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The gift of the Spirit is one of the blessings of Abraham promised by God to His covenant community, which is now implemented by Jesus . The Apostle Paul refers to the “ promise of the Spirit ” in his letter to the churches in Galatia. He identifies this gift with the blessings of Abraham for humanity. Jesus of Nazareth came to redeem us, so that “ the blessing of Abraham might come on the nations, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith ” – (Galatians 3:13-14).

Jesus is the Son of Abraham, the heir of the promises, and the Messiah who implements the inheritance for his people . The Gospel of Matthew declares that Jesus is “ the son of David, the son of Abraham .” He is the descendant who inherits the promises made to the Patriarch, and this introduces the theme of fulfilment that characterizes Matthew – (“ For thus it becomes us to fulfil all righteousness ” – Matthew 3:15).

The outpouring of the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost was part of the promise to bless all the nations through the Patriarch, Abraham . The “ Promise of the Father ” is the Gift of the Spirit, which the Apostle Paul links to the Abrahamic Covenant. The promises are fulfilled in the New Covenant inaugurated by Jesus. The bestowal of the Spirit on his Church on the Day of Pentecost marked the commencement of the Last Days, and every man and woman who receives the Spirit from now on becomes a child and heir of Abraham.

The Gift of the Spirit is one of God’s promises to Abraham to bless the nations in the Patriarch’s Seed, Jesus Christ. Peter and John prayed for a man who was “ lame from his mother’s womb ” as he was begging for alms near the Jerusalem Temple. Rather than money, the apostles commanded the man to walk “ in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth .” Immediately, he stood up and began to walk. Afterward, he was seen and heard by many “ leaping and praising God .”

The Gift of the Spirit is vital to the redemption of humanity and the New Covenant of God with His people . The New Testament connects the “ Promise of the Spirit ” to the “ Blessings of Abraham ,” the promise that God will bless the nations through the Great Patriarch. The Spirit is the gift believers receive “ through the hearing of faith .” It is one of the promises given to Abraham and finds its fulfillment in the “ New Covenant ” inaugurated by the Death and Resurrection of Jesus.

The man with the mind of the Spirit understands that Christ Crucified, the Word of the Cross, is the Power and Wisdom of God . Overused by the Church and society, the English term ‘spiritual’ has become meaningless. To some, it is synonymous with  religion . To be  religious  is to be  spiritual . To others, it refers to supernatural things not of this physical universe, creatures that are otherworldly, noncorporeal, invisible, and live beyond the realm of time.

Jesus is the High Priest of the greater heavenly sanctuary made without hands that prefigured the Tabernacle in the wilderness . Jesus is the High Priest who serves in the “ True Tabernacle pitched by the Lord and not man ” and foreshadowed by the religious structures and rituals of Ancient Israel.  The Son of God has become our “ priest forever ” who ministers for us “ at the right hand of the Throne of the Majesty in the Heavens ” – (Hebrews 8:1-2).

The Gift of the Spirit is one of the Covenant promises for blessing the Nations of the Earth through Abraham and his “Seed,” Jesus Christ . When Matthew’s Gospel declares Jesus to be the “ Son of Abraham ,” it links the man from Nazareth to the  Abrahamic Covenant . The New Testament is filled with scriptural citations and apostolic teachings demonstrating that Jesus came to fulfill the Covenant. He is the promised “ Seed of Abraham ” and the true Heir of all the promises, including to “ bless all the Nations ” in the Patriarch.

The gift of the Spirit is essential to the identity, mission, and life of the Church. It is foundational to the New Covenant . Jesus commanded his disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they received “ the promise of the Father .” The outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost inaugurated the Church and the last days and equipped the followers of Christ to take his Good News to the nations – (Luk 24:46-49, Acts 1:7-8, 2:1-21).

The promises, types, and shadows of the Hebrew Bible are fulfilled by the Son of God and Messiah of Israel, Jesus of Nazareth . An accusation commonly heard in popular preaching is  ‘ Replacement Theology.’  This  seemingly dreaded label is hurled against anyone who claims a promise from the Hebrew Bible made to Ancient Israel finds its fulfillment in Jesus and his Church, but this silly exercise in name-calling misses the point – The New Testament focuses on  Fulfillment , not  Separation  or  Replacement .

