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JESUS REVEALED THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT
A. Introduction: For several weeks we’ve been talking about reading the Bible relationally, or reading, not
just to get information or fulfill a religious duty, but to deepen our relationship with Almighty God
through reading His written Word.
1. To get the most out of reading relationally you need to understand the big picture. God created
human beings for relationship with Himself, to live in loving relationship with Him. He created us
to become literal sons and daughters by receiving His Spirit and life into our being.
a. God’s plan for man has always been to unite us to Himself through shared life. Christianity is
more than a belief system. It is an organic, living relationship with God through union.
1. Almighty God created us with the capacity to receive Him into our being, to be indwelled by
His Spirit and life—the uncreated (eternal) life in Him.
2. Sin has cut us off from God and our created purpose. Jesus came into this world and died to
open the way for us to be restored to God and our purpose as His sons and daughters.
b. When a person puts faith in Jesus and His sacrifice on the Cross, God unites that person to
Himself by His Spirit, and he becomes a son of God. The Bible uses the analogy of new birth to
describe what happens, declaring that he or she is born again or born of the Spirit of God.
1. John 1:12-13—But to all who believed him (Jesus) and accepted him, he gave the right to
become children of God. They are reborn! This is not a physical rebirth resulting from
human passion or plan—this rebirth comes from God (NLT).
2. John 3:6—That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit
(literally, born from above) (ESV).
2. A life-giving union takes place when we believe. The Holy Spirit joins us to Christ. The Bible
uses a number of word pictures to help us understand how a Transcendent (completely other),
Infinite (no limits), Eternal (no beginning or end) God interacts with finite human beings.
a. Jesus used a word picture when He referred to Himself as the Vine and believers in Him as
branches. He said: John 15:5—I am the Vine, you are the branches. Those that remain united
to me while I remain united to them are those who bear fruit plentifully (20th Cent).
1. A vine and a branch are united through shared life. I Cor 6:17—But the person who is
united to the Lord becomes one spirit with Him (Amp).
2. This is a personal union. I am united to Almighty God. I am born of the Spirit. We are
not absorbed into or by Him. We remain unique individual.
b. Through this union we are progressively restored by the Spirit of God to all that He created us to
be—sons and daughters who live in loving relationship with our Father God as we bring honor
and glory to Him by the way we live.
3. To read relationally means to read with the awareness that this wonderous Being, who is beyond
comprehension, wants relationship with me, wants to indwell me, wants to live in me, wants to
restore me. And He has given me a Book to help me see Him as He truly is and myself as I truly
am in relation to Him.
B. To help us understand what it looks like to read relationally, we’ve been considering some things that
Jesus said at the Last Supper, His final meal with His apostles the night before He was crucified.
1. These men had no idea that Jesus was going to be arrested that night and crucified the next day.
Nor did they yet understand that this why He came into the world. We know more than they did.
a. At the meal, Jesus’ apostles were sad because He said He was going to leave them, but He
assured them that He would not to abandon them. However, most of what He said didn’t make
sense to them until after He was raised from the dead. John 14:20

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b. Jesus told them that the Father and He would send the Holy Spirit, I will come to you, and the
Father and I will make our home in you. John 14:16-17; John 14:21-23; John 14:26; John 16:7
2. To appreciate what Jesus said we need to know that God is Triune. Triune comes from a Latin
word that means three (tri) and one (unus). God is One God who simultaneously manifests as three
distinct, but not separate, Persons—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
a. They are Persons in that they are self-aware, and aware of and interactive with each other. They
are distinguished from each other, but these distinctions do not mean that there is division in the
One Being that is God.
b. These three Persons each fully possess One Divine nature. The Father is all God. The Son is
all God. The Holy Spirit is all God. This is a mystery beyond our comprehension.
1. This aspect of God was hinted at in the Old Testament, and then clearly revealed when the
Second Person (the Son) incarnated and the Father and the Son poured out the Holy Spirit.
2. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit have lived in loving relationship with each other
since forever, and we have been invited into this relationship through faith in Jesus. John 1:1
3. All three Persons were and are involved in our salvation and redemption. The Father
planned it. Jesus purchased (or provided) it through His sacrifice at the Cross. The Holy
Spirit produces (or applies) the effects of Jesus’ sacrifice in us when we believe on Jesus.
c. Jesus’ followers don’t understand it yet, but it is through the Holy Spirit that Jesus will continue
to be with these men. John 16:7—But it is actually best for you that I go away, because if I
don’t go the Counselor (the Holy Spirit) won’t come. If I do go away, he will come because I
will send him to you (NLT).
