his father; if, as he grows up, he is to enter into all his will and plans; if he is to have his highest joy in the father, and the father in him — he must be of one mind and spirit with him. And so it is impossible to conceive of God bestowing any higher gift on His child than this, His own Spirit. God is what He is through His Spirit; the Spirit is the very life of God. Just think what it means — God giving His own Spirit to His child on earth.

Or was not this the glory of Jesus as a Son upon earth, that the Spirit of the Father was in Him? At His baptism in Jordan the two things were united — the voice, proclaiming Him the Beloved Son, and the Spirit, descending upon Him. And so the apostle says of us, ‘Because ye are sons, God sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.’ A king seeks in the whole education of his son to call forth in him a kingly spirit. Our Father in Heaven desires to educate us as His children for the holy, heavenly life in which He dwells, and for this gives us, from the depths of His heart, His own Spirit. It was this which was the whole aim of Jesus when, after having made atonement with His own blood, He entered for us into God’s presence, that He might obtain for us, and send down to dwell in us, the Holy Spirit. As the Spirit of the Father, and of the Son, the whole life and love of the Father and the Son are in Him; and, coming down into us, He lifts us up into their fellowship… The Father can bestow no higher or more wonderful gift than this: His own Holy Spirit, the Spirit of sonship.

“If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Luke 11:13

(Quotes taken from With Christ in the School of Prayer by Andrew Murray. ©2007 Hendrickson Publishers, Inc.)

Who likes to be told to wait? And is it not torture when the waiting goes longer than expected? Jesus said to his apostles, “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 1:4-5)

Leviticus instructs that the Feast of Weeks, or Pentecost, was to begin fifty days after the day following the Sabbath of the Passover. Of course this was the Sunday Jesus rose from the dead during his last Passover. Jesus then appeared to different people on earth over the span of forty days. Before ascending, He gave his ‘waiting’ instructions and the disciples went to Jerusalem.

What do you think they did while they waited? I’ll bet they prayed. Maybe they fasted. They probably often recounted Jesus’ instructions and tried to figure out the meaning of “a few.”  I imagine they got really frustrated and you would guess there were more than a few arguments. As the days stretched out, the less comfortable they became and the more they fretted. But God is not bothered too much by our discomforts. He had a plan.

Ten days after Jesus left the earth; seven weeks and one day after his resurrection from the grave, a huge crowd gathered in the city for the feast. The Holy Spirit came Sunday, the Day of Pentecost. The waiting was worth it!

So now we wait for the return of the King. We wonder what the Father wants to take place on earth before the end. We know we are set apart to live holy lives of faith and give glory to God. But will He allow his power to be seen as it was in the days of the early church? The ‘acts’ of the apostles (and others) were the ‘acts’ of the Holy Spirit; does God plan more action? Are not the lives of believers today also to be marked by the Holy Spirit?

Surely we should pray big prayers. When the gospel is proclaimed in every tongue, and the sick are healed and evil is defeated, the Kingdom is seen. Let us seek… and knock… and ask… and wait.

“Your Kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.” Matthew 6:10

“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Luke 11:9-13

Many of Jesus’ disciples had listened first to John the Baptist, the preacher in the wilderness. We can assume they were baptized, as John baptized “with water for repentance.” But the prophet spoke of One more powerful than he, who would “baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

We know Jesus approached his cousin and was baptized in the Jordan, and the Spirit of God descended like a dove upon the Holy One. The Spirit then led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After forty days of fasting and resisting his enemy, Christ returned, preaching of repentance and the Kingdom of Heaven. He walked and lived in the power of the Spirit and fulfilled everything his Father desired.

Jesus often talked to his friends about the Promise of the New Covenant. He even made hard-to-believe statements such as: “It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you.” (Jn 16:7) The apostles did not fully understand these teachings of Jesus, but when He died and rose from the grave, everything changed.

On one occasion after the resurrection, John records that Jesus “breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’” (Jn 20:22) But there were further instructions. Before He ascended, Jesus told his disciples to wait in Jerusalem. “You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” (Lk 24:48-49)

We know that on the Day of Pentecost God came in power. The disciples were empowered to be witnesses for Christ and thousands put their faith in the Risen One. So what do these ancient stories have to do with us? Is there a pattern we are to follow? We too are to be baptized in water. Jesus offers forgiveness and we all must repent. When we put our faith in Christ we declare that we are no longer trusting ourselves… in fact, we are dead. We are buried in the water and raised to live new lives.

