Say What?

John 7:37-52
There is a curious statement in our gospel reading today, one that at first glance seems to contradict other passages in John. “Now [Jesus] said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive; for as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified” (John 7:39). What exactly does John mean by “for as yet there was no Spirit.” Already in this gospel Jesus has made references to the Spirit, most notably, perhaps, in his nighttime conversation with Nicodemus in chapter 3. There Jesus says, “What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit… The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit” (3:6, 8). What are we to make of this? John’s reference to the Spirit in chapter 7 is very likely in terms of the events of Pentecost, when believers would be empowered to witness to Jesus and the Messianic age, of which the Spirit is a sign. At this point in the gospel account, Jesus has not yet gone through his passion, death, and resurrection, what John calls his being “glorified.” Yes, the Spirit has been at work throughout history, and is now at work within the ministry of Jesus. But the church has not yet been given birth because Jesus has not yet complete his work.

I’m sure that, for many, it is tempting to dismiss material such as this as having no relevance in life. The effort to come to terms with the meaning or the purpose of passages like John 7:39 may seem wasted when so many other issues confront us on a daily basis, matters of life or death, matters of poverty or wealth, matters of growth or decay. It is fitting, though, that the subject of this particular passage is the Holy Spirit, because it is in our struggle, our wrestling with the word of God, that the Spirit often meets us face to face and leads us to a richer understanding of faith. Indeed, we who live on this side of Pentecost and the birth of the church have no need to wonder about the presence of the Spirit; it is always at work in our midst reveling the love of God in the most interesting and challenging ways.

According to John, Jesus was, at a particular time in his ministry, pointing ahead to another particular event––Pentecost––which we have passed but which continues to color our view of the world and of God’s activity in it. But the Spirit remains active in our word and our lives in no small part because of the words we read in John through which the Spirit offers us guidance and hope. The very real aspects of these events help us to also view the coming kingdom as real and impending.

Prayer: Gracious God, we thank you for your work in and through the Holy Spirit, not only in history but in our lives today, as well, and in the future which you have promised to us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.