Spirit of Christ: The Spirit of God is indeed the Spirit of Christ (Rom. 8:9), even the “breath” of Jesus, who conveys His presence to us. The Spirit is the “another helper,” the second “alongsider”[1] just like Jesus (Jn. 14:16-18). Though Jesus is physically absent from us, His presence is with us through His Spirit (Mt. 28:20). This is true for every believer. Every believer has been baptized in the Spirit (1 Cor. 12:13) and the Spirit dwells in them (Jn. 14:17; 1 Cor. 6:19). Christ in us through the Spirit (Rom. 8:9-10; 2 Cor. 13:5) is the seal of our future redemption (Eph. 1:13-14; 4:30). Christ is ever with us (Heb. 13:5).

Spirit’s Illumination: As the Lord breathed on the disciples and bade them to receive the Spirit, they received a foretaste of the Spirit: Jesus opened their minds to understand the Scriptures (Lk. 24:45).[2] Only by the Holy Spirit can a man understand spiritual truth (1 Cor. 2:11-15). That which the disciples could not understand before,[3] the Holy Spirit began to illuminate at this moment. We today also have the Spirit’s illumination and Scripture is alive to us (Heb. 4:12). Thus, the Lord by the Spirit through His Word renews our minds and transforms us (Rom. 12:2; 2 Cor. 3:18; Eph. 4:23-24; Tit. 3:5), as we on our part wisely show up every day (Prov. 8:34; Eph. 5:15-18). May the Spirit chisel away at every imperfection and shape us into “a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work” (2 Tim. 2:21).

[1] “Helper” (NASB) is literally the one who comes alongside, from the verb parakaleõ, “to come alongside.”

[2] There is a striking similarity between the two accounts (Luke 24 and John 20): on Resurrection Sunday (Lk. 24:33; Jn. 20:19), after Jesus wished the disciples peace (Lk. 24:36; Jn. 20:19) and after He showed them His scars (Lk. 24:39; Jn. 20:20), before He explained their mission of the proclamation of gospel of divine forgiveness (Lk. 24:46-47; Jn. 20:23), the Lord gave them a measure of the Spirit (Lk. 24:45; Jn. 20:22). He opened their minds to the Scriptures and gave them the illumination of the Spirit.

[3] Cf. Matt. 16:11; Mark 4:13; 7:18; 9:32; Luke 9:45; John 12:16; 20:9.