Knowing the Intercessor

“This is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent.” (John 17:3).

How well do we know the Intercessor? Do we need to know Him? Yes, according to Jesus it is a matter of eternal life or death. So, what details can we bring to mind that prove to our heart and mind that our personal Intercessor is holy and just before God and good to us? Who is your Intercessor? Who is mine? Is it Jesus, a tangible, personal Saviour, the only-begotten Son of the Highest?  Or, is it an invisible, intangible, impersonal entity, third member of a Trinity of Gods?

Who can we know best? Can we know a human? Or, can we know a spirit? Who can we really know, remembering that eternal life and eternal death teeter on knowing God and His Son? Does our knowing come by studying a doctrine or by witnessing, and being drawn to, a wonderful human life? Who is our wonderful counselor, our wonderful comforter, advocate, mediator, intercessor? Scripture declares for us who this is.

“For there is one God, and one Mediator^G3316 between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” (1Tim. 2:5). G3316 mesitēs From G3319; a go between, that is, (simply) an internunciator, or (by implication) a reconciler (intercessor): - mediator.

An Internunciator stands between two alienated parties. The intercessor is a middle man. And when it comes to exceeding sinfulness and shame and guilt, we need a middle man of gigantic proportions. This exceeding Intercessor must speak for man and for God. And He can. He speaks for us and for the Father because our Intercessor is both God and man, divine and human. He can speak both languages and for both authorities, both of which have sovereign wills because God makes it so. He speaks from both dispositions of infinite perfection and infinite sin, infinite power and infinite weakness. Our Internunciator Intercessor thinks like God and He thinks like a human; He thinks like both a divinely begotten Creator and a humanly birthed creature. He was and has been the Propitiation for us; He assumed all the wrath of God upon sin. Therefore, God recognizes the mind of our Internunciator to be 100% loyal to the righteous Law of God’s kingdom. Therefore, all of His counsels to God are acceptable to Him and to His angelic hosts. And so God leaves us under the charge of His Internunciator.

“My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an Advocate^G3875 with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” (1Jn. 2:1). Our one Internunciator, Intercessor is our Advocate and our “another” Comforter, both English “Advocate” and “Comforter” translated from the same Greek word.

“And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter^G3875, that He may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” (John 14:16-18). G3875 paraklētos An intercessor, consoler: - advocate, comforter.

“He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me: and he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him…. If a man love Me, he will keep My words: and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make Our abode with him.” (John 14:21,23).

So, how well do you know your Comforter? Do you see Him? Do you know Him like the disciples did who walked with theirs? Do you see Him, as He required for eternal life?

“And this is the will of Him that sent Me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on Him, may have everlasting life.” (John 6:40).

We must see in order to know our Comforter. Where there is no vision the people perish. And there is nothing recognizable to the human in the wispy, vaporous, vague third being of the erroneous Trinity doctrine.

“Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.” (John 14:17).

But, how can we see our Comforter? In the same way that the disciples saw Him—through the things that appeal to God-forsaken humans—His righteousness and His love. “In Him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not…. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.” (John 1:4,5,9). We must see Him through faith. It is by beholding our Comforter that we become changed into His same image. The disciples, likewise, were learning to see Him through faith. They were seeing more than His enemies were seeing, and even more than the multitudes were seeing.

“Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in Thy presence, and Thou hast taught in our streets. But He shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from Me, all ye workers of iniquity.” (Luke 13:26,27).

By needing a friend in Jesus and looking for evidence of His friendship, through faith we can see Jesus in the New and Old Testament scriptures.

“God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.… Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.” (1Cor. 2:10,13).

The scriptures are brightened by the presence of Jesus by the view of Him in the precepts and exemplary experiences of sacred history.

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path…. The entrance of Thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.” (Ps. 119:105, 130).

“Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of Thy countenance. In Thy name shall they rejoice all the day: and in Thy righteousness shall they be exalted.” (Ps. 89:15,16).

“How excellent is Thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Thy wings.

They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of Thy house; and Thou shalt make them drink of the river of Thy pleasures.

For with Thee is the fountain of life: in Thy light shall we see light.

O continue Thy lovingkindness unto them that know Thee; and Thy righteousness to the upright in heart.” (Ps. 36:7-10).

“Hearken unto Me, My people; and give ear unto Me, O My nation: for a law shall proceed from Me, and I will make My judgment to rest for a light of the people. My righteousness is near; My salvation is gone forth, and Mine arms shall judge the people; the isles shall wait upon Me, and on Mine arm shall they trust.” (Isa. 51:4,5).

