the Gift...

The second week of a study...
a second week of lectio divina...
this week's passage... Acts 2:29-38...

This Jesus God raised up...

having received from the Father the promise

of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this

that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.

...the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 2:32-38 ESV

Do you see it...?

Jesus's obedience... led to His perfection... and glorification...

in response... the Father gave Him... the promised Holy Spirit...

Before His crucifixion... suffering... and resurrection...

Jesus did not have the Holy Spirit to give...

...for as yet the Spirit had not been given,

because Jesus was not yet glorified.

John 7:39 ESV

Father God promised it to Him... 

on completion of His mission on earth...

and return to heaven...

He Himself had access to the Spirit...

but He could not give it to others...

Jesus obeyed to receive the promised Gift...

One He could pour out on us... as gift...

The Holy Spirit is a gift of love...

an affirmation of His love for us...

The Holy Spirit... the Gift of the Lover... to the beloved...

And I wonder... 

Do I receive this Gift... in the same manner... in which it was given...? a love willing to lay down my life in order to gift the One I love...? Will I allow Him to perfect me through suffering... as a gift... to my Beloved...?

What about you...? do you recognize the depth of love... wrapped up in the Gift...? How do you respond...?

Lord... grow me to love You... as You love me...

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live,

but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh

I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me

and gave himself for me.

Galatians 2:20 ESV