Pentecost 1 The Promised Gift

[HKHaugan]

Pentecost 1 The Promised Gift

We have been delving into the Resurrection of Jesus. It has been a journey of prayer, reason, logic, spirit and meditation. Mining the Scripture through personal pondering, the gemstones emerge with bright shafts of light from the Light that lights the world. From birth to the Cross and the Resurrection Jesus made Himself known in the world of sight, hearing, touch, taste and feeling. Jesus was and is the glory of God for the world to see. God in Christ pulled back the curtain between the invisible and the visible. God became fully human while remaining fully God for an estimated 30 years. He became a singular human being in time and space. He made Himself known personally and then lifted estranged hearts into the awareness of their true destiny in Him through His death and Resurrection. Still there was more to come.

But first, consider Jesus as He etched Himself on the growing marble monument of history. Four deeply cut impressions mark His appearance---His humanity, His balance, His heart and His mind.
First, His humanity.
Divinely eternal and humanly born, His was a miraculous sinless birth in that the Holy Spirit conceived Him in the flesh. Yet His humanity in the Spirit was lived by faith as a submitted child to Scripture toward His parents, in a culture and among a people. Day by day He grew “…in wisdom and stature with God and man.” He defined humanity.
Second, His balance.
Jesus was a picture of Spirit-balanced development as an individual, in relationship with His Father and others. He loved His Father and He loved people. He developed a unique closeness with family, friends and disciples. He was God’s plan to bring balance to society.
Third, His heart.
Growing into manhood He had His Heavenly Father’s heart. It was a heart-unity with His Father and the Holy Spirit. It is that unity He is restoring to us. Our minds, our hearts and our souls were created to be in the same kind of balanced unity with Him and one another. He made unification of man’s heart with God’s heart His mission.
Fourth, His mind.
Jesus was bathed in the Word, which shaped His human mind and made Him aware of being the Messiah who would suffer death as a sacrifice for sin and bring mankind back to His Father. He was ‘His Father’s Son.’ “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us…” Jesus was Scripture in the flesh; Scripture lived out each day and Scripture finally fulfilled. He modeled what we were meant to be like. He, who is the truth, restored truth to reason. He gave the mind meaning, purpose and power.

Those four impressions are what the ‘more to come’ is all about. Remember He said He had to go away to prepare a place for us to be where He is. His death was part of His preparation for us. His Resurrection was part of the same preparation. What was He preparing for? Simply this, the recovery of our hearts through three connections: First, sending His Holy Spirit who---secondly,---brings Jesus’ personal presence into our hearts, then---thirdly,---directing us through the Word. Maintaining these connections is the work of the Holy Spirit.
More tomorrow, Pentecost, and the days to come on the meaning and purpose of the Third Person of the Trinity. Stay tuned.