“The LORD make His face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: the LORD lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.” (Num. 6:25,26). His countenance means His very presence, as in the scripture, “My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.” (Ex. 33:14).

“For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but Thy right hand, and Thine arm, and the light of Thy countenance, because Thou hadst a favour unto them.” (Ps. 44:3).

In the faithful, redeemed people of His sacred history, and of today, we see Jesus.

“When the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance.” (1Sam. 17:42). [When the Pharisees looked about, and saw Jesus, they disdained Him: for He was youthful, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance.]

“Abigail: …a woman of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance.” (1Sam. 25:3). [Again, Jesus was a Son of good understanding and beautiful countenance.]

“And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder.

And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her: and she went down  to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up.

And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher.

And she said, Drink, my lord: and she hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink.

And when she had done giving him drink, she said, I will draw water for thy camels also, until they have done drinking.

And she hasted, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels.” (Gen. 24:15). [Jesus is fair and pure, and full of service to everyone He ever met, family members, friends, acquaintances, and strangers alike!]

“And [Potiphar] left all that he had in Joseph’s hand; and he knew not ought he had, save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was a goodly person, and well favoured…. And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it. The keeper of the prison looked not to any thing that was under his hand; because the LORD was with him, and that which he did, the LORD made it to prosper.” (Gen. 39:6,22,23).

[Jesus is faithful, trustworthy, intensely righteous, efficient, intelligent, and a good manager of people. Doesn’t the picture of Him through Joseph start our wheels turning to see more details of Jesus? Don’t we begin to look around us at good managers, efficient employees, intelligent, trustworthy, faithful people, and look for the perfection of Jesus in every respect of human capabilities. And doesn’t that make this life interesting and adventurous and hopeful, and filled with the presence of Jesus in our hearts everywhere we go?]

“God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I. And he said, I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation: I will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will also surely bring thee up again: and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes.” (Gen. 46:2-4).

[Didn’t Jacob’s beloved son Joseph put his hand ever so loving on the eyes of his long lost loving father? Do we see Jesus testified of here? Wouldn’t Jesus be as gentle and loving when He lays His hand on us?]

“Thou hast also given me the shield of Thy salvation: and Thy right hand hath holden me up, and Thy gentleness hath made me great.” (Ps. 18:35).

“I have set the LORD always before me: because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.

For Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt Thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in Thy presence is fulness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” (Ps. 16:8-11).

“Into Thine hand I commit my spirit: Thou hast redeemed me, O LORD God of truth.” (Ps. 31:5).

[When Jesus’ presence is tangible to our faith and sight, can’t we surrender our spirit to Him and commit  our souls to His keeping? “Those who take Christ at His word, and surrender their souls to His keeping, their lives to His ordering, will find peace and quietude. Nothing of the world can make them sad when Jesus makes them glad by His presence.” Desire of Ages, p. 331.]

“Though [the justified person] fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with His hand.

I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.

He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed.” (Ps. 37:24-26).

“O God, Thou art my God; early will I seek Thee: my soul thirsteth for Thee, my flesh longeth for Thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;

To see Thy power and Thy glory, so as I have seen Thee in the sanctuary.

Because Thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise Thee.

Thus will I bless Thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in Thy name.

My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise Thee with joyful lips:

When I remember Thee upon my bed, and meditate on Thee in the night watches.

Because Thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of Thy wings will I rejoice.

My soul followeth hard after Thee: Thy right hand upholdeth me.” (Ps. 63:1-8).

“Thou leddest Thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.” (Ps. 77:20).

“The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; the God of my rock; in Him will I trust: He is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my Saviour; Thou savest me from violence.” (2Sam. 22:2,3).

[How about the Son of God’s earthly father, David? Didn’t David reveal Jesus more than anyone in sacred history?]

“When he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father’s house. Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.” (1Sam. 18:1-3).

In life and in death for our second birth, we see the only true Intercessor. The third person of the trinity dogma never died. Only the eternal Father died with us when He died with His only begotten Son.

“And … Phinehas’ wife, was with child, near to be delivered: and when she heard the tidings that the ark of God was taken, and that her father in law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and travailed; for her pains came upon her. And about the time of her death the women that stood by her said unto her, Fear not; for thou hast born a son. But she answered not, neither did she regard it.” (1Sam. 4:19,20).

“And they journeyed from Bethel; and there was but a little way to come to Ephrath: and Rachel travailed, and she had hard labour. And it came to pass, when she was in hard labour, that the midwife said unto her, Fear not; thou shalt have this son also. And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Benoni: but his father called him Benjamin.” (Gen. 35:16-18).

