John 20:22 - "And when [Jesus] had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit.'"
My mom grew up on a farm. Lots of critters. Though I grew up in a suburban neighborhood, our house was often like a farm. One time, we had 22 critters, counting dogs, cats, gerbils, birds, fish, and rabbits. Yesterday, I saw a guy who might've grown up on a farm. He sure looked comfortable catching the critter and putting it in his "Animal Control" truck.
Animal Control is different from Pest Control. Animal Control puts critters back in the right place; Pest Control usually gets rid of critters.
When Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit on the disciples in today's verse, he was like Animal Control, not Pest Control. He didn't want to get rid of anybody. He just wanted to get people back in place. That's what the Holy Spirit does; it works on us in the Spirit of Christ to get us back where we're supposed to be.
When Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit on the disciples in today's verse, they had locked themselves in a room with fear. That's not where they were supposed to be. They were supposed to be out in the world, living in the strength and power and conviction and assurance and love and joy and peace and patience and kindness and goodness and faithfulness and gentleness and self-control of the Holy Spirit. So Jesus was kind of like the highest level of Animal Control and sent them on out in the world to live with all that strength and power and conviction and stuff. And immediately that's where they went, out of the locked room and back into the world to make a difference in other people's lives as instruments of the Holy Spirit, just like Jesus had done in theirs. Because that's where they were supposed to be. And that's what they were supposed to do.
Just like us.
So come on, Friends. Let's go have a day like we're supposed to have and be where we're supposed to be and be what we're supposed to be! After all Jesus is alive! And he has poured out the Holy Spirit so we can go into the world to live with all that strength and power and conviction and stuff of the Holy Spirit and testify to others that Jesus has a wonderful place in his family and kingdom for them too!
Trust Christ, and you'll see!
Praise God!
Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson
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