6 Minute Read

Prepare Your Heart

To the best of your ability, get rid of all distractions. Take a few minutes to breathe deeply and quiet yourself in the Lord’s presence. Then, ask the Lord to speak to you in this time. Let Him know that you will listen and make whatever adjustments He will reveal to you.

Read God’s Word

1 Chronicles 5:1-6:30
John 15:26-16:15

A Verse for Today

Slowly and reflectively read the following verse(s) and listen to what God will say to you through His written Word. Consider writing down any insights He reveals to you.

John 16:7 (CSB): “Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth. It is for your benefit that I go away, because if I don’t go away the Counselor will not come to you. If I go, I will send him to you.”

Reflecting on God’s Word

Luke 24:13-35 is one of the many passages of Scripture that I love to visualize. I love to close my eyes and imagine that I was one of those disciples who got to walk with Jesus on the road to Emmaus the day He rose from the dead. I wish I could have heard what He said. I wish I could have been able to listen as He spent so much time highlighting the places in the Old Testament that pointed to Him. I can only imagine that my heart would feel the same joy and wonder those disciples felt as Jesus spoke.

Luke 24:32 (CSB): “They said to each other, ‘Weren’t our hearts burning within us while he was talking with us on the road and explaining the Scriptures to us?'”

Oh, I wish I could have spent that time listening to Him!

It wasn’t only those two disciples who got to listen to Jesus. The Twelve got to spend about three years listening to Him. They got to eat with Him, take boat rides with Him, watch Him perform a miracle and alleviate someone’s suffering, and so much more. I can only imagine the sadness they felt as they watched Jesus leave and go back to Heaven (Acts 1:9-11). The angels actually had to tell them to stop gazing into Heaven and get back to living their lives. It was going to be OK.

With the joy that so many people had in Jesus’ presence, His words in the text I have chosen for today seem a bit odd. He actually said that it was beneficial for Him to leave His disciples. That doesn’t really make sense until we realize what else He said.

John 16:7 (CSB): “Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth. It is for your benefit that I go away, because if I don’t go away the Counselor will not come to you. If I go, I will send him to you.”

Did you catch what Jesus said? He told those disciples (and us) that as much joy as there was in His presence while He was with them on the earth, it would be even better when He left.

Why?! How?!

It would be better because the Comforter (a.k.a. God the Holy Spirit) would tag-team with Him. Jesus would leave for Heaven as the Holy Spirit came from Heaven to earth in a very special way.

What makes our current situation better? Well, among other things, Jesus was limited to one location when He was on the earth. Just as the wise men had to go looking for Jesus, so it is possible that many people went looking for Jesus during His ministry and couldn’t find Him. Why? Because He limited Himself to one location. In a human body, He could only be in one place at a time. So, while one person was enjoying Jesus’ presence in Galilee, the disciples in Judea (many miles to the south) were living life without the presence of Jesus.

But when the Holy Spirit came, that all changed! When the Holy Spirit came in a new and fresh way in Acts 2, He began to indwell every single Jesus-follower at the moment of salvation. (There were a few exceptions, but those will be left for another article.)

So, when someone gets saved today, they don’t have to go looking for Jesus. His Spirit of Holiness comes to dwell inside them. In fact, that truth is so certain that the Apostle Paul said if we don’t have God’s Holy Spirit dwelling within us, we aren’t saved.

Romans 8:9 (CSB): “You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to him.”

That’s why it was better that Jesus left. He sent His Holy Spirit to dwell within us. Now, we no longer have to look for Jesus. His Holy Spirit is within us. We don’t have to wish we were with Him as He walked the earth 2,000 years ago; we can enjoy Him now as He indwells us in the person of the Holy Spirit.

Don’t you think that with such a special privilege, we need to study our Bibles to find out what this powerful truth means for us, how it can bring us the joy our heart longs for (joy is a fruit of the Spirit), and how we can tap into the resources that the Holy Spirit can provide for us?

Spend Time in Prayer

  • Ask God to help you come into a greater understanding (by studying His Word) of what it means that His Holy Spirit lives within your body if you are saved.
  • Ask God to help you live a Spirit-filled life, where His Spirit is providing the direction, power, and so much more.

Going Deeper

If you want to dig a little deeper into the indwelling of the Spirit, consider reading the following GotQuestions article:

“What is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit?”

Here is a very helpful article from Cru (Campus Crusade for Christ):

“How to Be Filled with the Holy Spirit (and Why It Matters)”

Sharing

If this post has been helpful to you or if you think it could help others, please consider tapping one of the social media buttons below to share it on your favorite platform.

____________________

Matt Ellis is the pastor of First Baptist Church in Polk City, Florida (fbcpolkcity.com)