Pastor Barry's  "Chapter & Verse"  2024  Day 278

October 3;      John 7:39;       75/260(III);      ‘Receiving the Spirit’

John 7:39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Jesus was referring to what He said in verse 38, “out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”  This was an analogy of the baptism in the Holy Spirit, the power of the Holy Spirit flowing out of us.  Verse 39 teaches that the Holy Spirit was not yet given because the Lord Jesus had not yet been crucified and then raised from the dead by the Holy Spirit.  Once Jesus returned to heaven He sent the Holy Spirit to dwell in our spirit when we become born again and to come upon us to empower us when we are baptized in the Holy Spirit.  In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit did not live in the spirit of those who believed on the Messiah who had not as of yet come.  What the Holy Spirit would do in the Old Testament was come upon the prophet, priest or king to empower them to minister.  When the Lord Jesus was water baptized, the Holy Spirit came upon Him to minister.  The Holy Spirit was upon Jesus only while Jesus ministered on the earth.  This is why Jesus said in John 16:7 it is to our advantage that He returns to heaven because then He would send the Holy Spirit back to earth to indwell all those born again and empower all those baptized in the Holy Spirit.  The Lord was our Example of a Man ministering by the power of the Holy Spirit upon Him.  Jesus could only be in one place at a time.  Now, the Church, His body, is everywhere and the incredible power of the Holy Spirit flows out of every believer who are baptized in the Holy Spirit.  We really are the Lord Jesus ministering on the earth now.