August 30, 2007

“’Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.’” Acts 2:33.
Peter, in his discourse during the Pentecost Festival, attempts to explain the unusual events of the morning, with its strange languages and many tongues expressing praises of God. He states that what has happened is that God has sent His promised Holy Spirit, now that Jesus, His Son, has returned to the Father’s right hand of Kingdom Rulership.
This verse is really full of thoughts for each of us to consider. Here are a few that will, hopefully, help you with the process. For instance, consider what is the significance of Jesus sitting at the right hand of God? Would the Holy Spirit have been released otherwise? What is the significance of the Holy Spirit being released throughout the world?
As for me, I believe that Jesus’ return to His Father is very significant, even crucial, in that He fulfilled every expectation that the Father had for Him, in His mission among humanity. Jesus provided the most perfect way – “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life” – for every person to return to the Father. His obedience and submission to the Father, and His plan, provided this way. While Jesus provided the way to the Father, the Holy Spirit provided the means to the Father, by virtue of His presence anyway and everywhere, and at all times. Jesus, Himself, said that it was better for Him to return to the Father so that the Holy Spirit could now come to do His mission. The Spirit is the presence of the Father and of the Son with us at all times, circumstances, and situations. God is ever-present and ever-personal because of the Holy Spirit.
I realize that this is a terribly unjust over-simplification of God’s activity in the world through the Holy Spirit. My purpose is to get us thinking about the third person of what we call the Trinity – the Holy Spirit. Here is my bottom-line question for us to consider today: What are you doing to enable the Holy Spirit’s activity in your life? Take today to consider how you are partnering with the Holy Spirit in your world.