When the Disciples Became Christians

An Obscure Reference

Of the four Gospel writers, John is the only one who directly chronicled the conversion of the apostles:

“…Jesus said, ‘Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.’ And with that he breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.’” (John 20:21, 22 NIV)

This happened on the day of Jesus' resurrection, the day when the disciples were born again. Up until this time, they were not yet born of the water and the Spirit. Although they had put their faith in Jesus back in John 2:11, their faith was still waiting for the New Covenant to be enacted — paid for by his blood, and proven by the resurrection.

“…God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith.” (Romans 3:25 NIV)

“…If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.” (1 Corinthians 15:17 NIV)

Jesus had to accomplish and fulfill his ministry before anyone could be enabled to take full advantage of what he finished on the cross. Despite the fact that they had walked with Jesus for three years, had been chosen to be his apostles, and had performed signs in his name, they were not yet even least in the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 5:19). Until the resurrection, they were held under the Old Covenant. 

Have We Been Ripped Off?

Now that Jesus had fulfilled everything on the cross and had conquered death, the disciples were finally enabled to fully enter into the salvation bought for them. Yet for some reason, the four evangelists limited the account of the apostle's personal salvation experience to a two-line mention in John’s Gospel. That’s it!

In addition, their report to Thomas upon his return (he had been absent from this event), consists of one, four-word testimony, “We have seen the Lord!” (John 20:25 NIV)

What? Is that all? Why is John the only writer to report concerning the disciples new birth event and why so short? Why only four words to Thomas? Did these details get erased over the centuries, or did God have something else in mind?

Low-key Reporting

Interestingly, their salvation report is not alone in its brevity. Luke's account of their filling by the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4) which took place a few weeks later, is also uncharacteristically short. With over 120 present, the Holy Spirit fell upon all the believers in the room. They saw tongues of fire and spoke in other languages.

This synopsis is nearly as long as Luke's actual account, which consists of four sentences constructed from 62 words. More verbose and more dynamic if compared to, "Receive the Holy Spirit, and “We have seen the Lord,” yet a little lackluster considering this is what Jesus referred to as, "The promise of the Father." 

One might question why the two most vital New Covenant experiences (the new birth and baptism in the Holy spirit) are given so little coverage in the lives of the disciples. It’s almost as if one must really apply themselves and seek out the true value and significance of these events for themselves or else their significance might easily be lost. Unless of course, this was the point all along.

What Does it Take to Believe?

John says that Jesus did many things, more than could ever be recorded (John 21:25) and that what has been written in his Gospel was written so that we might believe. His statement might also imply that what had not been written down for us was withheld for the very same purpose... that we might believe.

There are a precious few references which clearly define the new birth, and how to obtain it. Jesus’ discourse with Nicodemus—specifically John 3:3, 3:7, 3:16, and passages like 1 Peter 1:22, 23 constitute the bulk of them. But, sometimes, less is more. 

I believe that it's easy to disregard or perhaps even devalue something if it is provided without any effort on our part. But, if we are hungry enough to dig in and eventually uncover the truth—much like finding a treasure hidden in a field — we hold it in higher esteem.

"It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings." (Proverbs 25:2 NIV)

What do you suppose would be the result if the disciples experiences had been spelled out for us in greater detail? I suspect that instead of seeking a true and legitimate relationship with God, many would attempt to use the disciples experiences as a checklist to follow, instead of a roadmap to decipher.


When the Church Received the Spirit

Perhaps this level of ambiguity explains another phenomenon in the Church—why many of the manifestations of the Holy Spirit experienced today are not clearly detailed in Scripture. Although Paul lays out a large list of spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians, Acts does not spell out and define each spiritual manifestation. The record of the Day of Pentecost is an excellent example of this.

The outpouring of the Spirit on that day, and the questions asked of the disciples by the crowds had very much to do with the gift of tongues, yet Peter, who claimed he would explain everything to those who had asked, never once mentioned this gift. 

“‘… We hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!”… and… they asked one another, “What does this mean?”

