Beginning in the New Testament with John the Baptist, we see that just like Jesus was coming, there was a promise of the Holy Spirit coming. John the Baptist fulfilled the Old Testament prophecy from Malachi 3:1 and Isaiah 40:3 of preparing the way for Messiah, Jesus.
Malachi 3:1 (TNIV, God is speaking)
“I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the LORD Almighty.Isaiah 40:3 (TNIV)
A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
John the Baptist prepared the way and recognized that he was but a messenger. John was a true servant of the Lord.
I believe that the Holy Spirit is not an entity on it’s own but IS God’s Spirit in our hearts. When the curtain was torn in the temple at the moment of Jesus’ death on the cross it meant that we as people were now able to go to God on our own directly and indeed…..His spirit was now made available to us in our hearts.
Matthew 3:11 (TNIV, John the Baptist speaking)
“I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.Acts 2:38-39 (TNIV)
38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off–for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
Jesus promised the disciples a helper once He was gone from this earth. A helper that would come from God. The Greek word translated as “helper” or “advocate” is parakletos [par-ak-lay-tos]. It has a fuller meaning of “comforter” or “one who pleads another’s cause before a judge, a pleader, counsel for defense”
John 14:15-17 (TNIV)
15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever– 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.
John 15:26 (TNIV)
“When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father–the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father–he will testify about me.
We need this advocate, this comforter, the Holy Spirit. The good news is that as we follow Jesus, God’s Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, is with us to guide us, to give us strength and comfort. Reach out today and every day asking Jesus for guidance, for comfort, for endurance and for discernment.
