Week 26—Monday Acts 2:38-39
Week 26—MONDAY
THE HOLY SPIRIT IS THE SUCCESSOR OF JESUS
We saw yesterday that the link between the Word become flesh—Jesus—and the Word become flesh in the disciples was and is the Holy Spirit. Jesus provided for no successor except the Holy Spirit. By the very nature of things, the successor of Jesus had to be a divine successor. To appoint a human successor, a collection of human beings, or a church as the successor would spoil the whole thing. So when it was taught in a New York cathedral that the Roman Catholic Church, as the successor of Christ, “is really Christ on earth,” we shudder. We know it is blasphemy. The first great temptation of the Tempter was, “You shall be like God,” and humans fell into it—tried to be God and became corrupted. The second great temptation of the Tempter was to the Church: “You shall be Christ,” and the church fell for it and became a corrupted institution.
“Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. . . . When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you” (John 16:7, 13-14). The Holy Spirit was to continue the work of Jesus—his Successor. But as a Successor who will not replace Jesus, but who will reveal Jesus and glorify him. The Spirit will unfold what was infolded in Jesus. The Spirit’s revelation will not be different, but simply more of the same. For Jesus was the ultimate.
And this revelation of Jesus by the Holy Spirit was not to be from the outside—but from within. “I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, to be with you for ever, even the Spirit of truth . . . for he dwells with you, and will be in you” (John 14:16-17). The Holy Spirit is the applied edge of redemption.
O Holy Spirit, reveal Jesus to me. For I thirst to know him better, to follow him more perfectly, and to show him more clearly. I have seen him and my soul can be satisfied with nothing—absolutely nothing—other than him. Teach me. I listen, I obey. Amen.
AFFIRMATION FOR THE DAY: I can extend the Incarnation only as the Holy Spirit lives in me.