 “… Let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say… this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: ‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy…'” (Acts 2:11,12-14-18 NIV)

While Peter lists a number of manifestations of the Spirit, he doesn't mention tongues at all—the very gift that the crowds witnessed, the very thing they asked about, and the very thing he said he would explain to them. It's as if he was saying, "These things Joel talked about are the kinds of things you just experienced." 

Despite Peter's omission, his explanation seemed to be sufficient to win over this crowd of 3,000 and despite the fact that Scripture isn't particularly explicit as to how to receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, over 500 million people today identify with that experience.

We in the Western world are a literal crowd. We want everything spelled out for us in a how-to list, however, Scripture rarely obliges us. Yet despite these shortcomings, God still moves successfully into the lives of all who will believe. Again, maybe that was his plan all along.

Takeaways

The Gospels emphasizes living out our lives by demonstrating the Kingdom and confirming those things written in Scripture. It's all there, it's just not always there they way we might desire it to be.  

Paul puts it like this. It's...

“… the word of God in its fullness— the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people… the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:25-27 NIV)

Deep Water - How a 1959 recording of a Traditional Spiritual Song Inspired the #1 Single of 1970

The Swan Silvertones

Have you ever heard of a song called, Oh Mary, Don’t You Weep? I hadn’t. Despite being noted as “... one of the most important of negro spirituals” by music critic and author Dave Marsh, and the fact that it regained prominence during the Civil Rights Movement, this pre-Civil War song is not as widely-known today as the song it inspired.

Even though this song might seem obscure to many of us, Oh Mary, Don’t You Weep caught the attention of a very successful singer-songwriter. He listened often to a 1959 version of the song as recorded by the Swan Silvertones. The lyrics of the song center around the death and resurrection of Jesus’ friend, Lazarus. In addition, it also introduces other Biblical references along the way. 

As a “slave song,” Mary Don’t You Weep also contained messages and references to freedom and hope for those longing for liberation from enslavement. Forty years ago, a certain New York born, Jewish singer-songwriter played this song often and was inspired to weave its simple message of hope into an all-new pop music hymn. Musically, the 1959 tune and the #1 hit of 1970 which it inspired, bare no resemblance to each other. However, there is one striking similarity between the two. Buried at the end of the song (and if you don't listen closely, you might just miss it) Oh Mary contains a line which will likely sound familiar to you — “I'll be a bridge over deep water if you trust in my name.”

That one line inspired Paul Simon to write a simple, two-verse “hymn” called, Bridge over Troubled Water. As he wrote it, he knew he had something special. He took the song into the studio. When his partner, Art Garfunkel and producer Roy Halee worked on arrangements for the song, they came back to Simon and convinced him that the song needed to be bigger and that he must write a third verse that would set the song off into a crescendo. Uncharacteristically, Simon quickly wrote the third and final verse of the song right there in the studio. When they all felt that they had achieved what they wanted, they planned to include the song as a cut on their next album release.

But, when Columbia Records president, Clive Davis heard the song, he not only insisted that it be moved up as the title track of the album, he also made sure that even despite its five-minute run time, that it be released as a single. At that time, only a very few songs that long had ever been released as singles. These included Like a Rolling Stone by Bob Dylan, and Hey Jude by the Beatles. A year later, Don McLean would release his eight-minute single, American Pie — likely because of Bridge Over Troubled Water.

Bridge Over Troubled Water received immediate, positive reaction, even before its release. Art Garfunkel and others have reflected upon the fact that in the studio, people stopped what they were doing and became mesmerized by the song. In addition, Simon and Garfunkel performed it live on a handful of occasions before its 1970 release. Despite having never heard the song before, crowd reactions were unusually enthusiastic.

Today and in addition to selling over six million copies and ranking #48 on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, BOTW has proved itself as a source of hope for people the world over. Although not intentionally or overtly a “Christian” song, Bridge dutifully and creatively applied the theme of hope which it borrowed from the song which inspired it. Upon hearing the song, one might just begin to believe the promise which first inspired Paul Simon to write it — “I'll be a bridge over deep water if you trust in my name.”

