Jesus identified his work with the Holy Spirit’s
Daily Scripture
John 7:37-39, Matthew 28:18-20
John 7
37 On the last and most important day of the festival, Jesus stood up and shouted,
“All who are thirsty should come to me!
38 All who believe in me should drink!
As the scriptures said concerning me,
Rivers of living water will flow out from within him.”
39 Jesus said this concerning the Spirit. Those who believed in him would soon receive the Spirit, but they hadn’t experienced the Spirit yet since Jesus hadn’t yet been glorified.
Matthew 28
18 Jesus came near and spoke to them, “I’ve received all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to obey everything that I’ve commanded you. Look, I myself will be with you every day until the end of this present age.”
Daily Reflection & Prayer
At the yearly Festival of Tabernacles, priests drew water daily at the Pool of Siloam, and poured it out in the Temple, reciting Isaiah 12:3: “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.” It was against that backdrop that Jesus dramatically invited all who believe in him to drink “living water.” Lest anyone miss the point, John directly pointed out that Jesus’ words showed the Spirit’s life-giving power, not only for the spiritually barren places in Jesus’ day but for all time.
- Israel was observing an annual public ritual, which could become just “going through the motions.” But Jesus’ call was personal. “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me …” Are you personally drinking the water of eternal life Jesus offers by keeping your life open to the Spirit’s presence? If not, what is blocking you from accepting Jesus’ offer?
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Some popular sources suggest that a church council invented the idea of the Trinity in some dark corner of the 4th or 5th century. But in Matthew 28:19, Jesus the victor, risen from the dead, made the Trinity central to his Great Commission: “baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” He didn’t explain the Trinity (a grasp of it is always elusive *); he simply stated it as reality. Do you find the mystery of the Trinity an obstacle to faith, or can you value it as a way of expressing God’s constant guiding presence with you?
Prayer
God in three persons, blessed Trinity, I am grateful for all the ways you reveal yourself. You save and forgive me, quench my inner thirst, and guide me in all my steps. Amen.
GPS Insights
Gwyn Thomas
Gwyn Thomas serves in donor relations at Resurrection. She’s a Boston native and moved to Kansas City in 2020. Her husband Blake is a provisional elder in the UMC and is a Congregational Care Pastor at Resurrection Leawood. Her favorite pastimes include pottery, hiking, frisbee, trying new restaurants, and spending time with her daughter and their large orange cat, Tuna.
I have found it interesting to see how my faith has evolved and compared to friends and family I grew up with, many that I shared faith community with. The mystery of the Holy Spirit and the Trinity has been something that’s anchored my faith for so long and through so many seasons, both good and bad. I’ve had too many encounters with the Holy Spirit to not feel the divine guidance of God.
This weekend, my younger brother confessed to me that he considers himself an atheist. I’m not necessarily surprised because he hasn’t been involved in a church for almost 10 years. I couldn’t help but ask if maybe he means agnostic, which means he believes in a higher power but just doesn’t know what it is yet. Agnostics don’t necessarily believe in God, but also don’t have disbelief. He had never heard that term and said that might be closer to what he is than an atheist. After a long conversation, it became clear that he really is confused by the structure of the Christian church. We grew up in a non-denominational household and he had never seen a church with a clear identity, and therefore hadn’t found a place that aligns with his beliefs.
Later in the weekend, he spent an entire car ride asking my husband, who is a Methodist Pastor, questions about why we chose to be Methodist. What makes it different than other Christian churches? What about women? What about LGBTQ+? The list of questions went on.
We pulled in the driveway, and I wished there were 15 minutes longer for him to wrestle with these thoughts. But he simply said, “I really respect how thoughtful you’ve been in choosing the church you’re a part of.” I was reminded that the Holy Spirit is ever present and is a nudge we can either lean into or dismiss. When we lean in, we invite God to reveal themselves as loving, gentle, justice-oriented, inclusive, welcoming and, above all, desiring our love. I don’t know what my brother will believe in 5 or 10 years or how life will shape itself to influence those beliefs. I feel confident that he feels safe asking the tough questions and I know God works through the Holy Spirit to be present in those moments.
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Scripture quotations are taken from The Common English Bible ©2011. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
References
* For a more in-depth study, see chapter 3 of Hamilton, Adam, Creed: What Christians Believe and Why, starting on page 79. Abingdon Press. Kindle Edition.