But we must be careful not to simply participate in a baptism like John’s. We want to be baptized by the One who died for us and rose again. We need him to breathe on us and say, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” When we are ‘born again’ we are given new life, and this life is to be marked by the Spirit of God and all of the fruit of Jesus. By faith we hold these promises true and we praise God for his grace and mercy.

But what about Pentecost? Jesus knew his disciples needed power from above to be effective witnesses on earth; do we? I do. The disciples were simply told to wait. We don’t control the timing of God, but I believe He does want us to anticipate his activity. Is this world not in desperate need? Are not the children of God to be effective witnesses today? Surely we should pray: “Come Holy Spirit! Have your way with us. Use us on this earth to bring glory to God.”

“Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” Acts 1:4-5

According to Jesus, we can try to love God with all our hearts and we can try to love our neighbor as ourselves; but unless a miracle takes place, we will find ourselves lacking. Nicodemus concluded that Jesus had to be a man of God, but when he approached the Rabbi at night to ask a few questions, he was confused. Nicodemus was a leader in the community, a scholar of the Scriptures, a descendant of Abraham… but being “born again” made no sense.

“I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again… I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.” (John 3:3-6)

Another expert in the law once questioned Jesus about eternal life. The Lord asked him what the Law said, and the man answered correctly by giving the top two commandments: “Love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself.” “Good,” Jesus replied,”do this and you will live.” God’s purpose of the Law is for us to come face to face with the truth that we don’t “do this.” But so often, when we see our shortcomings, we try to justify ourselves. This is what the lawyer did.

“But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’” The parable of the good Samaritan that followed expanded all definitions of ‘neighbor,’ but also pointed to our hope.

We are the beaten and wounded traveler. The lawyer was; Nicodemus was; you are; I am. We are beaten down by life, we are unable to save ourselves, and we are in desperate need. A priest comes by, but religion will not solve our problem. A Levite comes by, but the Law is not adequate to save. Then a humble Man from a distant place approaches on his donkey. Though most of the world despises him, He kindly bandages our wounds, “pouring on oil and wine.” He takes the rescued man to an inn and gives the innkeeper money with a promise to return. (See Luke 10:25-37)

The Good Neighbor is our Savior. He offers the oil of his Spirit and the wine of his Blood. He washes us in pure water and gives us eyes to see. We just need to realize we need him and humbly ask for help.

“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Of if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Luke 11:11-13

I was one of the ones who left his fishing nets and family to follow the Nazarene, the One whom John the Baptist called the ‘Lamb of God.’ Some thought we were crazy, but when Jesus talked about the Kingdom of God, we knew he was no ordinary teacher. And when we saw him feed the multitudes and walk on water and heal the sick and raise the dead, we knew he was no ordinary man. Jesus practiced what he taught and we believed he possessed the words of life. ‘Love’ was his greatest attribute and his greatest command. Christ said, “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” How could we ever love the way he loves? It is true that on more than one occasion our teacher gave us the power to cast out demons and heal the sick, but could he also give us the power to love? Jesus said something at the end of his life none of us could believe: “It is for your good that I am going away.” How could this be true? Jesus said He would send a Helper, but how could anything be better than being with Jesus himself? We had learned to depend on him totally; how could we survive without him?

Who was this Helper Jesus spoke about? “He lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you.” We were very confused by these words. “The Helper will teach you all things and remind you of everything I said to you.” After Jesus was arrested, we needed someone to remind us. In the chaos and confusion of the Garden, we all ran away. After the crucifixion, we hid in fear, thinking we would be next. But when our Lord appeared to us on the third day, our grief turned to joy and we realized Jesus even had power over the grave. Before ascending to Heaven, Jesus told us to go to Jerusalem to wait for the promise of the Father. “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses.” On the Day of Pentecost we understood. Of course we missed him, but Jesus had come to live in our hearts. His character became our character; his life became our life; his love became our love.

So if you ever wonder how you are going to follow Jesus when you can’t see him, trust what he taught about the Helper. You need as much help during your days on earth as we did in ours. And if you ask, like I did, “How can I ever love others the way Jesus loves me?” realize his love lives in you. He has not left you to do it by yourself. Trust and obey and depend on the Helper. He will not disappoint you.

“And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” Romans 5:5