- - - - - - 

Addendum:

This post was written from multiple sources, with some details having been stuck in my memory for years. It was fun to compile it all together into one complete theme. I first published this story in April of 2018. So imagine my delight to discover that I got the story right! 

This excerpt from Paul Simon's new, authorized biography covers the same ground as my post, but includes a few other details as well. Feel free to take a look. 

http://denver.cbslocal.com/2018/06/15/paul-simon-reveals-the-story-behind-bridge-over-troubled-water/



Listen to: Oh Mary, Don't You Weep

Listen to: Bridge Over Troubled Water (Live 1969)

A Local Pastor’s Sacrifice Lead to a Book Which Has Never Been Out-of-Print

A Tale to Remember

Can God take one man's spiritual journey, his defeats and triumphs and affect history? Can one man’s rejection by his own spiritual tribe inspire someone else to reach multiple generations? The answer is yes!

Samuel K. Hoshour was a Lutheran pastor and educator in the Hagerstown, Maryland area. Eventually becoming president of North Western Christian University (Butler University), he met a few bumps and influenced a few people between here and there. His personal triumphs and the seeds which grew from them would not have happened if he had not made some hard choices right here in Hagerstown, Maryland. His story starts here, but his influence has in one sense gone around the world.

Smithsburg and Hagerstown 

“In the spring of 1828, I received a call to a Lutheran pastorate at Smithsburg, Washington County, Md., which I accepted.…In 1831, I removed from that pastorate, to Hagerstown, the county seat of Washington County, Md.”

Hoshour became a respected theologian, giving lectures on the New Testament and so was tagged to counter the arguments of another local minister who espoused what was then thought by some to be unorthodox teaching — that of full immersion water baptism.

Disciples of Christ at Beavercreek

“About six miles south of Hagerstown in a settlement called Beaver Creek…At that time [1834] a "proclaimer of the ancient Gospel" made his appearance in the community; not a scholarly man, but who understood the New Testament pretty well… The "Campbellite proclaimer" produced quite a stir in the communities around…he was in the habit of challenging the "sectarian" preachers to contradict his positions--was ready for a public debate at any time. But no preacher heeded him.”

Although no one felt called to debate him personally, one of his hearers convinced Hoshour to take up the challenge.

The Challenge

"'You are the man that can do it, for I heard you once preach on baptism, and I thought you made it very clear that sprinkling or pouring is valid baptism; do authorize me to say to Webb when he throws out his next challenge, that there is a preacher that will meet him…' I therefore resolved to prepare myself well, re-survey the whole subject of "water-baptism," and give the disturber a signal defeat.”

Through much study on Luther and other Lutheran writings, Hoshour discovered that he could not dispute the validity of full-immersion baptism, especially since the word itself means to submerge, immerse, or dip under. Perhaps it is hard for us today to realize the extent of Hoshour’s inner turmoil. That was a different time. Despite the fact that his denomination would not approve of his beliefs, he could not deny his conscience. Instead of entering into debate, he decided to submit himself to full immersion baptism.

The Pricetag

“The report that "Hoshour had been dunked" ran rapidly through Hagerstown…When on Monday morning "I went down town" none of my old Lutheran friends deigned to recognize me…In a short time I received a brief letter from the secretary of the Synod to which I belonged, in these words: ‘Mr. S. K. Hoshour, it is understood that you teach and practice contrary to the doctrine and usages of the Lutheran Church, and that therefore it is hoped that you will peacefully withdraw from the Synod to which you hitherto belonged. J. G. M.’ My reply was: ‘How can two walk together except they be agreed.’”

As his life as a Lutheran came to an end, he returned to New Market, VA for a time and by 1835, ventured West to Indiana. By this time, his wife who had been devastated by the scandal and uprooting of the family, found agreement with Samuel’s decision and she too was water baptized.

A Good Life

By 1836, Hoshour became Principal Supervisor of the Wayne County Seminary in Centreville, Indiana. He and his wife ran a bookstore and he led what is now known as a Disciples of Christ congregation.

