Every year when we go through the period between the biblical feasts of Passover and Pentecost I like to study the difficult transition that the disciples went through. Today we can read the whole sequence of events and we know that everything was leading to the Day of Pentecost and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit; but we must remember that the disciples left their families, jobs, careers, everything to follow Jesus Christ (Matthew 4:20; Matthew 19:27; Luke 18:28). At some point Jesus tried to prepare them for His death, but that was a real difficult thing for them to relate to. We read that some of the disciples out of disappointment, after the crucifixion, even decided to try to forget the whole thing by taking a trip. On the way to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-27), the Lord appeared to them explaining what was going on and they finally returned to meet the other disciples to explain to them all that they heard from the Lord.
At one point the Lord told His disciples that it would be better for them that He left them. But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you (John 16:7). In one sense the disciples were still expecting the Lord to be something to them when the Lord was looking for the disciples to be empowered by the Holy Spirit to be His witnesses (Acts 1:6-8). It was this conflict of what the disciples were thinking and expecting, and what the Lord was speaking to them that made this transition so difficult.
I recently brought a message where I took some time to read several verses from the book of John, chapters 14 through 17. These chapters cover the last moments of Jesus with His disciples before the Passover. God’s plans for the disciples also include the plans that God has for us today (John 17:20), and the gift of the Holy Spirit is something that we need to study to become more aware of its meaning and importance. With the Holy Spirit we can ask for more understanding, we can learn and receive everything that the Son and the Father have for us. The Holy Spirit was given so that we can enter into a relationship of oneness with each other, with the Lord Jesus and the Father.
John 14:2-3; 16-17; 26-31
John 15:1-5; 9; 15-17; 26-27
John 16:1; 5-7; 12-15; 20; 23-28
John 17:1-8; 15; 20-26