6/6/19
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.
Over the years I’ve spent time with quite a lot of people who represent the fairly radical branch of Christianity that focuses a great deal on the work and gifts of the Holy Spirit. Our Gospel passage from John 14:23-31 should make certain people feel right at home. Then again, perhaps not.
As Jesus prepares to depart from his time walking with the disciples, he promises the Holy Spriit. Our friends who are enthusiastic about spiritual gifts become very interested at this teaching. What great works will the Holy Spirit do?
In fact, in verse 26, he teaches Christians to hold to Jesus’ word. There we go. He will teach them and help them remember what Jesus said. On the surface, there is no mighty work there. It seems pretty mundane. In fact, if we study the Scripture adequately, we might expect to remember what Jesus taught. This seems quite an anticlimax.
What’s really happening here? The Holy Spirit directs Christians to depend on Jesus. We don’t look for signs of power in ourselves. We don’t expect additional revelation of God. We don’t place our hopes on some fantastic experience. We rather are taught by the Holy Spirit to depend on Jesus. Christ crucified for sinner, forgiving our sins as we repent, raising us to life and hope - it all seems pretty quiet, but it is the most amazing work of divine power we can ever consider. The perfect God of all becomes one of us, even taking our sin and dying for it. And the Holy Spirit points us right to this Lord.
Come, Holy Spirit. Point us to Jesus.
If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.
Over the years I’ve spent time with quite a lot of people who represent the fairly radical branch of Christianity that focuses a great deal on the work and gifts of the Holy Spirit. Our Gospel passage from John 14:23-31 should make certain people feel right at home. Then again, perhaps not.
As Jesus prepares to depart from his time walking with the disciples, he promises the Holy Spriit. Our friends who are enthusiastic about spiritual gifts become very interested at this teaching. What great works will the Holy Spirit do?
In fact, in verse 26, he teaches Christians to hold to Jesus’ word. There we go. He will teach them and help them remember what Jesus said. On the surface, there is no mighty work there. It seems pretty mundane. In fact, if we study the Scripture adequately, we might expect to remember what Jesus taught. This seems quite an anticlimax.
What’s really happening here? The Holy Spirit directs Christians to depend on Jesus. We don’t look for signs of power in ourselves. We don’t expect additional revelation of God. We don’t place our hopes on some fantastic experience. We rather are taught by the Holy Spirit to depend on Jesus. Christ crucified for sinner, forgiving our sins as we repent, raising us to life and hope - it all seems pretty quiet, but it is the most amazing work of divine power we can ever consider. The perfect God of all becomes one of us, even taking our sin and dying for it. And the Holy Spirit points us right to this Lord.
Come, Holy Spirit. Point us to Jesus.
If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.
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