It was during this time that Hoshour had influence over the children of many of the elite in Indiana. Here is the testimony of one of his students, 40 years later:

“His doctrines were opposed by the other religious denominations, and his usefulness and popularity as a teacher somewhat impaired. But the purity of his life, his ability, and proficiency as a teacher, finally overcame existing objections, and backed up and heartily sustained by the less sectarian sentiment of the people, and by the friends his ability brought him, he became the most popular teacher the old Seminary ever had, either before or since his time.” ~Judge J. B. Julian - Richmond Palladium, 1879

Not only did Samuel inherit a new life in Indiana, his autobiography recounts that he returned to Hagerstown 30 years after he left and was warmly met by members of his old congregation. All this seems a happy ending for him, but there is still more to the story.

Young Lewis and The Rest of the Tale

One student influenced by Hoshour distinguished himself in a way that can hardly go unnoticed even now — nearly 180 years later. As a 13 year-old boy, Lewis was sent to the Wayne County Seminary “because of Professor Samuel K. Hoshour’s great reputation as an educator.” 

Lewis also wrote:

“I can see the professor standing in his door, lamp in hand and bareheaded, dismissing me for the night, with exactly the same civilities he would have sped an official the most important in the state. Ah, the kindly cunning of the shrewd old gentleman! He had dropped a light into my understanding and caught me. So, step by step, the professor led me into and out of depths I had never dreamed of, and through tangles of subtlety and appreciations which proved his mind as thoroughly as they tried mine. Before the year was out he had, as it were, taken my hand in his and introduced me to Byron, Shakespeare, and old Isaiah. The year was a turning-point of my life, and out of my age and across his grave I send him, Gentle master, hail, and all sweet rest.”

Samuel Hoshour had an impact on many of his students, but without his decision amid a great crisis of heart, he may have never gone to Indiana at all. It seems like a scene from It's a Wonderful Life, but in many ways, Hoshour's life was wonderful. The death he experienced brought him a new life and that life touched many others, including the life of young Lewis Wallace who grew up to be known as General Lew Wallace — the author of Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ.

A Novel Approach

Samuel Hoshour began tutoring Wallace in Algebra but quickly realized he simply had no aptitude in Mathematics. Instead, Hoshour encouraged Wallace’s interest in literature.

“He was the first to observe a glimmer of writing capacity in me. He gave me volumes of lectures on rules of composition, English, and style.” This included the writings of John Quincy Adams as well as a copy of the New Testament.

“‘There, read that! It is the story of the birth of Jesus Christ.’ This was entirely new to me and I recall the impression made by the small part given to the three wise men. Little did I dream then what those few verses were to bring me—that out of them Ben-Hur, was one day to be evoked.”

Samuel Hoshour was a catalyst to a story which has never been out of print and has spawned 5 major movie adaptations. Until Gone With the Wind, it was the top selling book in the nation, behind the Bible. It was also the first, but not the last, to wrap a Biblical story within a fictional tale. In a span of 21 years, the stage version of the story was seen by over 20 million. It was written in 1880 and is still relevant today and managed to appear on my television screen just an hour and a half ago. Yet, this monumental book may never have happened if it weren’t for a local Lutheran pastor who dared to follow what he felt God had called him to do.

A Tale to Remember

Many left Hagerstown and the surrounding area for the MidWest in the early to mid 1800s. Many of their stories left and died with them. Some, like this one, are slowly coming back to the surface. The circumstances of Hoshour’s time in Hagerstown may not seem to put our spiritual heritage in the kindest of light, but it is exactly those stories of how individuals persevered and overcame that we should reflect and take stock of what we believe. Today, the controversy of how one is baptized is not the dividing point that it used to be, but we can still draw from the life of Samuel Hoshour today and follow his example of discovering what we really do believe from Scripture, making it count for us like it did for him. We just might end up doing something big, or like Hoshour, inspiring others to rise to greatness.

