The Spirit of Truth: God's Unworldly Eternal Presence

Most of the Old Testament is devoted to the story of the Nation chosen by God through whom the Messiah would come into the world to bless all nations. The New Testament is devoted to the story of the man that nation produced and how his life, death, and resurrection give hope to sinful humanity through his kingdom. We see the genealogy of the man Jesus tracing his lineage from God through Abraham (Matthew 1:1).

John the baptizer spoke of the kingdom being at hand and the one who would come after him who would baptize with the Holy Spirit. That one was Jesus Christ. He told his apostles that he would die, but he would be raised from the dead after three days; and after his resurrection, he would send the Spirit of truth, which the Father had promised them. And they would be baptized with the Holy Spirit. He told them that they would not be alone and helpless in the world. He said that he would send them a helper, a teacher, and a comforter to sustain and assist them in carrying out the church's mission.

He called this helper the Holy Spirit. It would be the Holy Spirit's purpose to guide them into all truth and to remind them of all that Jesus had said and done. He instructed them to wait in Jerusalem until they had received the promise of the Father (Acts1:3-5, 1:8).

All the Old Testament prophecies and promises came to fruition as recorded in the second chapter of Acts. The apostles were waiting just as Jesus had told them to wait. It was on the day of Pentecost in the city of Jerusalem (approximately AD 33) that the apostles were baptized with the Holy Spirit. They were immersed in the Holy Spirit. They were overwhelmed with the Holy Spirit-and they spoke the words of salvation through Jesus Christ to all nations (Acts 2:1-4).