“The scriptures … testify of Me.” (John 5:39). “My words... they are spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:63).

Do you see your Comforter in people who He redeemed from sin and selfishness, who offered their lives in order to give life to others? Do you see Jesus in Rachel and Phinehas’ wife, dying to bring a new life into the world? Don’t you see Jesus through them, when He was caught in the storm of saving us, and finally died to bring new life to a world of sinners? Do you here see Jesus, the Master Teacher and wonderful Counselor, the mighty Healer and Great Physician, the meek and lowly Lamb of God? Are you getting to know your Intercessor through the redeemed children of the scriptures? Can you see “the Man Christ Jesus” (1Tim. 2:5) through His workmanship in those men and women?

“[Aaron] ran into the midst of the congregation; and, behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people. And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.” (Num. 16:47,48).

“Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of Me. And ye will not come to Me, that ye might have life.” (John 5:39,40).

Will we come to Jesus for comfort? Do you have on your eye salve? Are you seeing and getting to know the only true God and Jesus Christ who He sent? Don’t wait for the mysterious, invisible third person of the Trinity doctrine to ever show up to get acquainted with you. Don’t wait for that post-apostolic, Babylonian construct to move your deepest yearnings for righteousness and liberty like Jesus can, by using His written word as the medium for the transmission of Himself. The love for righteousness and liberty comes from “the Lord” (2 Cor. 3:17) Jesus Christ who gives us a new heart that is freed in obedience. “The Lord is that Spirit” (2 Cor. 3:17). The Spirit is Jesus. Only Jesus has come to us in the flesh, to enable us to see God as He really is. Therefore, it is Jesus who has been working overtime since the beginning to reveal Himself to us and to spiritually bring us home again to His Father. The sole biblical Mediator/Advocate/Intercessor is Jesus, the beloved only begotten Son of God. The greatest news ever was the promise that a precious Child born to us would be called, “Wonderful, Counselor” (Isa. 9:6).

All that Jesus did in the flesh on earth is not what the third person of a Trinity does for us. Rather, all that Jesus did in the past He is doing now. The whole reason for His incarnation into human experience and the details of that 33 year life written from four perspectives is for humanity to know exactly what He would continue to do for them until He returned. His visible, tangible life was written out in order for us to know exactly how He would be toward us until He would return. Jesus was to be the Comforter who was supposed to get all the attention, “and not another” (Job 19:27, cf John 14:16). That was the plan for our salvation. 

“I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me.” (John 12:32).

“Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner Stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on Him shall not be confounded.” (1Pet. 2:6).

Jesus, the only Spirit, the only Comforter

“A little while, and ye shall not see Me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see Me, because I go to the Father.” (John 16:16).

“A certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;…

 And [all the people] knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him.

And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon's, greatly wondering.

And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?

The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified His Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied Him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go.

But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you;

And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.

And His name through faith in His name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by Him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.

And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers.

But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all His prophets, that Christ should suffer, He hath so fulfilled.” (Acts 3:2,10-18).

The people who saw the miracle were in shock and trembling. They were convinced that the healing the lame man was real and must have come from heaven. They were primed for conviction and repentance. And they knew that the despised followers of Jesus were involved. Their first thought was to give the glory to the disciples.

But, other than first denying the men’s applause, Peter’s most important mission was to save the hearts of his Jewish people. He desired above all things to lead them into repentance and salvation. This he did after speaking the unvarnished truth to them with unvarnished mercy. Now Peter could make the appeal.

“Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;

And He shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:

Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.…

Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.

Unto you first God, having raised up His Son Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.” (Acts 3:19-21,25,26). And many believed and repented, as the next verses inform us—about 5,000 men.

“As they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them, being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead.

And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide. Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.” (Acts 4:1-4).

But, how did the multitude come to believe? Was it by Peter’s expert evangelistic talent? No. As Jesus had come down in Spirit during the building of Babel, (see Genesis 11:5), the 5,000 conversions happened by Him spiritually coming down from heaven to give the Israelite men repentance and refreshing from His presence in their heart, “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Col. 1:27). “God, having raised up [glorified (vs. 13)] His Son Jesus, sent Him to bless you.” (Acts 3:26).

The Father’s sending Jesus to bless them was not speaking of God sending Jesus during His 3½ year ministry. Neither was it about a third person of the Godhead interceding for us. It was about the Man Christ Jesus our only Intercessor and Comforter. “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1Tim. 2:5), who “ever liveth to make intercession for them.” (Heb. 7:25). This event of healing was God sending Jesus after “having raised up His Son Jesus” (Acts 3:26). This was the Father sending Jesus weeks after His resurrection and ascension and glorification. Jesus, the crucified and risen Son, having ascended to sit with His Father on His Father’s throne, was sent to His people to bless them with conviction, repentance, forgiveness and reconciliation with His Father, their Father.