Peter Tested Both Jesus and His Own Faith (and he didn’t die in the process)

“Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. ‘It’s a ghost,’ they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: ‘Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.’ ‘Lord, if it’s you,’ Peter replied, ‘tell me to come to you on the water.’ ‘Come,' he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.” (Matthew 14:25-29 NIV)

If you’re like me, you might question Peter’s sanity. Many of us today are so fearful of being taken in by false, supernatural manifestations, that we would not have given Jesus the time of day, much less asked him to call us out on the water. Eleven other guys agreed with that assessment as witnessed by their inaction. While they stayed in the boat, Peter instead chose to ask Jesus call him out of the boat. Why?

Peter was convinced of a few things. He had witnessed Jesus’ authority over sickness and disease (Matthew 4:23). He also knew that Jesus had authority over the wind and the waves through their experiences on the Sea of Galilee (Matthew 8:23-27). Perhaps he wondered what more a follower of Jesus could accomplish. He had already been enabled to perform some of the same miracles that Jesus performed. More and more was becoming possible.

“Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness… As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.” (Matthew 10:1,7 NIV)

Peter, a common (and sinful) fisherman (Luke 5:8) had been empowered to both proclaim and demonstrate God’s authority and power to heal. But this circumstance was altogether different. Jesus—if it actually was Jesus—had come walking towards them on the lake. When Jesus attempted to calm them down, Peter must have recognized the voice of the Great Shepherd (John 10:27), for he said:

“‘Lord, if it’s you… tell me to come to you on the water.’” (Matthew 14:28 NIV)

What was he thinking? What if it were not really Jesus, but a ghost as they had first reasoned? Was Peter really willing to take that chance, knowing that if it were not Jesus, he would immediately sink to the bottom of the lake? Peter seems to have had a genuine method to his madness. Not only did he know from his own experience what faith could do, he perhaps had learned a very important lesson not long before as demonstrated by a certain Roman who perhaps was not that different from himself. The aforementioned soldier had come to Jesus one day on behalf of someone in his charge and said:

“‘…Just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, “Go,” and he goes; and that one, “Come,” and he comes. I say to my servant, “Do this,” and he does it.’ When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, ‘Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.’” (Matthew 8:8-10 NIV)

Perhaps Peter, who on the day he first met Jesus exclaimed, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man,” identified with the centurion’s disposition, and therefore, also identified with his faith. For, both men understood the power of operating under authority. The centurion had been commissioned by the Roman army and was accustomed to his subordinates obeying his commands. Likewise, under Jesus’ command, Peter had been successfully commissioned to heal the sick. Yet, we have no record of Jesus’ commending Peter for his great faith.

At that moment, however, Jesus exalted this centurion’s faith over all those living in Israel, including Peter (Matthew 8:10). I don’t think Peter ever forgot this encounter and the lesson it held. So in faith (perhaps coupled with a little jealousy), he put what he learned to good use on the Sea of Galilee and asked Jesus to command him to come (Matthew 14:28). Jesus responded:

“‘Come,’ he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.” (Matthew 14:29 NIV)

When someone with authority says, “Come,” they come. Right? That was the lesson, wasn’t it? Jesus had praised the centurion for understanding this truth about faith and now Peter took a step towards walking it out… literally, on the water! In Peter’s estimation, no one but Jesus was qualified to call him out onto the water and empower him to walk upon it. If Jesus was calling, then Peter could do it.

Peter gets a raw deal from those who don’t appreciate what he accomplished that day. At this point in his life, he was just a fisherman who simply applied what he learned by walking alongside Jesus. That's called discipleship. While his actions were dangerously bold, they were not flagrantly foolhardy. While most are more likely to error on the side of caution (as if Jesus will not be there to catch us if we get in over our heads), Peter volunteered to have his faith tested and he was not rebuked for anything, except for his doubt. 

"Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “'You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?'” (Matthew 14:31 NIV)

While his "little faith, " as Jesus called it, was more than sufficient to enable Peter to walk on water, his doubt was great enough to pull out the road from under him.

Jesus desires for us to ask him to call us to step forward where it appears there is no place to lay our feet, for he wants to take us further than we ever thought we could go. It is only those who attempt to walk on the water who ever will. I suppose following in his footsteps includes such a path. Jesus, after all, promised that we would do the same works he did (John 14:12).

