.
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.
4. 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.
Q: What do you think of this following statement, in light of the modern church?:
Biblical illiteracy in a generation that wants miracles makes them vulnerable to deception by false miracles, signs, and wonders.
Q: Why did the crowds that followed the Lord fall away?
Why did the disciples not abandon Yeshua? (Seen in John 6.)
The crowds that followed Yeshua saw the miracles (power of the Holy Spirit) but still fell away when they were offended.
When we focus on what God has not done, we lose sight of what he is doing.
When we dwell on what God has not done we sabotage our faith – and feed our fear.
Excerpt from “Does God offend you?” The Well, 1-21-2024:
The Holy Spirit has told me in several different ways that he will teach us – tutor us – using the miraculous. That sounds great – until we realize the miracles of God will expose a heart of unbelief. This is why we’re encouraged to renew our minds.
A renewed mind does not need to know where we’re going in order to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit.
In fact, I believe that the amount of revelation you can receive from the Lord- is in direct proportion to – the level of mystery you are willing to live with.
We cannot begin to learn from the miraculous if our eyes are on what God “has not done”, or how bad the world around us has become. Miracles and testimonies of God’s goodness teach us to expect greater things from the Lord.So, If you replay those times when you think things – have failed to happen, or failed to happen as you expected – your mind is being trained to expect less and less from God than he wants to give you. Living in regret will suffocate your faith.
If you focus on what you lack – you will empower unbelief and fear.
Unbelief creates a theology based on what God has not done.
…………………………….
The disciples’ intimacy with Yeshua, the Word of God, fostered a relationship with the authority of God, that anchored them during an offense or confusion.
A “power encounter” with God (like witnessing miracles) is not sufficient to change your heart, rather intimacy with the Holy Spirit insulates you from unbelief and teaches you about authority. Spiritual authority is the result of intimacy with God.
John 6:63,68-69 (Yeshua said) 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.
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.”
While the Holy Spirit is manifest through miracles, his life is revealed in the spoken Word.
-OR- we might say,
While the Holy Spirit’s power is visible through miracles, his authority is revealed in intimacy with the Word (Yeshua).
Holy One of God
Notice in John 6:69 that Peter calls Yeshua the “Holy One of God”. According to scripture, they had never called him that before. The only other time he was called by that name was before he had called any of the disciples. The first time he’s called that name is by the demons he encounters when teaching in the synagogue on the Sabbath.
Mark 1:24
“What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.”
Luke 4:34 (review)
“Ha! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.”
In these accounts, the demon recognizes Yeshua purely by his spiritual identity. This is a 100% spiritual encounter. They reacted to his holiness. They saw the Holy Spirit!
Q: Why did Peter use this title? “The Holy One of God.”
Perhaps it indicates that Peter was seeing the Messiah according to the Spirit. Could it be that Peter encountered the holiness of God?
I believe Paul is Speaking of this reality to the Corinthians.
2 Corinthians 5:16
From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer.
Then, after the resurrection he is referred to by this title several times.
Where we’re going:
Today, We’re going to discuss how the disciples were introduced to somebody who was better equipped to guide them and the early church than Yeshua alone would have been.
If that sounds odd, read on and you’ll see where I’m headed.
A Journey of Understanding
Our journey toward intimacy with the Messiah follows the same steps that the disciples had to take:
1. He speaks your purpose into you. “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
2. You choose to leave the old life behind. Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
3. You hear and believe the words of eternal life. “You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed..”
4. Then you come to know the One who speaks these words of life to you. ”we have come to know that you are the Holy One of God.”
Everywhere Yeshua went he changed the atmosphere around him and left controversy in his wake. These 12 men, accompanied him, ate with him, lived with him, saw him bring change wherever he went.
Whether they were with him among a crowd or in a secluded place alone or walking through a village, they saw who he was and what he did and yet I’m sure they did not understand most of what they saw.
He was teaching the disciples to think like he thought so they could do the things that he did. He modeled perfectly a lifestyle of obedience to the Father.
He transformed every life that he encountered.
He was revealing the Father’s Kingdom by the presence of the Holy Spirit. Because he was sealed with the Holy Spirit.
The disciples were invited to see events that no human being had ever seen throughout all of history. They knew they were not qualified for what they took part in, so the gratefulness that they felt for this man, their friend, and their rabbi, must have been overwhelming.
They saw and experienced the miracles up close, they shared every amazing thing he did and they saw him transform the environment of every place he went, every village he visited, and every person he encountered. He healed every sick or demonized person who came to him. They were immersed in this experience that no human being had ever experienced.
Just being around Yeshua made them feel exceptional, powerful, and purposeful. He called them friends and shared his secrets with them. And three times in these chapters he says, “Ask whatever you want of me and I will do it.”
John 13 through John 17, these 5 chapters, all take place the night of the last supper, between the supper and the garden of Gethsemane. During this time, Yeshua wants to shift the focus toward what the disciples will need after he is gone.
Another Helper
John 14:15-17
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 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.
VINES: Two words in Greek for ‘another’:
1) Allos – expresses a numerical difference and denotes “another of the same sort;”
(example: another green chair.)