“Unto you first” (Acts 3:26). For the first 3½ years after His crucifixion, Jesus would continue to intercede for the beloved children of His beloved Abraham. The prophecy of Daniel 9 showed this in the last seven years (one week of prophetic time) of its prophetic period.

“Seventy weeks [490 literal years] are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.” (Dan. 9:24). “He shall confirm the covenant with many for one week [seven literal years]: and in the midst of the week [after the first 3½ years] He shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease.” (Dan. 9:27).

The full 490 literal year, or 70 symbolic week prophecy, would not leave the Jews to their due punishment immediately after they had “killed the Prince of life” (Acts 3:15), but would offer mercy on top of mercy by giving another 3½ years of probation. The miracle upon the lame man took place within that 3½ year probation, shortly after Israel had “denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto [them].” (vs. 14).

“Unto you first.” The Jews were the first to be offered the privilege of the promised “blessing of Abraham … that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” (Gal. 3:14). “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise” (Eph. 1:13). The Jews had first dibs at being “justified by the faith of Christ” (Gal. 2:16) through the “Spirit of Christ” (Rom. 8:9), “in turning away every one of [them] from his iniquities.” (Acts 3:26).

Jesus was sent to heal the lame man by His Spirit, “through faith in His name” (Acts 3:16). Jesus was there in person, but in the personality of His Spirit. Jesus by His Spirit was the third person of the heavenly trio; yet, it was truly Jesus, nonetheless. It was Jesus as the Spirit; that is, as the Spirit of His Father.

“Cumbered with humanity, Christ could not be in every place personally; therefore it was altogether for their advantage that He should leave them, go to His Father, and send the Holy Spirit to be His successor on earth. The Holy Spirit is Himself divested of the personality of humanity and independent thereof. He would represent Himself as present in all places by His Holy Spirit, as the Omnipresent.” Manuscript Release, vol. 14, p. 23.3.

“But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His.” (Rom. 8:9). The Spirit of God is the Spirit of Christ, without which no man shall see God.

“Unto you first God, having raised up His Son Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.” (Acts 3:26). Jesus came to the lame man as Peter and John spoke His name to the disabled beggar.

His spiritual coming was what Jesus had tried to explain to His disciples in the upper room. “A little while, and ye shall not see Me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see Me, because I go to the Father.” (John 16:16). This statement was not speaking of His disciples losing sight of Jesus during His crucifixion and burial, which did test them to the core of their faith. Rather, the context speaks of what would happen after Christ’s ascension. John 16:16 referred to them seeing Him again after their baptism of the Spirit, as is plainly seen in its post-ascension context.

“I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.

Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will shew you things to come.

He shall glorify Me: for He shall receive of Mine, and shall shew it unto you.

All things that the Father hath are Mine: therefore said I, that He shall take of Mine, and shall shew it unto you.

A little while, and ye shall not see Me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see Me, because I go to the Father.” (John 16:12-16).

“Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask Him, and said unto them, Do ye enquire among yourselves of that I said, A little while, and ye shall not see Me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see Me?

Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.

And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.

And in that day ye shall ask Me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in My name, He will give it you.

Hitherto have ye asked nothing in My name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.

These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father.

At that day ye shall ask in My name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you:

For the Father Himself loveth you, because ye have loved Me, and have believed that I came out from God.

I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.” (John 16:19-28).

His disciples would see Him again as their Comforter. And would they ever be glad when they could again see Him that way! Perfectly trustworthy, He was the same Friend who could only be good to them, the same Helper, the same Teacher sent from God. Everything that they had needed before from Him was increased. And now they were more surrendered, and thus more open to their Master’s holy influence. This explains Judas’ earlier question.

“Judas saith unto Him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that Thou wilt manifest Thyself unto us, and not unto the world?” (John 14:22). His question came on the tail end of Christ’s first introduction of the new subject of “the Spirit” to fishermen. “Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.” (John 14:17). Jesus was with them, but unable to fully be in them because of their shallow, yet untried attachment to Him. But, after their big test and humbling, they would receive Him fully and then He could dwell in them forever.

The whole nation could not see Jesus as the Comforter because they never received Him into their heart. If they had surrendered to John the Baptist’s Law of God and to the cross of God’s Son, their self-will and heart broken, Jesus would have manifested Himself to the whole nation in the power. However Satan kept that from happening.

