Today’s Devotional: “Jesus’s Promise of the Holy Spirit”

Jesus said that even though He was leaving, He wasn’t leaving us alone; that He was sending us someone exactly like Himself to take His place.

“I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper … the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive … but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.” (John 14:16-17)

The word “another” Jesus uses means someone of the exact same kind. Jesus says, therefore, that He is sending someone exactly like Himself.

Jesus was sending the Holy Spirit, who is God, so Jesus isn’t leaving us with a second stringer. And Jesus said the Holy Spirit would take up residency inside all who believe. Therefore, the Holy Spirit living inside of us would then be the same as Jesus living with us.

The Bible says the moment a person personally receives Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord a spiritual transformation takes place. Where once we were spiritually dead, now we’re spiritually alive.

“And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses.” (Colossians 2:13)

Jesus goes on to say, “Nevertheless 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 depart, I will send Him to you.” (John 16:7)

Jesus was saying that it would be far better He leave, because then the Holy Spirit could come. But how could that be better than having Jesus personally with them?

It was better because not only would Jesus deal a deathblow to sin and death, but also, He would send the Holy Spirit who would not be limited by either time or space but could reside in every believer at the same time.

Therefore, the coming of the Holy Spirit is one of Jesus’ precious promises He gives because of His death and resurrection.