Jesus in 4D "Atoning Moment 4: Sending the Holy Sp

Jesus in 4D "Atoning Moment 4: Sending the Holy Spirit"

Joel 2:28-29; John 16:7-15; Acts 2:1-16, 32-33

Pastor Jeff

3/29/2015

The nature of the Holy Spirit 

The Holy Spirit is light a flood light, that focuses on Jesus, and continues the work of The Son. He the promise of the fulfillment. 

The Holy Spirit in the OT

The Holy Spirit was present at creation. In the OT, the Holy Spirit anointed kings and prophets. He was limited to certain people at certain times. 

The Holy Spirit during Jesus' time

During Jesus time, the Holy Spirit was prevalent at his birth, baptism and His ministry. The Holy Spirit makes His home in the incarnate Christ, and not the temple of Jerusalem. The Holy Spirit was concentrated in Jesus Christ, and was manifested in Him.

The Holy Spirit after Jesus left earth

At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit is made available to everyone. He becomes recognized as personal and not just powerful. When Jesus left, He poured out His Spirit on His church. 

Implications for us

The real need is to be born again, a spiritual birth. Not just self-help and improvement, we need to become a different person that can only be made possible through the Holy Spirit.

New reality ➡️ Sending the Holy Spirit 

You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you. (‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭9-11‬ NIV)

Profound mystery ➡️ New people

We are united with Christ. The bible uses many types of imagery to illustrate this:

⚫️Agriculture imagery:

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. (‭John‬ ‭15‬:‭5‬ NIV)

⚫️Body imagery: Christ is the head

Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. (‭Ephesians‬ ‭4‬:‭15-16‬ NIV)

⚫️Architecture imagery: Christ the cornerstone

Jesus is " 'the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.' (‭Acts‬ ‭4‬:‭11‬ NIV)

⚫️Marriage imagery: Husband (Christ) and wife (church)

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— for we are members of his body. "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. (‭Ephesians‬ ‭5‬:‭25-32‬ NIV)

⚫️Race imagery: we are a new creation

Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all. (‭Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭11‬ NIV)

⚫️We have been adopted into God's family, and have full inheritance with Him as sons and daughters of God.

Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. (‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭12-17‬ NIV)

Key benefit ➡️ New community: adopted as heirs in God's family

The result of Christ's work is that we are being renewed, United with Christ, and on mission with Him.

We are called to be a community of atonement, made right with God and with one another.

We are "right-makers", to live out our lives to affect and transform others in our community.

We are to be messengers of reconciliation.

Lionel