Holy Spirit: What Jesus Instructed

Introduction

I have to admit to you that I’ve changed what I planned to speak about tonight and I believe I’ve done so with good reason.

The lesson tonight was going to look at the work of the HS in the early church, but it occurs to me that I really would like to save that lesson for a Sunday morning, and most importantly, I feel that there is more to this mornings lesson that I didn’t get to that I would like to look at tonight.

When I worked at Chesapeake as a software developer, I had the privilege of working with some incredibly smart people and we had the opportunity to create some incredibly complex systems that were capable of doing some truly amazing things.

But one of the parts of the Job of an engineer is that sometimes some bug would need to be fixed or some feature would need to be added into the code, and often times we would open a project and look at it and just be clueless at where to begin to fix it.

I can’t tell you how many hours I spent looking at the screen, trying to decipher what was going on with something.

and often times you just had to keep plugging away until you figured it out, but if you were lucky, the person that wrote the project you needed to fix was still around, and it was always easier to go and ask the person directly how everything fit together, and what things did what. And if you couldn’t get to speak with them, then you would go and talk to one of the team.

So tonight we are going to investigate what Jesus had to say in regards to the HS.

Now again, its not our goal with this study to comprehend or claim to come to a perfect working knowledge of the Holy Spirit, that is not what this is all about.

But it does seem prudent to heed the words of Christ if we are serious about learning as much as we can.

We saw this morning that the HS was instrumental in the birth of Jesus, in his baptism, and in his ministry, and we noticed that through the spirit being upon Jesus many Messianic prophecies were fulfilled.

but tonight, before we transition into the book of Acts, let’s look tonight at what information that Jesus gives us about the HS.

The HS is God

Now I now we’ve talked about this already, and I sincerely hope that what we’ve already discussed regarding Peter telling Ananias that he lied to the HS and that his lie wasn’t to men but to God in , and how Jesus gave instructions to make disciples by baptizing them in the name of or by the authority of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit was enough for you to see that the HS is a divine member of the Godhead.

But if you are not yet convinced let’s take a look at

Matthew 12:22–32 ESV

22 Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw. 23 And all the people were amazed, and said, “Can this be the Son of David?” 24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.” 25 Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. 26 And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29 Or how can someone enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house. 30 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 31 Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

v. 28 - The Spirit of God holds power over demons

But notice what else Jesus goes on to say.

v. 31 - 32: Blasphemy is a special word that is employed when speaking counter or speaking against divine subjects. In this case, Jesus says that speaking against the HS is a blasphemy that will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

It appears from the text, that this was exactly what the Pharisees were doing by attributing a clear work of the spirit as the work of Satan.

It seems pretty clear to me that Jesus thought extremely highly of the HS and knew Him to be a member of the Godhead.

So if you needed additional verification of that, now you have it.

Those who speak “in the Spirit” speak authoritatively

Turn to

and while you are turning there I just want to say how important that I think this section of scripture is for what it teaches us.

It’s natural I think to wonder about the truthfulness of scripture. How do we know that what we have is actually what God intended for us to have? Well for one thing the Greek manuscripts that we have in our possession have an excellent track record and are in remarkable agreement with one another, so they tell us that the message has stayed the same from the earliest copies that we have in our possession, but his verse I think also can give us confidence in the inspired writers.

Matthew 22:41–46 ESV

41 Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, 42 saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “The son of David.” 43 He said to them, “How is it then that David, in the Spirit, calls him Lord, saying, 44 “ ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet” ’? 45 If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?” 46 And no one was able to answer him a word, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.

Matthew 22:41-

Now Jesus is quoting from but there is no indication from David in that Psalm that what he is saying is inspired by the Spirit, but yet Jesus makes that claim, and he makes that claim as to remind the Pharisees that it wasn’t by David’s authority alone that he wrote it, but by the Spirits.

Psalm 110:1 ESV

1 The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”

This made it to where the Pharisees couldn’t answer because they couldn’t comprehend the mystery of Jesus being the son of God.

They couldn’t just say, “Well David was mistaken, because what he had written came from the HS. That which is from the HS is authoritative.

The HS would speak through His Disciples

In , Jesus is sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite of the Temple, and Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Jesus about something he had said regarding the Temple, and how every stone would be thrown down.

In response, Jesus tells them starting in v. 9.

Mark 13:9–11 ESV

9 “But be on your guard. For they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them. 10 And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations. 11 And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.

Mk 13:9-

Can you imagine having such an ability? Man wouldn’t it be great not to have anxiety about what you are going to say and just standing up on a Sunday morning or a Sunday night and having to study at all but just know that the HS is going to speak and you won’t be wrong? In fact, you’ll never be more right?

Well that was something that the early disciples had through the HS. We don’t have that ability today, as you know if you’ve heard me preach, but we do have recorded for us their words. And we can trust that their words were from the HS, because Jesus told us that they would be.

The HS is a gift from the Father

Luke 11:5–13 ESV

5 And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, 6 for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? 8 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. 9 And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 11 What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; 12 or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

John 15:26 ESV

26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.

Luke 11:5-

The Spirit Gives life

John 6:63 ESV

63 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.

John 3:5 ESV

5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

Ezekiel 11:17–20 ESV

17 Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: I will gather you from the peoples and assemble you out of the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.’ 18 And when they come there, they will remove from it all its detestable things and all its abominations. 19 And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, 20 that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God.

Ezek 11:17-

John 3:5-

Ephesians 2:1–7 ESV

1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Eph 2:1-

The HS is a comforter, a helper, a teacher, and guide into all the truth

John 14:15–17 ESV

15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 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.

John 14:

John 16:4–15 ESV

4 But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you. “I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. 5 But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 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. 8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. 12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

John 16:

There is no receiving the Spirit without seeing or knowing Him.

The Spirit convicts the world concerning sin, and righteousness, and judgement

The Spirit speaks by the authority of the Godhead and glorifies Jesus.

The Apostles would be baptized with the HS

If you recall, this morning I mentioned that John the baptist stated that Jesus would baptize with the HS.

Well in

Acts 1:4–8 ESV

4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” 6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”