Appointed To Bear Fruit: A 90 Day JourneySample

The Revelation of The Spirit

Solomon was known for his great wisdom. Yet even though he was wise, Solomon didn’t understand God’s great plan. He investigated the world and its greatness, but in the end, he could only conclude that everything was meaningless. Death renders all the world’s pride and riches completely meaningless. The world has no solution for our final enemy–death. Jesus, however, had wisdom that didn’t come from earthly things. Rather, His wisdom came from heaven, for He was the Word of God, which became flesh. Not even someone as great as Solomon could comprehend the depths of this wisdom. Jesus shared glimpses of this heavenly wisdom with His disciples. However, He knew that they were unable to comprehend His teaching. Thus, He sent the Spirit to reveal these truths to them.

What was the great mystery of heaven that could not yet be revealed to the disciples? It was God’s plan of salvation. Until the Spirit came, the disciples couldn’t understand the need for the Cross, the reality of the resurrection, or their commissioning at the ascension. Even after He rose, Jesus taught His disciples about the kingdom of God, but they couldn’t comprehend it. The disciples still thought that the gospel was the restoration of Israel to a place of earthly power, but it was so much more. The wisdom of heaven is “the mystery of his will… which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth” (Eph. 1:9-10). God would unite humanity, both Jews and Gentiles, through faith in Christ to the praise of His glory.

If the disciples were still struggling with why Jesus had to die on the cross, how would they ever be able to understand the depths of God’s wisdom to save all nations through the Messiah? This indeed was too much for the disciples to bear at this time. On the way to Jerusalem where Jesus would be crucified, the disciples were arguing about who was the greatest. Later, the arrest of Christ caused the disciples to scatter. They regrouped days later in a locked upper room. When they were with Christ, they couldn’t understand the Father’s plan of salvation. Now separated from Christ, the disciples’ lack of understanding was compounded by the fear that gripped their hearts.

Full understanding of Jesus’ words came after the Spirit arrived. The Spirit did not bring new teachings, but explained what was eternal and implemented the work of salvation. When the Father and the Son prepared the plan of salvation, the Spirit was also there. The details were known by the Father, Son, and Spirit. Even though it was Jesus who fulfilled the Father’s plan of salvation, the Spirit was necessary to spread the news of salvation by convicting the world of sin and teaching believers the details of the plan. And just as Jesus only spoke the words that the Father gave Him (John 8:28), so too the Spirit only speaks the words that He hears from God. 

Jesus told some Jews that believed in Him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32). The key to understanding God’s Word is to abide in Christ. As we abide in Christ, it is the Spirit who teaches us the wisdom of God, because the Spirit knows the Father’s deepest thoughts and reveals them to God’s children. We can trust the Spirit, because He communicates God’s truths accurately. We can have full confidence in what we know about Christ, and we can act boldly to proclaim these truths, because we will not be ashamed on the day of judgment. 

Application:  What is the Spirit revealing to you?