Peter had already demonstrated that fact by healing the sick and casting out demons — acts that many Christians avoid today. He simply took the truth he learned one step further and onto the lake towards Jesus. Like a good follower, he wanted to see just how far he could walk.

... For more of Jesus' walk on the water, see Holy Ghost Story

Holy Phlebotomy!

The Distant Cousin

I know this isn’t news, but the members of the Trinity are pretty tight. Since before there was time, they've made it a habit of hanging around together and at the foundation of the world, came to a group decision saying, “Let us make man in OUR image.” They’re often found finishing each other’s sentences. 

Still, many believers find that, because of his supernatural disposition, the Holy Spirit seems somehow separate from the other two - more like a distant cousin, rather than the very life which flowed through Jesus.  

May the Force Be With You

To some extent, even Charismatic types sometimes think of the Holy Spirit more like the Force in Star Wars than as a personality belonging to the Godhead. Those on the other side of the theological aisle often have the same perspective, but within a tighter and more subdued context. Yet, the Spirit was as close to Jesus as the blood that flowed through his veins. The Spirit was not alien to Jesus nor were the two merely silent partners, even though he is subconsciously regarded that way in many circles today.

Drink Up

In John Chapter 6, things get really weird when Jesus starts talking about how life is found in eating his flesh and drinking his blood, He says, “For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink.” (John 6:55) In the next chapter, he announces that, 

“…Anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them. By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.” (John 7:37-39 NIV) 

There is no way around it. His blood is real drink and so, to those who are thirsty, it is his blood that he offers. When we drink, a flow of that mysterious living water (the Sprit) begins to flow from us.

Blood=Spirit

“For there are three that testify. The Spirit, the water and the blood…the three are in agreement.” (I John 5:7,8 NIV) Some translations say that, “the three are one,” or that “the three agree as one.” Basically, this passage is telling us that all three bear witness or testimony together as to the identity and validity of Jesus as the Son of God. Beyond this, it also harkens back to the passages above, connecting the blood, the water, and the Spirit they represent. All three together are crucial in bearing witness to Jesus and are found doing so in many Scriptures. (Hebrews 9:14, 10:29, 1 Peter 1:2, Revelation 22:17, Nehemiah 9:20, etc.)

Blood and Water

Our bodies consist of over 50% water. The blood that flows through our bodies bring oxygen and nourishment to our cells and tissues on a consistent basis. Water and blood are not foreign concepts to us. We know them as the stuff of life. The same was true of Jesus. He had an intimate relationship with the blood within him. You could say that they were quite attached to each other. Although biblical manifestations of the Spirit such as healing and speaking in tongues can seem to reinforce the “otherness” aspect of the Spirit perceived by some believers, this was not true of Jesus. This was HIS blood and this was HIS life.

This is MY blood

“…After supper He took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is poured out for you.” (Luke 22:12 NIV) 

Think about it! Jesus said that this was HIS blood - not just some blood. “He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood…” (Hebrews 9:12 NIV) 

The Spirit was his life, for life is in the blood (Genesis 9:4, Leviticus 17:11). Jesus literally poured out his life for us. This is the same life we gain from eating his body, and drinking his blood.

Ownership

So much is said about the sacrifice of Jesus as the propitiation for our sins. Sometimes, however, we are so caught up in the legal aspects of what he accomplished we forget the reality of the cost. Jesus didn’t merely go to the store to pick up bread, using his father’s money. Jesus paid the price with his own blood - he gave up his Spirit. 

When we buy something with our own hard-earned money, not borrowed, stolen, or spent on someone else’s behalf, we have a unique connection to what we’ve purchased and feel the cost of that purchase personally. Jesus spent all that he had on us so that we could enter into his eternal life. 

Shed for Us

This is why his blood was shed - “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life (John 6:54 NIV). Jesus wasn’t talking about life in the future in eternity, although it includes that. He was talking about how he would transform the nature of our lives now. His blood was not shed for the sake of ceremony; it was not dumped to the ground and wasted. His blood was poured out for us so that it could flow through and out of us.

