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The Holy Spirit ...
Thursday, July 10, 2014. We have been reading the Gospel of John, and it is really amazing to listen to the claims which Jesus makes in this biblical book.
Holy Spirit in Jesus …
Jesus is driven by the holy spirit. The father is working through him. Jesus is in the father, and the father is in him. These are quite far reaching statements. We face God in father, son and holy spirit. We face the most high, here in Jesus, when we read about him and listen to him.
I am even more amazed by the claims which Jesus does about faith. 12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. (John 14, 12)
We are called to have faith in him - and he claims that we will do “greater works” than the works he has done? What is it that comes to your mind what works these are? I think of wonders, but also of the words he says about life and love and truth. I think about all he did, about the miracles of healing, about the miracles of stilling the storm, about water to wine and about feeding the 5000. With faith, everything is possible.
Holy Spirit in us …
Jesus continues to talk about the holy spirit - in him and hin us:
15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper,6 to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. 18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” (John 14)
What is it we can expect? We can definitely expect that he is there, and that he knows all our sorrows and everything which causes trouble and difficulties in our life. He is there - and his spirit is able to help us, to comfort us. Jesus has the power to change things - though he has his own way to do it, his own wonders and his own timing. We probably need patience as well, when it comes to the wonders. We need to keep faith, even if the storm is still there. It is no faith to only believe when the storm is gone already!
Jesus is looking for a pure heart, for trust in him, and for obedience. He is looking for truth, love and patience in our heart, our mind, our words and our deeds. Let us follow him - and then experience the everything which he has promised. (Roland Potthast) ... more texts