Where we’ve been:
Key points (refer to previous lessons):
1. Yeshua walked in the authority and power of God, NOT because he was God, and he was, but because he humbled himself in his humanity and relied only on the Holy Spirit.
2. Every supernatural thing he did – every sign, every wonder, and every miracle – he did as a man by the power and direction of the indwelling Holy Spirit, under the authority of the Father.
3. Just like the disciples, all believers are called to accomplish much beyond our natural ability, according to: John 14:12 “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.
Where we’re going:
Today, We’re going to discuss the Seal of the Holy Spirit upon the Messiah, and upon believers.
Discussion
Q: Who did Yeshua study under before he became a rabbi?
A: The Spirit of God.
Q: What did Yeshua need to learn from the Holy Spirit?
A: Everything.
Scripture does NOT indicate that he had open access to the information or revelation known to the godhead, except by the Holy Spirit. Everything he needed to know, he learned from the Holy Spirit. Just like us.
Yeshua’s Humanity
Remember, the modern church’s mindset generally accepts his divinity, but we tend to be unfamiliar with his humanity. The disciples on the other hand were familiar with his humanity, but at first struggled with his divinity.
According to Philippians 2 he set aside his divinity and everything that came with it. He did not cease to be God but he chose not to use any of the advantages of his “Godhood”.
I believe he had dreams and visions that revealed the father’s heart for the ministry ahead. The Holy Spirit spoke to him in the moment. He knew the father’s voice, nature, and character – NOT because he somehow remembered from when he dwelt among the Godhead, but because he chose to make prayer a priority.
He learned how to submit and listen to his teacher.
All these things are available to us as well, from the same teacher.
So, If we confess something like, “Well, he did miracles because he was God….and I’m not God.”
Q: WHY is this half-truth enough to derail some from pursuing the supernatural?
This reveals that we do NOT understand our own interaction with the Holy Spirit…… And then, of course, we will find it very difficult to operate in the power and authority of the Kingdom of God.
Q: Why would the disciples leave everything to follow this man?
The Bible states that Yeshua was a plain man, not extraordinary in his appearance. But from reading the gospels we can see that when he spoke, something happened – Something remarkable – something supernatural.
Those who encountered him were either drawn to him or repelled from him. Why?
We get a clue to what this is in John chapter 6.
Some backstory: John 6 gives us the story of the feeding of the 5000, and since they only numbered men in this story we can add in women and children, and that would bring us to possibly 20,000 plus. After everyone had eaten their fill, the disciples decided to leave and cross the Sea of Galilee. This crowd was very motivated and enthusiastic about Yeshua and the story says he left because he perceived they wanted to make him king by force (?).
We also encounter the story of Yeshua walking on water and saving the disciples from floundering in the middle of the sea. When Yeshua and the disciples finally made it to Capernaum the crowds were not far behind. We’ll pick up the story here.
The Seal of the Holy Spirit.
John 6:25-27
When they (the crowds) found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes (natural) , but for the food that endures to eternal life (spiritual), which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.”
In this passage Yeshua is talking first about natural bread, then spiritual bread, then he mentions the seal that’s been placed upon him. At first it doesn’t seem like there’s a connection but when you realize that in ancient cultures many products were marked with an identifying seal in the production process to demonstrate ownership or quality or purpose. Just like today, we call them brands. You can buy Wonder bread or you can buy Pepperidge Farms.
The people were accustomed to looking for a certain seal on the food they ate, so this reference makes sense that the Son of God would declare that he’s been marked or sealed by the Father.
Yeshua was saying, “I’m the one you’ve been waiting for.” “I’m the real deal.” And he brought the miracles to back it up.
This seal, this presence that marked Yeshua, was the Father’s authentication that the Son represented him and was genuinely authorized to conduct business for the Kingdom of God.
We now know this “seal” to be the Holy Spirit – the same Spirit that we ourselves are sealed with.