1. How can God send God? How can God who is Omnipresent (present everywhere at once)
come and go? This is all beyond comprehension.
2. The point for us is that Jesus is telling His followers that through the work of the Holy Spirit
in you, the Father and I will be with you and in you. You won’t be alone nor have to fear.
3. At the Last Supper Jesus made specific statements about the Holy Spirit, calling Him the Spirit of
truth three times. John 14:17; John 15:26; John 16:13
a. Jesus said: He is the Holy Spirit who leads into all truth (John 14:17, NLT) the Spirit of truth
(ESV) who leads into all truth (John 14:17, NLT). The Spirit of truth will come to you from the
Father and will tell you about me (John 15:26, NLT), He will testify of Me (John 15:16, Amp).
When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth (John 16:13, NLT).
b. Among other things, the Holy Spirit is here to lead us into the truth. The Holy Spirit is here to
reveal Jesus, who is the Truth, through the written Word of God, which is the Truth. At the Last
Supper Jesus called Himself the Way, the Truth, and the Life. John 14:6
1. Jesus is the Truth, the perfect revelation of God. He is the Life because He is Life and
there is no way to eternal life apart from Him. He is the Way to God because He is God and
there’s no way to know God apart from Him.
2. That night Jesus said: (Father) sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth (John
17:17). The Holy Spirit inspired the Scriptures (the Truth), and through the Scriptures, He
reveals Jesus (the Truth).
4. At the Last Supper Jesus told the apostles: Even though I am leaving, you will have direct contact
with me through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is here primarily to testify of Jesus, to make
known to us Jesus and the truth of the Bible. Remember, the Scriptures testify of Jesus. John 5:39
a. John 14:26—But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will
teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you (NKJV).
b. John 16:12-15—There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now. When the
Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not be presenting his own ideas;

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he will be telling you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring me
glory by revealing to you whatever he receives from me. All that the Father has is mine; this is
what I mean when I say that the Spirit will reveal to you whatever he receives from me (NLT).
C. At this meal Jesus told His men: When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father,
and you are in me, and I am in you (John 14:20, NLT). Let’s see what happened on Resurrection Day.
1. Mary Magdalene, along with several women, went to Jesus’ tomb early in the morning, while it was
still dark. They found the tomb open and empty. Two angels suddenly appeared and told them
that Jesus had risen form the dead, just as He said He would.
a. Mary was the first to see Jesus. While she was crying and talking with the angels she glanced
over her shoulder and saw what she thought was the gardener standing behind her.
1. When He spoke to her, she realized it was Jesus: Don’t cling to me, Jesus said, for I haven’t
yet ascended to the Father. But go find my brothers and tell them that I am ascending to my
Father and you Father, my God and your God (John 20:17, NLT).
2. Mary found the disciples, told them that she had seen the Lord, and gave them His message.
Peter and John ran to the tomb and saw that it was empty. They left, wondering what would
happen next. John 20:1-10; Luk 24:1-12
b. Later that day, as two of Jesus’ followers were walking toward the village of Emmaus (seven
miles from Jerusalem), Jesus suddenly came along and started walking with them.
1. They didn’t recognize Him (their eyes were restrained, Luke 24:16, NKJV). Jesus asked
why they looked so sad. They told Him that the one they believed to be the Messiah had
been crucified. But some of His women followers found His tomb empty, and saw angels
who told them that Jesus is alive. We don’t know what to make of it. Luke 24:13-24
2. Jesus said: Foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the
Scriptures. Wasn’t it clearly predicted by the prophets that the Messiah would have to suffer
all these things before entering his time of glory. Then Jesus quoted passages from the
prophets, explaining what all the Scriptures said about Himself (Luke 24:25-27, NLT).
A. They still didn’t recognize Him, but since it was getting late they begged him to stay with
them that night. As they sat down to eat, when Jesus took bread, blessed it, broke it, and
gave it to them, their eyes were opened and they recognized him. Then He disappeared.
