The Gospel of John has always fascinated me. Of all the books in the New Testament, it contains some of the deepest mysteries concerning Christ and God’s eternal purpose. It is a book many believers love, yet often find difficult to fully understand. The more I read it, the more I realize that some of its simplest statements contain profound truths.
A Mysterious Verse
One such statement is found in John 7:39: “But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing into Him were about to receive; for the Spirit was not yet, because Jesus had not yet been glorified.”
At first glance, this verse may seem straightforward. Yet, the more I reflected on it, the more questions it raised. How could John say, “the Spirit was not yet,” when the Spirit of God appears throughout the Old Testament?
We see the Spirit moving in Genesis. We see Him coming upon prophets, judges, and kings. Clearly, the Spirit existed long before Christ came to earth.
Interestingly, many Bible translations add words such as given, received, or experienced, rendering the verse as “the Spirit was not yet given.” Yet John did not write those words. If he intended to say the Spirit was not yet given, why did he not simply say so?
This is where the mystery begins.
John was not speaking merely about the Spirit of God as He existed throughout the Old Testament. He was speaking about the Spirit that believers would receive after Christ’s death and resurrection—that is, after His glorification. While it is the same Spirit, there is something unique about the Spirit believers receive today.
Man’s Fall
To understand this, we must go back to the beginning. When Adam fell in the Garden of Eden, something far deeper than disobedience occurred. Sin entered humanity and left a permanent mark upon—a permanent and evil altering of—man’s nature. The fall did not merely affect Adam’s actions; it affected what he became.
This sheds light on why God guarded the way to the Tree of Life. Imagine if fallen man, already corrupted by sin, had partaken of the Tree of Life. The result would have been disastrous. Man would have remained eternally in a fallen condition. What appears to be judgment was actually an act of mercy and wisdom.
Life comes through the Spirit. The Spirit is the Spirit of Life. Yet before God could impart His life into fallen humanity, the problem of indwelling sin had to be dealt with.
Opening the Way
This is where Christ enters the picture. Through His death, resurrection, and glorification, something extraordinary happened. A door was opened for believers to receive the Spirit in a way that was never possible before. The Spirit believers receive today is not merely the Spirit operating externally as in the Old Testament; it is the Spirit made available through the finished work of Christ. It is the Spirit who incorporates all that Christ has accomplished. It is the Spirit who Christ Himself has become. To receive this Spirit is to receive Christ with all His accomplishments.
Accordingly, we can receive this Spirit without the peril Adam faced, and enjoy Christ when we are in spirit, knowing that He has dealt with every problem that was between us and God. Christ’s cross is within us in this Spirit, putting to death not only sin but our self as well. How wonderful this Spirit is!
This truth stretches from Genesis to the Gospel of John and reveals the depth of God’s plan for humanity.
The phrase “the Spirit was not yet” may seem small, but it opens the door to one of the most remarkable truths in Scripture. What changed when Christ was glorified? Why did John choose those exact words? And what does it mean for believers today?
These are questions worth exploring.
My Reflection
As I sat with this portion of Scripture, I found myself marveling at how much is hidden within a single verse. Over the years, I had read John’s words, “The Spirit was not yet,” without stopping to consider their full weight. Yet, the more I reflected on them, the more I realized that God’s plan from Genesis to the New Testament is far deeper than I had imagined.
It also caused me to think about the incredible privilege believers have today. Adam was kept from the Tree of Life because of the condition sin had produced within him. Yet, through Christ’s death, resurrection, and glorification, a way has been opened for us to receive the Spirit in a way that was never possible before. What an astonishing thought.
This left me with a question that I have continued to ponder: Do I truly appreciate what Christ has accomplished, or have these truths become so familiar that I no longer stand in awe of them?
Sometimes we become accustomed to hearing about salvation, redemption, and the indwelling Spirit. Yet these are not ordinary matters. They are the very center of God’s eternal purpose.
The phrase “The Spirit was not yet” reminds me that something monumental changed when Christ was glorified. It reminds me that the Christian life is not merely about believing certain truths, but about receiving and experiencing the living Christ Himself.
A Challenge
And perhaps that is the challenge this study leaves with all of us: Have we entered into the reality of what God has made available through His Son, or are we still standing at the threshold, content with only a partial understanding of His purpose?
That is a question worth carrying before the Lord.
Impressions upon reading the booklet,
The Spirit Was Not Yet
More information about the booklet,
The Spirit Was Not Yet, as well as a free copy,
can be found here.