An Outpouring

The water, the blood and the Spirit testify to the same things. Upon his death, the blood and water that flowed from Jesus’ side, along with his last breath (his Spirit), these were all expelled to testify to his sacrifice, and to our redemption (John 19:34). It was there that Jesus gave up his Spirit. Although all was accomplished there, those things began to be realized by believers until after the resurrection and at Pentecost. 

The Spirit he forfeited at the cross and took back up at the resurrection and ascension into heaven, he then poured out upon those who had been waiting to receive it. Acts 2:17, 33).

Drawing On Our Thirst

“I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood.” (Acts 2:19,20 NIV) 

Words like this, spoken on the day of Pentecost, tend to reinforce the distance some people feel towards the Holy Spirit. These words, much like the parables of Jesus, are intended to draw those who have a thirst, to seek for more. Within this otherwise mysterious Scripture, it’s plain to see that Joel is speaking of the testimony of the water and the blood. Along with these emblems of the Spirit, he rightly cross-references other imagery used throughout Scripture to represent the Holy Spirit. These are: fire, billows (vapor or breath), and smoke (cloud).

It’s interesting to note that all three of these properties have the ability to dry the tongue and create thirst in those who are exposed to them. Unusual? Yes! Unlike God? No! 

Those who find the ways of the Spirit to be too unusual, forget not only the recorded signs and wonders Jesus performed by the power of the Spirit, but all those things he did which were not recorded (John 21:25). There is always more to thirst for!

Filled

From the flow of his Spirit, we are to be continually filled. At Cana, Jesus commanded that the stone pots be filled to the brim so that a full supply would be available. It is our choice whether or not to stay hydrated in order that we may freely give what we have freely received. Jesus wet the appetite of the disciples when he told them they would be empowered to be his witnesses (Acts 1:8). This prophecy was fulfilled in the following chapters, and is continually being fulfilled today.

“…They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.” (Acts 4:31 NIV) 

“He was...full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.” (Acts 11:24 NIV) 

“‘Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus…has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit’.” …He got up and was baptized, …began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God.”

No Other Way

The truth is that despite how uncomfortable any of us feel regarding the Holy Spirit, there is nothing we can accomplish as co-laborers of Jesus without the Spirit. Our success is dependent upon and can only happen within the confines of our level of comfort regarding the Holy Spirit - that is, upon our degree of thirst and upon our level of faith. If we don’t desire for Jesus to move by his Spirit and don’t believe that he can or should move past some level we determine, then that is as far as he will move. 

Paul tells us that no one can even say, “Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit,” (I Corinthians 12:3). He also tells us to desire (or thirst) for the Spirit to manifest (1 Corinthians 14:1). These expressions, declaring Jesus as Lord and overt outward expressions of the Holy Spirit occupy each end of the same spectrum. We choose where our lives will chart concerning our cooperation with the work of the Jesus through the Spirit.

Proper Hydration

In the natural, we are told to maintain a consistent, healthy level of hydration. It is no different in our spiritual lives. Jesus often withdrew in prayer so that he might maintain his intimate relationship with the Father, and with the Spirit. There is only one time in Scripture where we find Jesus separate from that fountain. It is when he gave up his Spirit. 

“Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, ‘I am thirsty.’ A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, ‘It is finished.’ With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.”

To be properly hydrated, we should take the advice from that beer commercial which says, “Stay thirsty, my friends!”

A Diet of Bread and Living Water

“…I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” (John 6:35 NIV)

Survival

It is interesting that in the natural, we must both eat and drink to sustain life. On average, we can go three weeks without food, but we cannot go more than eight to ten days without water before perishing. It is the same in our spiritual lives. Our diet is to consist of the bread of life and the living water.

It’s not a competition between the two. Jesus is the bread of life. When we come to eat of the bread of life, he says he’ll provide living water. We eat of him, so that we may drink of the Spirit.

The Stuff of Life

I think it’s important to note that solid food, and bread in particular, is not devoid of water. It takes water to make bread and although some of that water evaporates in the baking process, the bread itself remains hydrated and we take that in along with the grain and other ingredients. 

