The Spirit of Jesus

In Daily Devotional by David Freeman

Theme of the Week: Following Jesus

Bible Verse: “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” John 14:26

Scripture Reading: John 14:15-31

If we want to follow Jesus well, we need to understand that while on earth, Jesus depended on the Holy Spirit, and so must we. One of the early creeds of the church, named after Athanasius, states: “Now this is the true faith: That we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, God’s Son, is both God and human, equally.”
How do we know that Jesus is fully human?

  1. He was conceived (Matt. 1:18).
  2. He was born (Matt. 1:25, 2:2).
  3. He partook of our flesh and blood (John 1:14; Heb. 2:14).
  4. He was circumcised (Luke 2:21).
  5. He increased in wisdom and stature (Luke 2:52).
  6. He wept (John 11:35).
  7. He was hungry (Matt. 4:2).
  8. He was thirsty (John 4:7, 19:28).
  9. He became weary (John 4:6).
  10. He slept (Matt. 8:24).
  11. He was a man of sorrows (Isa. 53:3–4; Luke 22:44).
  12. He was beaten (Matt. 26:67; Luke 22:64).
  13. He was nailed to the cross (Luke 23:33).
  14. He died (John 19:30).
  15. He was buried (Matt. 27:59–60).
  16. He was resurrected (Acts 3:15; 2 Tim. 2:8).

So, what happened when Jesus, who is God, came to earth to express his full humanity? He laid aside His heavenly privileges so that he could live fully as a human being while remaining as God at the same time – a true mystery.

He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion. (Philippians 2:5-8 MESSAGE)

When Jesus left heaven, he emptied himself and became a servant. When Jesus was on earth, he was fully human and fully God at the same time. He moved and acted in the power of his God-ness but also demonstrated dependence on His father and the Holy Spirit.

And Jesus has given to you and to me that same Holy Spirit that he depended upon when He was on earth. We have to depend on the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Jesus.

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About
David Freeman
David Freeman is the Associate Pastor of Gateway Church in Caledonia, ON, Canada. He has served the Christian and Missionary Alliance in denominational roles at the district and national levels, but loves helping people grow spiritually in the context of his church. He also loves being a grandfather to four wonderful pre-schoolers.
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David Freeman
David Freeman is the Associate Pastor of Gateway Church in Caledonia, ON, Canada. He has served the Christian and Missionary Alliance in denominational roles at the district and national levels, but loves helping people grow spiritually in the context of his church. He also loves being a grandfather to four wonderful pre-schoolers.