The gift of the Spirit is foundational to the New Covenant. It is the beginning of the New Creation and the gathering of the nations . The history of Israel includes descriptions of the sins that caused the expulsion of the nation from the Land of Canaan. God foresaw the failures of Israel, and therefore, He determined to make a new covenant, one that is energized and characterized by the Holy Spirit.

The national sins of Israel culminated in her expulsion from the Land of Canaan. However, all was not lost. God foresaw her failure and determined to restore the nation by instituting His New Covenant that would include the nations of the Earth, the “ Gentiles .” Moreover, the New Creation would become the ultimate Promised Land and the true inheritance of His people.

Jesus inaugurated the superior New Covenant through his Death and Resurrection, rendering the old covenant obsolete  – Hebrews 8:6-13. The definitive “ Word ” that God has spoken “ in the Son ” surpasses all past revelations made in “ the prophets ,” including Moses, the Great Lawgiver. Only Jesus “ achieved the purification of sins ,” therefore, he “ sat down ” at the right hand of God as our Great High Priest and instituted the long-promised “ New Covenant .”

Jesus is the High Priest of the greater sanctuary “made without hands” foreshadowed by the Ancient Tabernacle . Jesus is the High Priest who serves in the “ True Tabernacle pitched by the Lord and not man ” and foreshadowed by the religious structures and rituals of Ancient Israel.  The Son of God has become our “ priest forever ” who ministers for us “ at the right hand of the Throne of the Majesty in the Heavens ” – (Hebrews 8:1-2).

The Letter to the Hebrews begins by stressing the superiority of the “ word spoken in the Son ” over all previous revelations “ spoken in the prophets .” This includes the Great Lawgiver himself, Moses, the greatest of the prophets, and it indicates the fundamental weaknesses of the Levitical priesthood and its sacrificial system. The previous words from the prophets were true but partial and preparatory. However, now, “ upon the last of these days ,” God has “ spoken ” with great finality in one who is His “ Son .”

The promise of the Spirit is vital to the redemption of humanity and the Covenant of God with His people, the Church of Jesus Christ . The New Testament links the “ Promise of the Spirit ” to the “ Blessings of Abraham ,” the promise that God will bless the nations through the Great Patriarch.  The Spirit is the gift believers receive “ through the hearing of faith .” It is part of the Covenant promised to Abraham, and the Apostle Peter connects this gift to “ the blessings ” for the nations, the Gentiles, in his sermon preached on the Day of Pentecost.

The history of Israel includes national sins that resulted in her expulsion from the Promised Land. However, God foresaw her failures and determined eons ago to institute a  New Covenant  that would be energized and characterized by His Spirit, and a people,  singular , that would include the Gentile nations. This covenant would culminate in the resurrection of the righteous dead and the arrival of the “ New Heavens and the New Earth .”

The eighth chapter of  Hebrews  highlights the incomparable benefits believers receive under the New Covenant inaugurated by the death of Jesus. If the fulfillment of the promises arrived in him, especially in his Death and Resurrection, returning to the incomplete revelations of the past means embracing the glimpses and “ shadows ” of the “ coming good things ” rather than the substance provided by the Son of God.

The gift of the Spirit is part of the covenant promises made to Abraham, including blessing the nations of the Earth . The Gospel of Matthew declares that Jesus is the son of Abraham. Thus, this gospel account connects the Nazarene to the Abrahamic Covenant, for the Messiah of Israel came to complete the covenant and all its promises.

The disciples of Jesus are the Heirs of Abraham, and the future possession of the full inheritance is guaranteed by the Gift of the Spirit . Israel’s possession of Canaan was an earlier stage in God’s redemptive plan, which always envisaged something larger than Israel and a small plot of land in the Middle East. With the arrival of the Messiah and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the covenant promises found their fulfillment in the true “ Seed of Abraham ,” and therefore in his “ brethren ” and “ coheirs .”