Sorry - its a bit long today.
This morning as I was preparing to pray I was thinking about it being Holy Thursday, and wondering what I should reflect upon this morning. The phrase the power of the Holy Spirit popped into my mind at that moment, so I am going with that theme this morning.
My first reaction was that was an interesting thing to focus on for Holy Thursday, but then i was reminded of Jesus sitting down to dinner with His disciples, including Judas His betrayer. I was also reminded of the agony in the garden which also happen later that evening. After those two thoughts, the theme the Power of the Holy Spirit made more sense.
Before we look at those scriptures I want to go back to when Jesus received the power of the Holy Spirit, which occurred at His Baptism, for really the whole public ministry of Jesus was really the demonstration of the Power of the Holy Spirit operating through a man, for Jesus had laid down the power of His Divinity (Philippians 2: 6-8). Jesus baptism is covered in the three synoptic Gospels, but I will be quoting out of Luke 3:21-22 NIV:
[21] "When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened [22] and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
Luke 4:1-2,14 NIV:
[1] "Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, [2] where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry."
[14] "Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside."
My main thought here is that Jesus, received the Holy Spirit, and then spent the next 40 days being led by the Holy Spirit, being protected by the Holy Spirit, and being strengthened in the Holy Spirit, even as He emptied Himself of His own strength through fasting for 40 days. I guess we could call it a trade, He traded food for that which truly brings life and power, the Holy Spirit. In John's Gospel He quoted Jesus making a similar statement that just came to mind, "The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you---they are full of the Spirit and life." (John 6:63 NIV)
Jesus, full of the power of Holy Spirit, thus ministered and entered into His last days embracing that which lay before Him. He knew fully what was coming, for He warned the disciples multiple times (The Gospels record three times) that He was going to die. In fact He was quite specific, as seen here in Luke 18:31-34 NIV:
[31] "Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. [32] He will be delivered over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him and spit on him; [33] they will flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again.”
[34] The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about."
Somehow the whole warning just never registered with the Apostles, and they were thinking Jesus was heading to Jerusalem to establish the Kingdom of God! Jesus, though, clearly knew what He was walking towards. They were going to be celebrating Passover, and He was going to become, for all, the "Lamb that was slain" whose blood would purchase freedom for all from sin and death. I can't even comprehend the strength it took for Him to walk forward into that time. Add to this, the fact that Jesus knew one of His own closest friends was going to betray Him, and I just marvel at His composure, His love and His humble service as He washed their feet, even Judas's. He then took the bread and broke it, referring to it as His body that would be broken, and shared the cup of wine, and spoke of it as His blood that would be shed, again sharing it with His betrayer (see John 13:2-30 and Matt 26:17-30).
I don't know about you, but I would have a hard time lovingly washing the feet and sharing my body and blood with the very one that would betray me. Betrayal of intimate relationships is one of the deepest wounds, and the Apostles enjoyed that type of relationship with Jesus. They had lived together, traveled together, ministered together for 3 years. Jesus had poured all of Himself into them, had selected each one personally, and had given them personal instruction and teaching away from the crowds. They were the ones that Jesus was entrusting the Kingdom of God to, the ones who would carry on His ministry and birth the church. Jesus clearly didn't treat Judas any different than any of the others, ever, for none could guess who would betray Him after He announced one of them would. Their response is recorded by Matthew 26:21-22 NIV:
[21] And while they were eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.” [22] They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, “Surely you don't mean me, Lord?”
Going back to the theme of the power of the Holy Spirit, as I look at Jesus I see a man totally given over to that which was going to happen, not dragging His feet, not embracing this with fear and trembling (the trembling would come later in the Garden) but who embraced fully this most critical time with the same enthusiasm, the same fullness that He did everything else! The disciples clearly didn't see this all coming, even though they had been warned, and even were arguing following this last supper, who was the greatest (see Luke 22:24), which doesn't sound like a doom and gloom type of celebration, but rather a group who thought they were stepping into a time of glorious revelation of Jesus as Messiah.
Again, I think of the internal strength it would take to watch all of this happening around you, knowing full well what was really about to happen, and allowing the disciples to think and act as they were. I know this strength is not in me. I know I wouldn't be able to lovingly wash the feet of the one who would betray me! I know I would not have the strength to walk towards my execution smiling and encouraging my followers, continuing to pour into them everything that remains to be said and taught. I would be focused on myself, focused on my own pain and suffering, and here is where I believe the power of the Holy Spirit was very evident. He empowered Jesus to press on into the fullness of everything that was required, laying down His life, pouring out everything until He was empty. All of John 13-17 were recorded as having occurred at the Last Supper, and in them we have some of the most significant final teachings, the introduction of the Holy Spirit and even the establishment of the New Covenant! Wow, talk about finishing strong!
Again, I can only imagine that this was possible in and through the power of the Holy Spirit!
Lastly, we have Jesus lead his followers into Gethsemane and there He finally allowed the enormity of what He was about to embrace to rest upon His soul. I can't even imagine the agony that He went through, the wrestling with His own flesh, the knowledge of the coming torture and death, and the surrender to the Father. I think this night was every bit as daunting as His 40 days in the wilderness, and really the bookend of His ministry. He embraced fully the final self-sacrifice, giving up even His life for us all.
We honor those in wars who sacrifice themselves to protect those they are with, their brothers and sisters in arms. Most of those sacrifices are not embraced with hours and days of foreknowing, but are rather decisions that are made in the instant, in the heat of the battle. I am not in anyway lessening their sacrifices, but I am separating Jesus' sacrifice for His was one that was fully known, and yet fully embraced. Again, I know I don't have that type of strength in me, and it would only be through the power of the Holy Spirit that I could stand in that place.
Finally as I allow this reflection to be applied to my life, I see so much of me that is not laid down, so much of me that would not embrace such a sacrifice! In fact, I struggle with the simple sacrifice of not seeing and hugging my kids, and my grand-daughter. I find myself conscious of all the things that have changed that I don't like. I find myself angry with our circumstances, sometimes allowing fear and doubt to enter into my mind and heart. I know that many have slid into survival mode, and are thinking only of themselves, and I find myself tempted to go there too.
It is in these times that I find I need to turn to the Holy Spirit, to His power, to His word of peace, to His guidance to get me through, to help me settle my heart, to give me purpose and meaning, to help me lay down my life for others. That is really what we are doing during this time of "Shelter in place", we are laying down our lives for the sake of others.
It is through the Power of the Holy Spirit that we can embrace a perspective that looks beyond our own circumstances, our own situation and be the light of Christ in this troubled world. Let us ask the Holy Spirit to empower us today, to be people who look beyond ourselves, who do not give into fear, but who bring the words of Life to those in need. Let us forgive those that have betrayed our trust, those that have wounded us, and embrace them in love and compassion. Let us honor the one who gave everything that we might have eternal life!
Amen!
May the Power of the Holy Spirit fill you today with peace, love, joy and a sound mind.
Sam
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