Matthew 3:16-17 (This is mentioned in all 4 gospels)
And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he (John) saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
The seal of the Holy Spirit is the Father’s authentication upon his sons and daughters.
Ephesians 1:13
In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,
Ephesians 4:30
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
2 Corinthians 1:21-22
And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.
Q: What is the seal for? Who is it for?
“Seal” according to VINES:
d) ownership and security, together with destination, Rev 7:3-5 (as with the noun in ver. 2; see A); the same three indications are conveyed in Eph 1:13, in the metaphor of the “sealing” of believers by the gift of the Holy Spirit, upon believing (i.e., at the time of their regeneration, not after a lapse of time in their spiritual life, “having also believed,” not as AV, “after that ye believed;” the aorist participle marks the definiteness and completeness of the act of faith); the idea of destination is stressed by the phrase “the Holy Spirit of promise” (see also Eph 1:14); so Eph 4:30, “ye were sealed unto the day of redemption;” so in 2Cr 1:22, where the Middle Voice intimates the special interest of the Sealer in His act;
(e) authentication by the believer (by receiving the witness of the Son) of the fact that “God is true,” John 3:33; authentication by God in sealing the Son as the Giver of eternal life (with perhaps a figurative allusion to the impress of a mark upon loaves), John 6:27.
The seal of the Holy Spirit upon believers confirms that we are 1) owned and possessed by the King himself, that we are 2) secure in our place as children of the king, and 3) that our destination is the heavenly Kingdom.
The seal of the Holy Spirit also 4) provides validation that we are authorized to conduct business in the spirit realm upon this earth.
Yeshua paid for the salvation and healing of every individual on this planet. We’re called to go get what he paid for, and we have the authority to do it.
Back to John 6
With this huge crowd of people who want to make him their king, hanging on his every word and action — he proceeds to give the most offensive and controversial sermon of his ministry.
He tells the people they must eat his flesh and drink his blood….. and does not explain to them why.
We now know this as a metaphor indicating the new covenant in his blood. We remember it through the “communion”.
After this, it says that many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. All those people who were clamoring after him to be king – abandoned him because they were offended or confused by his words.
Q: What did Yeshua do wrong that his sermon drove people away? He broke all the modern rules of preaching, so obviously he was doing something wrong….(?!) / What do you think his goal was in doing this? / Do you think he was interested in quantity or quality?
Not the model of church growth that you might expect. But I don’t think he was working on building a church in the way that we would expect. He was working on investing in the men and women who would stay with him through all this. One interesting fact that is made clear throughout his earthly ministry: While his ministry to people naturally attracted large crowds, he did not invest himself in them, but he trained and equipped a smaller group of disciples, possibly about 100, but this sermon reduced that number even further.
I believe this reduction was intentional.
Why the disciples left everything to follow this man
John 6:60-69
When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.
But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”
(This phrase can be confusing until we realize that faith to believe – for salvation, for healing, for anything – comes to us only from the Father when we ask for it. Faith is a gift from the Father, or a fruit from abiding in him. It comes in no other way. I believe he was looking for those with faith and eliminating those without faith. Those with faith saw the seal of the Holy Spirit upon him and were not deterred.)
Q: What would happen to the modern church if those without faith were driven away? Because that time is coming.
After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”
This one passage in vs.68-69, summarizes why the disciples left everything to follow this man.
Vs. 68-69 — “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”
It is as though Peter is saying, “You have the words that reveal the presence of God. You have the words that give our lives purpose. We don’t understand everything you say, but when you speak, we come alive. Where else would we go? We are ruined for anything less than your presence.”
The disciples had seen more miracles than anyone in history, yet the main reason they were committed to Yeshua was because of what he said.
** First they belonged…. then they believed…. then they understood.
The call of God upon your life rarely comes with an understanding of the call.
That’s the same journey that the Holy Spirit invites all of us to enter into. And he is the only one that will keep you from falling away when you cannot understand, or are confused or even offended by what God says to you.
End of 3.
