Jesus gives the Spirit

Tonight we looked at John's presentation of Jesus as the one who "baptises with the Spirit". I'm suggesting that the background is the OT and specially Ezekiel in which we have the promise of the Spirit who will wash (i.e. baptise) and change hearts. As a result of the Spirit coming Ezekiel 40-48 gives a grand vision of a new temple, in which God dwells in his glory and the people serve faithfully. From the temple flow wonderful streams of living water (Ezek 47). This all comes together in John. Jesus is the new temple (1:14, 2:21) and he brings the Spirit who brings people to new life (3:3-8). He offers the water of life (4:14). So when he answers that the age has come in which "true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth", Jesus is summing up all these themes and saying that he is the new temple in whom Spirit people will worship.

I hope that gave an exciting picture of the Spirit's ministry, and that people left with a deep sense of the privlege of the Christian life, and that Jesus offers us a dimension of life which no one and nothing else reaches. I also looked at the implications for the holiness of all life for all Christians: there are no 2nd class christians, no trivialities in life (not that everything has to be intense - but relaxation is still in the temple!) and sin looks even uglier! I was struck by the image of living all of life in the temple - I hope it worked for other people.

The link is to an article by Ed Clowney on a biblical theology of temple. I think it helps fill out some of the themes.

Jesus has the Spirit

Tonight we start a three part series on the Spirit in John's Gospel. I hope that it is a way of focussing us on the importance of the Spirit, but from a slightly different angle. I also hope that we see how wonderfully and abundantly God has provided for us.

The key texts for tonight are John 1:24-34, in which John the witness (the Baptiser) says that he knew Jesus as the Spirit Baptiser because the Spirit remained on Jesus; 3:34-35, in which John tells us that Jesus had all things including the Spirit without limit; and 7:38, in which Jesus applies Isa 58:11 to himself, he is the one from whom living water will flow (v39 explains that this referred to the Spirit.

The interesting theological question is why the one who has life in himself needs to be given the Spirit by the Father. I think it has something to do with enabling Jesus' 'flesh' (his humanity) to participate in the life which is his and in the life giving mission. I take a clue for this from John Owen's "Spirit Christology" (see www.puritansermons.com/banner/fergus01.htm if you want to follow that up).

I hope that I showed you that the life of God flows from Jesus, and helped you focus faith on him.