Monthly Archives: December 2025

JOHN’S GOSPEL…HIM THERE – 26

Christian life, ,

“Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). There they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle…. Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” …When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.”

‭‭John‬ ‭19‬:‭16‬-‭18‬, ‭28‬, ‭30‬ ‭NIV‬‬

How inconceivable that this glorious, supremely perfect, unequalled human life should end like this! What had Jesus done to deserve this ignominious death? Naked, bloodied and battered beyond recognition, helplessly skewered to a Roman torture stake, suffocating under the weight of His own body, insulted and mocked by His tormentors, He died! 

Luke inadvertently expressed in two words the absolutely outrageous nature of this event…

“When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified HIM THERE, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭23‬:‭33‬ ‭NIV‬‬

What was He, Jesus, the Son of God, doing there…on a cross…outside Jerusalem…His own royal city…the King of heaven crowned with thorns?

From a human perspective, this was the worst possible way to end any life, let alone the life of God who came from heaven as a man to serve mankind! Was this the most terrible mistake ever made by the God of the universe? Did He lose control of an impossible situation? Did Jesus push His enemies too far? Did He end up the victim of His own ego?  

The Bible has a very different interpretation to an unintelligible event!

First, this situation…detail by detail, was planned before time…

“All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world.”

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭13‬:‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

…and prophesied centuries before it happened. 

“Just as there were many who were appalled at him— his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being and his form marred beyond human likeness—”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭52‬:‭14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭53‬:‭5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

On the day of Pentecost, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and His glorious ministry of revelation, caused the truth to spill out of Peter’s mouth…

Quoting an ancient prophecy, Peter declared…

“ ‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. “Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭2‬:‭17‬, ‭22‬-‭24‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Yes, dead on Passover…but alive three days later!

This Jesus, whom the Roman soldiers hung by nails on a cross and watched HIM THERE, is the same Jesus who sits on the throne of heaven, exalted to the right hand of God, the Father. To Him was given the title, KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. 

No, the cross was not the end of a beautiful life but the beginning of a new species…sons and daughters of the living God through His mercy and grace. 

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,”

‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭13‬:‭20‬-‭21‬ ‭NIV‬‬

All this is possible only because the Jews condemned Him to death, and the soldiers carried out the Roman governor’s order, and Jesus was crucified there…on Golgotha…for our sins…and rose again…for our justification, and they watched HIM THERE!

  1. My song is love unknown– 

my Savior’s love to me; 

love to the loveless shown, 

that they might lovely be. 

Oh, who am I, that for my sake 

my Lord should take frail flesh and die?

  1. He came from His blest throne 

salvation to bestow; 

but men made strange, and none 

the longed for Christ would know. 

But oh, my Friend, my Friend indeed, 

who at my need His life did spend!

  1. Sometimes they strew His way, 

and His sweet praises sing; 

resounding all the day 

hosannas to their King. 

Then “Crucify!” is all their breath, 

and for His death they thirst and cry.

  1. Why, what hath my Lord done?

What makes this rage and spite? 

He made the lame to run;

He gave the blind their sight. 

Sweet injuries! Yet they at these

themselves displease,

and ‘gainst Him rise.

  1. They rise, and needs will have

my dear Lord made away.

A murderer they save; 

the Prince of Life they slay.

Yet cheerful He to suff’ring goes,

that He His foes from thence might free.

  1. In life, no house, no home

my Lord on earth might have;

in death, no friendly tomb

but what a stranger gave.

What may I say? Heav’n was His home;

but mine the tomb wherein He lay.

  1. Here might I stay and sing–

no story so divine!

Never was love, dear King,

never was grief like Thine.

This is my Friend, in whose sweet praise

I all my days could gladly spend.

(Author: Samuel Crossman, source: hymnary.org)

JOHN’S GOSPEL…THE FINAL VERDICT – 25b

Bible Study, ,

“From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jewish leaders kept shouting, “If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar.””

‭‭John‬ ‭19‬:‭12‬ NIV

The wrangle between Pilate and the Jewish leaders continued. Pilate, the one who had the final say in the matters of justice and execution, tried to win the argument over the guilt or innocence of Jesus. Of one thing he was sure. Jesus was innocent of the charge of treason. So, why should he sentence an innocent man to death?

The Jews would have none of it. In their book, Jesus was guilty…but guilty of what? Definitely not treason! Back went Pilate to continue the argument. He had to have a legitimate reason for inflicting the death sentence on this man. Questioning Jesus got him nowhere. 

“Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). There they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle.

‭‭John‬ ‭19‬:‭16‬NIV‬‬

Why did Pilate lose in this battle of wills? Was he finally convinced of Jesus’ guilt according to their charge? No! His heart told him that Jesus was innocent but his mind told him that to refuse their demand was to put him on dangerous ground. Did Pilate eventually cave in, still protesting that Jesus was innocent, because he was afraid of an uprising? 

Pilate, as governor of Judea, was responsible to keep these unruly Jews in check. 

This was Passover, a most significant Jewish festival, when Jerusalem was flooded with expats from all over the Roman Empire. Passover was a celebration of God’s intervention that delivered the children of Israel from slavery in Egypt. 

The Jews were once again under foreign oppression. They would do anything to throw off the Roman yoke. The city of Jerusalem was electric with an undercurrent of hope…was this an opportunity to riot and drive the Romans out of Israel? 

Pilate was loathe to light the fuse because he would have to answer to Rome. Better to sacrifice one man to save his skin than to stand up for justice and lose his own life….which could well be his fate if the situation got out of hand. 

Try as he might, Pilate could not shake off responsibility for the final decision. He even tried to shrug off his own guilt by a symbolic gesture. 

“When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭27‬:‭24‬ ‭NIV‬‬

So, the Jews got their way. Jesus was crucified by order of Pilate and in keeping with Roman method of execution. 

Pilate, however, in a strange twist of events, had the last word. 

“Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: Jesus of Nazareth, the king of the Jews. Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews.” Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”

John 10:19-22 NIV

Does this final, desperate measure to justify Jesus give us a final glimmer of hope for Pilate? Is it possible that Pilate had a tiny seed of faith planted and growing in his heart. Whatever his fate, no one can encounter Jesus and come away unchanged. 

To be continued…

JOHN’S GOSPEL…THE ENCOUNTER – 25a

Bible Study, ,

I have written at length about all the aspects of Jesus’ arrest and trial before the Sanhedrin except His encounter with Pilate. 

“So Pilate came out to them and asked, “What charges are you bringing against this man?” “If he were not a criminal,” they replied, “we would not have handed him over to you.” Pilate said, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.” “But we have no right to execute anyone,” they objected…Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” “Is that your own idea,” Jesus asked, “or did others talk to you about me?” “Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “Your own people and chief priests handed you over to me. What is it you have done?” Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.” “You are a king, then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” “What is truth?” retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him.”

‭‭John‬ ‭18‬:‭29‬-‭31‬, ‭33‬-‭38‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Surely, Pilate is to be pitied rather than judged, or is he? He was the Roman governor of Judea, raised a pagan, taught to believe in the evil, capricious panel of gods who ruled over Rome. What did he know of a religion that believed in one true, holy God who ruled over Isreal from heaven, requiring obedience to a substantial set of rules administered by His priesthood? 

Pilate was caught up in a saga he didn’t know how to handle. A Jewish rabbi claiming to be the Son of this holy God, was on trial for blasphemy. Pilate had no interest in the religious squabbles of his subjects but, when it came to the issue of treason against Rome, he pricked up his ears. It was his responsibility to keep these rabble-rousing Jews under control. 

The Jewish authorities had charged Jesus with blasphemy under very flimsy false pretences, but they had no authority to execute Him. They had to bring a charge against Him that rattled the Roman authorities. What better charge than treason since Jesus spoke often of representing another kingdom, albeit an unseen realm over which their God ruled.  

Pilate was rudely awoken to face this dilemma. The sun had hardly risen before an unruly mob, led by members of the Jewish Sanhedrin, half pushing, half dragging a bedraggled, dishevelled man along with them. “Crucify Him!” they demanded. “For what reason?” Pilate retorted. “Of what is He guilty?” 

Notice how the Jewish rulers side-stepped the question. 

“If he were not a criminal,” they replied, “we would not have handed him over to you.””

‭‭John‬ ‭18‬:‭30‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Already prejudged and condemned, the Jewish rulers expected Pilate to rubber-stamp their verdict. “Not so fast!” declared Pilate. “What has He done?” Blasphemy would not stick with him but treason was a different matter. Without pressing the Jews for an answer, he questioned Jesus about the verdict. Why had they found him guilty? He, Pilate, was not aware of any uprisings in Jerusalem. 

“Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?””

‭‭John‬ ‭18‬:‭33‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus’ reply was equally baffling for a pagan Roman. 

“Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”

‭‭John‬ ‭18‬:‭36‬ ‭NIV‬‬

How was he, the Roman governor who had the power to kill or acquit Jesus, supposed to sentence a man to death who was no threat to Rome? Where was the evidence of His incitement to an uprising? Where was this “other place” kingdom of which Jesus spoke? 

To get a plain answer, Pilate made a statement he wanted Jesus to corroborate, to which Jesus replied with even more puzzling words…

“You are a king, then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.””

‭‭John‬ ‭18‬:‭37‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Surely, how was Pilate, this secular man who, seemingly, had no understanding of or interest in spiritual matters, supposed to order the execution of a man who spoke about truth! What was truth? What did he know about truth? Truth, to him, was irrelevant. He lived by his own beliefs and carried out the orders of Rome without question, whether they were good or bad. 

With a gesture of contempt, Pilate turned on his heels muttering, “What is truth?”, to wash his hands of this matter by giving in to the mob. 

On what grounds was Pilate judged when he stood before this same Jesus in the very realm of which He spoke and over which He now rules? Where once Pilate was the judge and Jesus the condemned, the moment Pilate passed from this life, the tables were turned. What did Jesus say to him? On what grounds was he sent to the place he had chosen in this life? Was it that he had given in to the crucifixion of an innocent man? Was he condemned because he ordered the execution of the Son of God? Was there a place of torment far worse for him than any other person for having had Jesus, the Son of God, killed? 

Strangely enough, no! The verdict was, for Pilate, the same as for every other person who is sentenced to live in eternal darkness, “Guilty, as charged.” The charge?

“Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.”

‭‭John‬ ‭3‬:‭18‬-‭20‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“However,” you might say, ”what chance did Pilate have of believing the truth?” The answer is…he had the same chance as every other person on earth who rejects the truth and goes into eternal darkness…

“The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭1‬:‭18‬-‭20‬ ‭NIV‬‬

It’s that simple! He was guilty beyond reasonable doubt. 

It’s not that people don’t know the truth. It’s that it’s inconvenient to know. They don’t want to know because they love the darkness of sin and unbelief rather than the light of truth. All sin, even Pilate’s outrageous injustice, is the fruit of unbelief. So, it’s not the sin that God condemns but the unbelief in the one He sent to tell the truth that will ultimately send them to hell.  

But wait…there’s more!

To be continued…

JOHN’S GOSPEL…THE PRAYER – 24

Bible Study, ,

“After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you…And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began…”

“I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. 

Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth…”

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.”

‭‭John‬ ‭17‬:‭1‬, ‭5‬, ‭9‬, ‭11‬, ‭15‬, ‭17‬, ‭20‬-‭21‬, ‭24‬ ‭NIV‬‬

In a prayer of 26 verses, Jesus makes only three requests, for Himself, for His disciples, and for those who would believe their testimony. The rest of His prayer is fellowship with the Father. 

When we examine the content of Jesus’ requests, we begin to understand what was uppermost on His heart before the cross. 

“Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you…And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began…”

Finally, the moment has arrived!  This is the moment to which all prophecy pointed and on which all of history pivoted. So much depended on how Jesus would move through this series of events unspoiled by one fragment of sin. If He slipped, sin would disqualify Him from being God’s perfect sacrificial Lamb. 

How would He endure the cross?

What was the issue at stake? Would He perfectly live up to the divine character He carried with Him into His humanity? He would die as a man, but what kind of man? Would He respond or react to the worst injustice and cruelty ever inflicted on a human? Would He be perfectly submitted and obedient to the will of the Father despite all the pressures of an innocent human to the injustice of execution by crucifixion? 

“During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him…”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭5‬:‭7‬-‭9‬ ‭NIV‬

“Father, glorify me…” He depended on the Father to give Him the strength in the moment of His greatest weakness, to be who He was in heaven…perfectly God. Throughout His earthly life, He had been in partnership with the Father, obeying Him and carrying out His will in every detail. Could He pull the same thing off to His final breath? Only if He did, would the great plan of redemption be fulfilled on earth that would reflect all the glory of the Father to the whole earth. 

How did Jesus respond?  

“He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.”

‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭2‬:‭22‬-‭23‬ ‭NIV‬‬

This plan of salvation, fulfilled by Jesus would confirm Habakkuk’s desire…

“For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.”

‭‭Habakkuk‬ ‭2‬:‭14‬ ‭NIV‬

How would His disciples  handle the world? 

“I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. 

Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth…”

How imperative that the disciples, eleven now because number twelve had disqualified himself through treachery, be preserved from the ravages of their own sin nature, aided and abetted by the world and the devil. They needed the armour of truth in their minds and in their lives to protect them against disqualifying themselves from fulfilling their sacred task. 

In Jesus’ prayer for His disciples… (”protect them from “Poneros”, translated “the evil one”) has less to do with devil, and more do with their corruption from the original character God breathed in Adam, that is “morally degenerate”. As in the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus was more concerned about what His disciples could do to themselves if they followed the desires of their old corrupt nature, and not about what the devil could do to them. They needed a power within to overcome the ravages of their flesh nature. 

“When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”

‭‭James‬ ‭1‬:‭13‬-‭15‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus’ third request draws in every person who believes in Him to the end of time. 

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.”

What was Jesus’s chief concern? Unity! Why unity? Jesus has entrusted a body of truth, contained in a written record called “the Word of God” which contains the message of Jesus, the gospel of salvation. He requires that this deposit be kept intact and delivered, without additions or subtractions, to each succeeding generation. He needs a body of witnesses who will be faithful to His Word, both in living out and delivering the true message. 

In this way, there will be unity among Jesus’ followers. If each individual believer lives within the boundaries of His Word and delivers an intact message, the Holy Spirit, who initiated the unity, will enable God’s people everywhere to preserve the unity. 

“Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭4‬:‭3‬-‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

This unity, anchored in the truth revealed in the Word, is the only guarantee that the same message and the same witness to Jesus will be passed on from one generation to the next. Disunity and fragmentation of the church the body of Christ, has happened because faithless people, led by corrupted leaders, have followed human opinion and convenient doctrines rather than the truth. 

“But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping…If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them.”

‭‭2 Peter‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬-‭3‬, ‭20‬-‭21‬ ‭NIV‬‬

So, Jesus’ prayer, spoken to the Father at that moment in time, played out then and continues to play out today in keeping His message intact for the salvation of all who believe and are destined for eternal life. 

JOHN’S GOSPEL…THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THEM – 23b

Bible Study, ,

“I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you.”

John 16:12-14 NIV

It was preparation time for the disciples. Jesus would soon leave them. They needed to know what equipment He would give them to carry out their mandate of reaching the world with His message.  A task so enormous needed someone like Him to guide and empower them, and that is exactly who Jesus promised would come. 

Unlike a worldly “locum”, who would fill in temporarily while the CEO was away, Jesus Himself would come to them in the person of His Spirit. He and the Holy Spirit were so closely connected that the Spirit’s presence would be the perfect representative of His person and mission. The Holy Spirit’s work would be to be Jesus in them. 

Jesus is the truth! The same truth that Jesus is, the Holy Spirit is…so Jesus identified Him as the “Spirit of truth”. 

“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth.”

Whatever Jesus said and did the Holy Spirit would say and do. As Jesus only spoke the words of the Gather, so the Holy Spirit would accurately represent Jesus’ words. 

“He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.”

Similarly, as Jesus continually reflected the Father’s glory, so the Holy Spirit would shine the light on Him. 

Could there ever be a person more fully eligible to take Jesus’ place when He returned to the Father! Did you notice that the role of the Spirit in the disciples was not to give them experiences of any kind but to carry on Jesus’ work of doing the Father’s business. Just as Jesus was about the kingdom of God, so the Holy Spirit would have exactly the same purpose, to establish God’s rule in the hearts of those who believe in Jesus. 

The Holy Spirit would raise the spiritually dead to new life, transfer them into the kingdom of God and transform them into sins of God. 

 “Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.”

‭‭John‬ ‭3‬:‭5‬ ‭NIV

The Holy Spirit would empower God’s people to overcome the old nature… 

“So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.”

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5‬:‭16‬-‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬

…and reproduce the character of Jesus in His followers…

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5‬:‭22‬-‭23‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The Spirit would convince Jesus followers that they are righteous because Jesus represents them to the Father…

“…of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more;”

‭‭John‬ ‭16‬:‭10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

…and witness that they are no longer slaves of sin but children of God…

“The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭16‬ ‭NIV‬‬

All this and more is the work of God’s Spirit in the believer for one purpose alone…

“On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”…But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.””

‭‭Acts‬ ‭1‬:‭4‬-‭5‬, ‭8‬ NIV

All other functions of the Holy Spirit for and in the believer only contribute to this one main purpose…to equip and empower the believer to bear witness that Jesus is the Son of God, and Lord, the supreme authority in God’s kingdom. 

“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭2‬:‭9‬-‭11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

To be continued…