The Risen King and the Gift of the Spirit

Session Focus

The gospel does not end with the cross. Jesus is risen and reigning as King, and from His exalted position He gives the Holy Spirit to His people. Through the Spirit, the risen Christ is present with us, giving new life, transforming us, and empowering us to live under His reign and participate in His mission.

Doctrinal Affirmations: The Risen
King and His Spirit

Jesus Is Risen and Enthroned as Lord

The resurrection of Jesus is not merely a return to life, but His exaltation as the reigning King. Paul writes that Jesus “was appointed the Son-of-God-in-power according to the Holy Spirit by the resurrection from the dead” (Rom 1:4). The resurrection is God’s public vindication of His Son.

Peter proclaims this clearly at Pentecost: “This Jesus God raised up, and we are all witnesses of it…Therefore let all the house of Israel know beyond a doubt that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:32, 36). The one who was rejected and crucified has now been installed as Lord (κ??ριος, kyrios) over all.

This fulfills God’s covenant promises to David. God had sworn to establish a king whose throne would endure forever (2 Sam 7:12-16). The angel announced that Jesus would receive “the throne of his father David… and of his kingdom there will be no end” (Luke 1:32-33). The resurrection marks the beginning of that reign in its climactic, saving phase.

This means the gospel is not only about forgiveness of sins, though forgiveness stands at its very heart. It is also the announcement that Jesus is King. To believe the gospel is to come under His reign—to trust Him, submit to Him, and follow Him.

The Risen King Gives the Holy Spirit

The risen and exalted Christ does not remain distant from His people. From His position at the right hand of the Father, He pours out the Holy Spirit.

Peter makes this connection explicit: “Exalted to the right hand of God, and having received the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father, he has poured out what you both see and hear” (Acts 2:33). The gift of the Spirit is the direct result of Jesus’ exaltation.

This fulfills the promises of the new covenant. Through the prophet Ezekiel, God declared, “I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you… I will put my Spirit within you, and I will take the initiative and you will obey my statutes” (Ezek 36:26-27). Joel likewise promised that God would pour out His Spirit on all flesh (Joel 2:28-32).

Under the old covenant, the Spirit was present and active, but His work was often selective and anticipatory. Under the new covenant, the Spirit is given to all who belong to Christ. This is not a secondary blessing—it is the defining gift of the new covenant age.

The Spirit Unites Us to Christ and Gives New Life

The Holy Spirit is the means by which the benefits of Christ’s work become ours. Through the Spirit, we are united to Christ.

“For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body” (1 Cor 12:13). This union means that what is true of Christ becomes true of us in Him. His death counts as our death to sin, and His resurrection becomes the source of our new life (Rom 6:4-5).

Jesus Himself taught that new life comes through the Spirit: “Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:5). The Spirit brings about regeneration—a new birth that gives us a new heart and new desires.

Paul describes this as a washing and renewal: “He saved us not by works of righteousness that we have done but on the basis of his mercy, through the washing of the new birth and the renewing of the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5). The Spirit does not merely improve us—He makes us new.

The Spirit Dwells Within Us and Transforms Us

The Spirit not only gives life—He dwells within believers. “Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God?” (1 Cor 6:19). God’s presence is no longer centered in a physical temple, but in His people.

This indwelling presence leads to transformation. The Spirit produces in us the character of Christ: “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Gal 5:22-23).

At the same time, the Christian life is a daily dependence on the Spirit. “Live by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh” (Gal 5:16). This is not automatic. It is a call to walk (περιπατε???τε, peripateite) in step with the Spirit (Gal 5:25), yielding to His leading and power.

Through this ongoing work, we are being transformed into Christ’s likeness. “We all…are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another, which is from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (2 Cor 3:18).

The Spirit Empowers Us for Mission

The gift of the Spirit is not only for personal transformation, but for participation in God’s mission. Before His ascension, Jesus told His disciples, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses…to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

The Spirit gives boldness, clarity, and effectiveness in proclaiming the gospel. In Acts, we repeatedly see believers filled with the Spirit and speaking the word of God with boldness (Acts 4:31).

This means that the mission of the church is not carried out in human strength. It is the work of the risen Christ through His Spirit. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is now at work in His people (Eph 1:19-20).

The gospel, therefore, moves outward through Spirit-empowered witnesses, as the risen King gathers a people for Himself from every nation.

Devotional Rhythms: Consecration

The Meaning

If the risen Christ has given us His Spirit, then the Christian life is a Spirit-dependent life. We do not live by our own strength, but by the power of the Spirit within us.

The Spirit not only gives us life—He leads us into a life of surrender. “If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit” (Gal 5:25). As we depend on Him, we learn to yield our thoughts, desires, and actions to God.

This is the life of consecration: offering ourselves to God in response to His grace, trusting that His ways are good and His purposes are right.

The Practice

Begin each day by consciously yielding yourself to God.

Pray: “Lord, I give You this day—my thoughts, my words, my decisions. Lead me by Your Spirit.”

As you read Scripture, ask where God is calling you to trust Him, obey Him, or surrender something to Him.

Throughout the day:

• When you face temptation, yield to the Spirit instead of the flesh
• When prompted to act, respond in obedience
• When you feel weak, depend on His strength

The Rhythm

Return to this posture of surrender throughout the day. Learn to pause, listen, and yield.

Over time, these daily acts of dependence and obedience form a life that is increasingly shaped by the Spirit—steady, responsive, and surrendered to God.

For further help, see Appendix: Consecration (Surrendered Worship)

Discipling Others: Share, Model, Guide

Share

Help others see that the Christian life is not about trying harder, but about living in the power of the Spirit. Point them to the risen Christ and His gift of the Spirit (Acts 2:38).

Model

Let others see what it looks like to depend on the Spirit. Show them a life shaped by prayer, Scripture, and obedience. “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ” (1 Cor 11:1).

Guide

Teach others how to walk in the Spirit. Pray with them. Help them apply Scripture. Encourage them when they struggle, reminding them that growth is a process (Gal 6:9).

Questions for Discussion

1. What stands out to you about Jesus as the risen and reigning King?
2. How does the gift of the Holy Spirit change the way we understand the Christian life?
3. In what ways do you tend to rely on your own strength rather than the Spirit?
4. What would it look like for you to walk more consistently in dependence on the Spirit?
5. Who could you begin helping to understand and experience life in the Spirit?

Go Forward

With Christ

Each day this week, ask the Holy Spirit to lead and empower you. Reflect on Galatians 5:16-25 and look for ways to walk in step with Him.

With Others

Share with someone how the Spirit is at work in your life, and ask how you can pray for them (Acts 1:8).

On Mission

Pray for boldness to speak about Christ, trusting that the Spirit will empower you to be His witness (Acts 4:31).

Recommended Resources

Sinclair Ferguson, The Holy Spirit
A rich and accessible exploration of the person and work of the Spirit, deeply rooted in Scripture and Reformed theology.

Gordon Fee, God’s Empowering Presence
A detailed study of the Holy Spirit in Paul’s letters, showing how central the Spirit is to the Christian life.

J. I. Packer, Keep in Step with the Spirit
A practical guide to understanding and living the Spirit-filled life.

Where to start:
If you’re new, begin with Packer.
If you want to go deeper, read Ferguson or Fee.