John 16 - Steve Wiggins Daily Devotional

“It is for your benefit that I go away, because if I don’t go away the Counselor will not come to you. If I go, I will send Him to you. When He comes, He will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment: about sin, because they do not believe in Me; about righteousness because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see Me; and about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged. I still have many things to tell you, but you can’t bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth.” John 16:7b-13a

There are practical reasons why Messiah would take-on flesh and dwell among us as a man. In order to take mankind’s sin upon Himself, He chose to suffer in a man’s flesh. In order to demonstrate that G_d’s Spirit was willing to inhabit & work through fleshly man, Yeshua came as a man. Yeshua also chose to come as a man, so that He might develop personal human relationships. He was fully G_d, yet fully man.

That being said, there was one huge limitation to Yeshua, in the flesh: He could only be in one place at a time.
As important as the healing, teaching, and atoning work of Yeshua, was His return to Heaven, a.k.a., His Resurrection. Yeshua’s resurrection proved that His sacrifice pleased G_d. It also communicated that, given we have a saving relationship with Yeshua, G_d would be willing to raise us up, as well.

The resurrection also made practical earthly ministry sense. If Yeshua “in the flesh” could only be in one place at-a-time, the gift of His Ruach (Spirit) would enable Yeshua to be wherever a believer was. The power of G_d’s Spirit, working through individual “surrendered” followers, in accordance with Yeshua’s Name and multiplied by thousands, was the growth catalyst for the early Messianic community.

Yeshua even told His disciples that they would accomplish more than Him.

“I assure you: The one who believes in Me will also do the works that I do. And he will do even greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in My name, I will do it so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.” John 14:12-14

The effectiveness of the greater Messianic community draws from the ever-present power of the Ruach (Spirit), acting in accordance with the Father’s will, to spread the Good News of Messiah Yeshua.

Yeshua ministered on earth, three short years; then He ascended to the right hand of the Father. He was One Man, serving one place at-a-time. Today, the greater body of believers is millions-strong! Imagine what we could do, if we were equipped in His Word, empowered by His Spirit, and we had the desire to work together…

Blessings,
~Steve Wiggins, Assistant Rabbi
Shuvah Yisrael
Daily Devotional, Friday, July 12, 2013