B. They said to each other: Did not our hearts burn within us while He talked with us on
the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us (Luke 24:32, NKJV).
2. Within the hour the two were back on the road to Jerusalem to tell the apostles and other disciples
what happened. When they arrived, they were told the Lord had appeared to Peter. Luke 24:34
a. Jesus suddenly stood in the midst of them. They were stunned, even frightened, and Jesus said:
Touch me and see that I am not a ghost. He showed them His hands, feet, and side, and they
were filled with wonder and awe. Jesus asked for something to eat and they watched Him eat a
piece of broiled fish and a honey comb. Luke 24:36-43
1. Luke 24:44-45—Then he said, “When I was with you before, I told you that everything
written about me by Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must all come true.” Then
He opened their minds to understand these many Scriptures (NLT).
2. Luke 24:46-48—And He said, “Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah must suffer and
die and rise again from the dead on the third day. With my authority take this message of
repentance to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: There is forgiveness of sins
(remission) for all who turn to me. You are witnesses of all these things (NLT).
b. John’s gospel gives additional details about this initial meeting. John wrote that when Jesus
appeared, He said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so send I you.” Then he

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breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20:21-22, NLT).
1. We aren’t told exactly all that happened here. But it seems clear that they were converted
and born of the Spirit, since Jesus has preached the gospel to them and they believed. It is
also a beautiful parallel to what happened when God created the first man, Adam, when God
breathed into Adam the breath of life and he became a living soul. Gen 2:7
2. Resurrection day is the beginning of a new creation. Men and women can now be restored
to their created purpose by the indwelling Holy Spirit, on the basis of Jesus’ sacrifice.
A. But there is more to their experience with the Holy Spirit to still to come. Jesus said:
“Now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city
until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven (Luke 24:49, NLT).
B. This promise was fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost when the apostles and other disciples
were filled with (baptized in) the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4) (lessons for another day).
3. Jesus spent forty more days with His apostles after His resurrection. During that time, He gave
them many proofs that He was truly alive, and He talked with them about the kingdom of God.
a. Then, Jesus returned to Heaven and His followers went back to Jerusalem to wait for the Holy
Spirit to come. Acts 1:1-8
b. At the Last Supper Jesus promised His apostles that once He returned to Heaven, they could
continue to interact with Him through His Word and with the help of the Holy Spirit whom He
and the Father would send.
1. John 14:21-23—Those who obey my commandments are the ones who love me… and I will
reveal myself to each one of them (NLT)…(my Father and I) will come to (them) and make
our home with (them) (ESV).
2. John 15:26—But I will send you the Counselor—the Spirit of truth. He will come to you
from the Father and will tell you all about me (NLT).
D. Conclusion: We have more to say next week, but consider several thoughts as we close this lesson.
1. At the conclusion of the Last Supper, just before Jesus and His apostles went to the Garden of
Gethsemane where Jesus was arrested, He prayed for them, and for all who will believe on Him
because of their testimony.
a. Note one part of His prayer: John 17:21-23—(I pray for them) that they all may be one, as You
Father, are in Me, and I in You…I in them, and You in Me; that they may be perfect in one, and
that the world may know that You (NKJV) love them as much as you love me (NLT).
b. There’s a lot of meaning in these statements (other lessons). But Jesus was praying that, among
other things, the apostles and all who believe (you and me) would know what it means to be in
this vital, living, spiritual relationship with Almighty God who is now our Father.
c. Jesus compares this relationship to the one that existed between Him and His Father. Jesus
knew that the Father was in Him and that His Father loved Him. He knew that He was never
alone. Jesus was obedient His Father because He loved Him. John 8:16; John 14:31; John 17:26
2. Keep in mind that these apostles were real people who were interacting with God Incarnate
throughout His ministry, His crucifixion, and resurrection.
a. As we read the Book of Acts and the letters (epistles) these men wrote, we find that they
continued this interaction once Jesus returned to Heaven, through the Scriptures and the help of
the Holy Spirit (lessons for another day).
b. We also are real people who can interact with Jesus through His Word and His indwelling Spirit, the
Holy Spirit. When you read relationally read with the awareness Almighty God wants to reveal
Himself to you through the Scriptures. Take to think about what you are reading, and ask the Holy
Spirit to help you see Jesus in the Word that He inspired. More next week!