"The Mysterious, Eternal Holy Spirit"

There is hardly a page in the Bible, especially in the New Testament, that if you look close enough, you will find the presence or some influence of the Holy Spirit. Yet, you can discover a lot more about God the Father and God the Son than about God the Holy Spirit. Maybe that is by the Father's design. Or, maybe that is just how the Spirit operates on his own volition. He will never compete in any way with Jesus because they share a common goal, to bring all the human family to the Father. Jesus said "the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, will testify about me" (John 15:26), and "He will speak only what he hears and he will tell you what is to come. He will bring glory to me by taking what is mine and making it known to you." (John 16:13-14 NIV)

The Father sent Jesus to complete a very specific mission and then Jesus went back to be with him in his eternal home. But, he sent the Holy Spirit to continue the Father's mission by testifying about Jesus through whose ministry we are brought into the Father's family. The paradox of all of this is that even though the message of Jesus is simple enough for young children to grasp, there will always be much about it that is mysterious to the sharpest of minds. Such a mystery is the Holy Spirit.

Let these words from Hebrews 9 kind of roll around in your head a little:
"The Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still standing." v:8
"The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean, how much more then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from works that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God." v:13-15
"But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with the sins of many people by the sacrifice of himself." v:26


During my half century of ministry in God's world and his kingdom, I have met more than a few good and sincere folks who confidently affirm they have the Holy Spirit all figured out. I seriously doubt it, after all he is God but he is not God the Father nor is he God the Son. And even though we can read of some of his actions in the Bible, I am sure the little we can know is truly the proverbial 'tip of the iceberg', the overwhelming mass of which is hidden from our view.

Whatever Jesus did to enter the REAL Most Holy Place by his own blood, he did it "through the eternal Spirit." Although I do enjoy the mental exercise of speculating about the rest of the iceberg I can't see, I also want to be very cautious here with something that is obviously way above my pay grade. Just as the Father and the Spirit communicate with a language only they know, I am sure the Spirit has revealed to me only what I need to know in words that I can understand.

From eternity past to right now to eternity future, the "eternal Spirit" has been and will always carry out the will of the Father. He was right there with Jesus to direct and assist him in his ministry and he is with me right now doing the same thing. He still oversees and as Moses put it is "hovers" over it all to make sure it comes out just as the Father intends. What a beautiful, sweet, challenging mystery! HALLEUJAH!