“But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:12,13). The nation, almost wholly, had rejected Him. But to the part who loved the holy, just, and good Law which He exemplified in love, the same experience of second birth that happened to Jesus in His incarnation, would happen to them spiritually.

“The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy Thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.” (Luke 1:35). The power of the Most High God would come upon them, and therefore they would be enabled to see “the Son of the Highest” (Luke 1:32). And through looking to the precious Son, and imitating Him, His Father’s Holy Ghost would live in them. His Father’s Spirit, would come to them through His beloved Son. The revelation of truth and wisdom would come through Christ’s intercession for His Father’s Holy Spirit, “the Spirit of your Father” (Matt. 10:20), a revelation from “My Father which is in heaven.” (Matt. 16:17). Jesus ever lived to make intercession for them and us. He could rightly claim His Father’s Spirit as His own, being the only one qualified and worthy to mediate it to all His children who fear and love His Father. Jesus could call the Holy Spirit Himself because it came from His Father in heaven, and He was 100% tuned in to His Father’s influence. His Father’s truth was Jesus’ own truth, to such an extent that He was the truth.

“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: …because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” (Rom. 5:1-5).

The disciples could not see or know the Spirit of truth until Jesus would be sent to them after His ascension. Through His personal presence He would baptize His disciples in His Father’s Spirit and turn them into unstoppable apostles and overcomers of the world. It would be Jesus speaking to them with the voice of authority, and with everything divinely powerful.

“Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia, after they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not.” (Acts 16:6,7).

“And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:

And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?

And he said, Who art Thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.” (Acts 9:3-6).

No longer weakened and limited by His human frame, “divested of the personality of humanity and independent thereof” Manuscript Release, vol. 14, p. 23.3, Jesus would speak for Himself through His own powerful, trumpet-like, spiritual medium without losing any of His familiar intent and purposes. His loving authority would still be recognizable, which is why His disciples loved to be in communion with Him.

“I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet.” (Rev. 1:10). They were in communion with their same Master from earlier days of personal ministry. He had not changed; His promise had not changed, “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the [age].” (Matt. 28:20). And neither had His demands changed for them to save the world. “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.” (Matt. 28:19,20).

“As they met together after the ascension they were eager to present their requests to the Father in the name of Jesus. In solemn awe they bowed in prayer, repeating the assurance, ‘Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in My name, He will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in My name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.’ John 16:23, 24. They extended the hand of faith higher and higher with the mighty argument, ‘It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.’ Romans 8:34. And Pentecost brought them the presence of the Comforter, of whom Christ had said, He ‘shall be in you.’ And He had further said, ‘It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you.’ John 14:17; 16:7. Henceforth through the Spirit, Christ was to abide continually in the hearts of His children. Their union with Him was closer than when He was personally with them. The light, and love, and power of the indwelling Christ shone out through them, so that men, beholding, ‘marveled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.’ Acts 4:13.

     All that Christ was to the disciples, He desires to be to His children today; for in that last prayer, with the little band of disciples gathered about Him, He said, ‘Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me through their word.’ John 17:20.  

     Jesus prayed for us, and He asked that we might be one with Him, even as He is one with the Father. What a union is this! The Saviour has said of Himself, ‘The Son can do nothing of Himself;’ ‘the Father that dwelleth in Me, He doeth the works.’ John 5:19; 14:10. Then if Christ is dwelling in our hearts, He will work in us ‘both to will and to do of His good pleasure.’ Philippians 2:13. We shall work as He worked; we shall manifest the same spirit. And thus, loving Him and abiding in Him, we shall ‘grow up into Him in all things, which is the head, even Christ.’ Ephesians 4:15.” Steps to Christ, p. 74,75.

“A little while, and ye shall not see Me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see Me, because I go to the Father.” (John 16:16).

They saw their Lord in His written word, they could visualize Him in their improved mind’s eye, they saw Him in the humbled people around them, they saw Him as their hands and words did the work that He had done. “For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2Pet. 1:8). Their crisis of separation from their beloved Master behind them in the past, they could never again lose sight of Him.

Because He was at the apostles’ right hand, they could not be moved. As disciples, He had led them into the waters of surrender, and now they were sealed in susceptibility to His Spirit and to His righteousness. They would forever hear His voice and see His so much loved mannerisms—His warmth and kindness, His staunch loyalty to His Father’s commandments, His ever enduring patience toward disciples and enemies alike. They continually saw that He had never met a soul who He didn’t love and seek to win back to eternal life with Him and His Father.

“Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, according as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue.” (2Pet. 1:2,3).