If you had to choose between:
A) Being alive today as you are right now or B) To go back in time about 2000 years and be at the side of Jesus Christ as He physically walked the earth, which option would you choose?
Consider having the opportunity to walk with Jesus as He Himself walked along the sea of Galilee, to witness Him open blind eyes and deaf ears, and to see Him cast out demons — what an amazing privilege that would be!
I would love to have the opportunity to go back in time for a day and see all this firsthand, it would be amazing.
But!
If we would really prefer to give up the opportunity we have right now for the opportunity the disciples had when they physically walked with Christ, then we don’t understand the New Covenant.
Jesus said to His disciples in John 16:7,
“Nevertheless, I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send Him to you.”
In other words, Jesus is speaking about Himself, and the Holy Spirit is saying to us:
“If I go, He comes, if I stay, He won't come, but who you guys really need is the Holy Spirit, therefore you are better off if I leave, because when I go I will send Him to you.”
He says it is to their ADVANTAGE!
If it was to the advantage of John and Peter and James, surely it is also to OUR advantage as well.
How is having the invisible Holy Spirit with us better than having a physical Jesus?
When Jesus came to earth through the womb of a virgin, He came as perfectly and completely human. He also came as perfectly and completely God. As such, He had the same human limitations we have.
When someone wanted to talk to Him they had to wait their turn, sometimes if someone wanted to touch Him to be healed, they had to fight their way through a massive crowd just to be able to touch the hem of His garment.
In His humanity He was limited, and other people's opportunity to meet with Him was greatly limited as well, but when Holy Spirit arrives — it's a whole different story!
It’s the same for us.
Suddenly He comes to live on the INSIDE of the New Covenant child of God, so much so that Paul describes us as the Temple of the Holy Spirit!
Jesus is God and Holy Spirit is God, so the question becomes: is it better for you to have God occasionally beside you, or God always on the inside of you?’
Of course, it's better to have God on the inside of us 24/7 without any interruptions, with instant and total access!
I believe Jesus was excited to depart and send the disciples this great gift of the Holy Spirit. Though they were sad at the thought of His leaving, He KNEW they'd be better off having God on the inside rather than just the outside.
The Holy Spirit is powerful, but He is not just a power, He is a person, and He is God. God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He is not merely a power or a force or an influence. He can be grieved, quenched, pleased, and delighted in. The Holy Spirit has emotions and a will. The Holy Spirit can be known!
In 2 Corinthians 13:14, Paul invites us to have communion with Him. The word in Greek for communion is “koinonos,” which refers to a partnership and participation, like, a close friendship. It’s that friendship that awaits us!
According to New Testament writers, we are to walk in the Spirit, live in the Spirit, pray in the Spirit, sing in the Spirit, and basically do everything IN the Spirit. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:31, “Whether eating or drinking, do everything to the glory of God.”. In connecting these concepts we could say that we must do everything for the glory of God….but we can only do it for His glory by the Spirit.
The Savior who healed the sick, cast out demons, loved fiercely, and spoke the truth boldly with compassion is now sending one EXACTLY like Him who does the exact same things, but who lives INSIDE of us.
What a honor! What a privilege! What blessing!