The writer of the fourth Gospel places a significant emphasis on the work of the Holy Spirit. This Day Share is attempting a brief overview of this theme. This will provide a starter which you can follow up in your private Bible study. It is important that we recognise the vitally important role of the third member of the Trinity and that we allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives.
When John the Baptist was baptising Jesus in the River Jordan, the Holy Spirit came down from heaven and remained with Him. (John 1:32 - 33). This was the sign that John Baptist had been told to look out for and he immediately recognised Jesus as the chosen one.
In chapter 3, Jesus told Nicodemus, the religious leader that he needed to be 'born again', he explained that this meant being 'born of the Spirit' (John 3: 5-8).
The teachings of Jesus demonstrated that he was full of the Holy Spirit because 'God gives the Spirit without limit' (John 3: 34).
Jesus explained to the Samaritan woman at the well at Sychar that true worship meant worshipping in Spirit and in truth (John 4: 23-24). I believe that this is a reference to the Holy Spirit.
Jesus made it clear to some who claimed to be his disciples that his words were full of the Holy Spirit and the Spirit gives (eternal) life (John 6: 62-63). In other words, a person needs a work of the Holy Spirit to have eternal life. This is further developed in the next chapter, (chapter 7) when Jesus referred to the coming of the Holy Spirit which would happen at Pentecost after Jesus had ascended back to heaven. He spoke of the vibrancy of the power of the Holy Spirit and used the metaphor of rivers of living water flowing from within them. (John 7:38) John, the writer explains that when Jesus was speaking these words, the Spirit had not been given since Jesus had not yet been glorified. (Read John 7:37-39).
I have preached the Gospel since I was 16 and I have engaged in Bible teaching too since my late teens. I am going to be honest. I have not really focused enough on the vital role of the Holy Spirit. I could look for excuses for this and I am not saying that I have not omitted to mention the Holy Spirit in Bible study. But I have not given the Holy Spirit sufficient attention. This may do nothing for my credibility but it is an honest reaction before God. I was surprised by the number of references to the Holy Spirit in this Gospel. But more significantly, it is the vital importance of the work of the Holy Spirit which has made an impact on me.
The Holy Spirit features in the chapters we are currently studying and we cover this in some upcoming Day Shares. Here are some references to the work of the Holy Spirit (John 14:16-17,26; John 15:26-27; John 16:7-15; John 20:22-23)
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