Day 8 of 12 Reasons to Rejoice: Advent Devotions
I imagine the day Jesus left his disciples and ascended into heaven was somewhat of a letdown. They’d just gotten him back from the dead only to have him leave again?
It was with a big “now what?” hanging over their heads that the disciples watched their Savior disappear into the sky for the last time. But they weren’t finished.
Before he left, Jesus gave them one final instruction:
“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.”
Actis 1:4-5
The gift? Was this his way of giving them a tracking number, sort of like you get when you order something off Amazon?
Jesus’ work as a man was done. After all, humans have limitations. They can only be in one place at a time and can handle limited information. He knew he must return to heaven, but in his place, he left someone not limited by manhood.
Meet the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit is the one who blesses us with faith despite not being able to see God’s face. Without the Spirit, you wouldn’t even have the ability to believe in Christ at all (1 John 3:23-24). You’d have little resistance to sin and Satan (Romans 8:5-8). And you wouldn’t have God’s secret wisdom (1 Corinthians 2:6-10).
The Holy Spirit is still here with us today, actively working in your life. How do I know this?
Rejoice that Jesus left us with the Holy Spirit!
For Further Reading
The full passage from which the above excerpt came can be found in Acts 1:1-11. See also Matthew 27:16-20, Galatians 5:16-26, and the following posts:
You don’t have to have all the answers.
but, hey, why not?
Bring me your questions about faith, life, God, the Bible… and I’ll help you find the answers.
What a beautiful gift. I really like the answer to “How do I know this?” I have thought of that so often… just the fact that I can believe is proof of the Holy Spirit at work in me. Thank you, Lauren.
I always feel so blessed that the Holy Spirit is in me . What would life be without it! Can’t even imagine! Again another great read. So much always to think about. Thank you as always!
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