2) Heteros – expresses a qualitative difference and denotes “another of a different sort.”
(Example: one chair and one stool.)
‘ANOTHER’: (Gr: allos, “another like Himself,”) (Latin alius.)
This word means that the helper is exactly like Yeshua. Not just similar, but identical. Yeshua was saying that he was going to send someone that was exactly like him, but more.
‘HELPER’: (Gr: paráklētos), an intercessor, consoler, advocate, comforter. lit., “called to one’s side,” i.e., to one’s aid is primarily a verbal adjective, and suggests the capability or adaptability for giving aid. It was used in a court of justice to denote a legal assistant, counsel for the defense, an advocate; then, generally, one who pleads another’s cause, an intercessor, advocate, as in 1John 2:1, of the Lord Jesus. In the widest sense, it signifies a “succorer, comforter.” Christ was this to His disciples, by the implication of His word “another (allos, “another of the same sort,” not heteros, “different”) Comforter,” when speaking of the Holy Spirit, John 14:16. In John 14:26; 15:26; 16:7 He calls Him “the Comforter.” “Comforter” or “Consoler” corresponds to the name “Menahem,” given by the Hebrews to the Messiah.
Q: If Yeshua declared, “It is finished” on the cross why does the Holy Spirit need to come?
He is trying to introduce the idea that the Holy Spirit will come and continue in them what Yeshua started. But, as an indwelling Spirit, he will be better equipped to help the disciples in their new roles.
Q: Did Yeshua have limitations?
The lives of these disciples have been nonstop drama – signs, wonders, miracles, demonic encounters, controversy, conflicts, and mind-boggling revelation. Living alongside this man would become an experience that would change the world as they knew it. He began as a stranger but ended up as the most important person in all of eternity.
He himself was the living tree of life, the bread of life, the living water, the Word become flesh, etc. And he walked with them and shared with them and taught them and cried with them and laughed with them….
The disciples had complete access to the presence of God. They saw the love, compassion, mercy, anger, justice, …… of God at work before their own eyes. They abandoned everything of this world because they saw something greater in the man that called them, long before they knew he was the Son of God.
If we could only imagine the overwhelming intimacy of the connection they shared with God in the flesh, Yeshua, ………… they could reach out and take hold of him and touch him and he responded to them as his friends. The awesome entirety of God.. within reach. Sitting across the table breaking bread or standing around the fire day after day. They gave up everything to follow him and they never looked back.
With all that in mind – hours before his death — what they are told in this next verse may be the most astonishing and staggering statement that the disciples had heard to this point.
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.
“It’s better that you go away” ?! WHAT ??!!
If there was ever a statement that Yeshua uttered that was impossible for the disciples to comprehend, this must have been the one.
I can imagine Peter blurting out, “How is it possible that it’s better for you to go away? How could that be better?”
Vs.7 – “to your advantage”: expedient, profitable, more efficient, to your benefit.
It would sound like heresy if the Lord himself had not said it.
Imagine yourself as one of the disciples – living day-to-day with the Lord himself —
walking alongside him for hours and talking as friends —
to break bread and share meals with him —
able to laugh and cry with him —
able to see his intense focus and determination —
able to hear him explain the parables and tell stories –
able to discuss desires, fears, and dreams and see him smile knowingly as he encouraged each one personally –
* Intimacy with God to such an extent had not been experienced by any living person since before the fall, in the garden, walking with the Lord.
And yet, ALL of that is inferior to being filled and empowered with the fulness of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
John 14:17
You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
They didn’t know they knew the Holy Spirit – but he had been with them in Yeshua the whole time. In fact, He’s the reason they were drawn to Yeshua in the first place.
In this encounter, Yeshua is preparing the disciples for the next phase of ministry.
He was returning to the Father, and they were to move into increased effectiveness, increased power, and increased authority, throughout the world.
Of course, They could not comprehend what he was saying until long after they had received the indwelling Holy Spirit.
John 14:25-26
These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
What follows is a rough draft, if you will, of my thoughts as they develop on this subject:
Due to natural human reasoning, we misunderstand the work of the Holy Spirit, or at least I did. It is as though we reduce his function to something that fits in our reasoning, so we can explain him. Perhaps that’s only human.
From what I had learned – I would tend to think that when Yeshua came to earth, he left his Father and came here. Then he went back and sent the Holy Spirit here. So the Holy Spirit is here now and the Father and the Son are in heaven on their thrones. That’s the way I would understand it. That sounds perfectly reasonable.
But, I think it’s more like this: Yeshua came to reveal the Father and in him, the world saw the Father’s nature. (see John 14:9 “….Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.”) Then when he “left”, the Holy Spirit came and dwells in the hearts of men, to reveal the fullness of the Son and the Father.
Even this explanation falls short.
Just like when Yeshua came – we could see the Father, even though we did not know it — when the Holy Spirit comes we experience the Son and the Father, to the extent that we can receive them.
This is why the Holy Spirit is absolutely crucial in our relationship with the Lord!
He doesn’t replace the Son, he reveals the Son and the Father!
Within the presence of the Holy Spirit is the fullness of the Father and the fullness of the Son!
End of lesson 4
