How Jesus Made Disciples: Pointing to the Spirit

Mike Anderson

Director of the Resurgence

Jesus points the disciples to the power of the Holy Spirit

At the last supper Jesus points to the coming of the Spirit, which will allow them to continue in the work that he's started. Jesus is under no illusion that the sheep have become smart enough to stay away from the dangers of wolves, disease, bad pastures, and the like. He knows they will need guidance, they will need power, and they will be given all of that by the Spirit.

Jesus makes sure that they know that the Spirit is operating out of the same authority from the Father that he was given. He tells them that they are dependent on the Spirit for everything they will need.

We must point our disciples to the Spirit. They need him. They need his power. The Spirit is often avoided because he's not defined in the flesh and blood way the Son is, nor is he as obvious as the Father, but the Spirit is full of power, and is omnipresent, and is omni-powerful, and is good, and is essential to the salvation of all people. Disciples need the Spirit, without the Spirit you have sheep leading sheep off a cliff or into a wolf's den. We need the Spirit to guide us, to convict us, to empower us, to lead us to repentance, and to continue to point us to the cross of Christ.

This is a series of reflections on how Jesus made disciples, based on the book of John.