Offer of Holy Spirit
Key Verses: 1-3, 6, 16-17, 20, 27
As Jesus prepares to die, He knows His death is not the end. He will rise again and then return to Heaven with the Father. He knows that His death and then His leaving will be difficult for the disciples, so He begins to prepare their hearts for the pain. And the best preparation is for them to know Him better, so He reveals more about Himself to them.
Jesus is the way and the truth and the life. He holds the exclusive rights to entry into Heaven. If you want to be with God after death, you must believe in Jesus. There are no exceptions. But now there is a way to heaven where there used to be no way, because sin prevented us from entering. We can now know truth with certainty. If it aligns with Jesus, it is truth. If it is at odds, it is not truth. Death was the only option available before Jesus. Now life has been opened up to everyone who believes.
And the seal of that new life is the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. When we believe God’s Spirit lives in us and we enter into a vital, intimate relationship with God. There is no separating us. He is in us and we are in Him. And when this happens, peace is one of the results. The disciples’ human reaction to the coming grief would be panic, but Jesus says He is giving them peace.
When we accept the offer of the Holy Spirit, our life will change. This is the new birth, the heavenly birth talked about in chapter three. The Holy Spirit is now with us, just as Jesus was with the disciples, teaching and reminding. When in doubt, go to the Scriptures and as the Holy Spirit to make His will known to you. And He will. It may not happen in the first minute, but it will happen. He will make His will known to you. Are you ready to believe and obey?
REVIEW: Acrostic Theme & each chapter’s phrase. Concentrate on GOSPEL, chapters 8-13. You should have JOHN THE, chapters 1-7, firmly in your grasp. Keep it up. It will get easier over the next couple of weeks.
The Arnold Journey 