We cannot, however, draw enough water through solid food intake to survive and maintain good health. But if you think about it, how many bites of bread or a sandwich do you eat without taking a drink along with it? The two go hand in hand and as Paul points out, first the natural, then the spiritual (I Corinthians 15:46).

Living Water

I’m not exactly sure how one would define “living water,” but it is clear that it refers to the Holy Spirit in the same way other liquids including oil and wine represent the Spirit throughout Scripture. These all speak to both sustenance and the medicinal properties of the Spirit. Fire and wind, on the other hand, seem to represent the inspiration, influence, power, and enablement which comes from the Holy Spirit. 

Bread and Water

We must remember that Jesus, the Bread of Life, recalled the passage which says, “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” We are sustained by the daily bread of communion with Jesus, but also on every God-breathed word he speaks - fueled by the inspiration and illumination of the Spirit. This is the same Spirit that Jesus said will lead us into all truth and the same Spirit by which Jesus, Peter, and other New Testament believers performed signs, wonders, and miracles to testify to the Gospel of Christ. It is so fitting that Jesus referred to deliverance from spiritual bondage as “the children’s bread” (Mark 7:27) for it shows that the bread is not separate from the living water of both sustenance and of enablement.

Communion

The Church has spent way too much time and wasted far too much energy arguing over the stuff of life. It was at the last supper that Jesus took the bread, broke it and gave it to the disciples. Then, he took the cup and shared it with each of them. Scripture tells us that he longed to share this passover with them (Luke 22:15). It is my bet that he longs for it still.

I Am the Bread of Life, He Is The Helper

Jesus did exactly what he was sent to do and his job was not to be the Holy Spirit. Among other things, his job was to be the Bread of Life and the Lamb that was slain. Death and resurrection was the fulfillment of his earthly ministry. His heavenly ministry is to intercede for us and to baptize us in the Holy Spirit, while the Holy Spirit’s ministry is to continue Jesus’ earthly ministry through us.

As I was Saying….

When reading Paul’s writings, it is clear that Jesus left out a lot of details about being a believer. Minus some very concise instructions from Jesus, the task of revealing the will of God has fallen to the Holy Spirit, just as Jesus proclaimed:

“I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.” (John 16:12-13 NIV) So, to hear the voice of Jesus, we must be dependent upon the person of the Holy Spirit. 

Three-In-One Oil

The Spirit has an equal place alongside the Father and the Son. He was the Breath that moved the Word of the Father as they spoke, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness…” (Genesis 1:26 NIV). In this partnership, the Spirit is the oil that keeps the parts moving together and the oil that soaks deep down and touches the heart of God.

“‘…The things God has prepared for those who love him— these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us.” (I Corinthians 2:9-12 NIV)

He Speaketh Still

Reports of the Spirit’s death have been greatly exaggerated. The Reformation began a slow uptick towards a normalized Body of Christ after centuries of decline, but it wasn’t until about 100 years ago that God’s people rediscovered the Spirit’s voice in a vital way. Although some of the journey from there has been a bit rocky, we are again beginning to hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches. Below are a few passages that remind us of the Spirit’s voice:

“It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements…” (Acts 15:28 NIV)

“So, as the Holy Spirit says: ‘Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the wilderness, where your ancestors tested and tried me, though for forty years they saw what I did.” (Hebrews 3:7-9 NIV)

“The Spirit told Philip, "Go to that chariot and stay near it.” (Acts 8:29 NIV)

“The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith…” (I Timothy 4:1 NIV)

“I only know that in town after town the Holy Spirit warns me that chains and afflictions await me.” (Acts 20:23 NIV)

“But God has revealed it to us by the Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.” (I Corinthians 2:10 NIV)

“Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life…” (Revelation 2:7 NIV)

The helper is there to help us walk with Jesus. He speaks the Word and as the Scriptures above testify, he translates Jesus in amazingly specific ways. Jesus says that if we are thirsty, the Spirit will flow through us (John 7:38). Let us thirst so that we may be filled.