The Spirit's Work The central truths of this message is that the Holy Spirit makes all the difference between merely hearing about Jesus and truly seeing, receiving, believing, loving, and following Him. In John 14–18, on the final night before the cross, Jesus prepares His disciples for His departure by promising "another Helper," the Spirit of truth. Jesus had been their Teacher, Comforter, and Guide beside them; after His death, resurrection, and ascension, the Spirit, who dwelled among them would now dwell within them, continue Christ's work among them, and above all glorify Jesus. The world's problem is deeper than a lack of information. Jesus says the world cannot receive the Spirit because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. Humanity is spiritually blind and hard-hearted. We cannot circumcise our own hearts, remove our own heart of stone, give ourselves spiritual sight, or raise ourselves from spiritual death. Those are works only God can accomplish. The Spirit opens what sin has closed. He reveals Christ, changes the heart, redirects our affections, and enables us to respond to Jesus in faith and repentance. That helps explain Jesus' promise, "The world will see Me no more, but you will see Me." The Spirit makes Christ known to His people. Being part of the Body of Christ is not merely knowing facts about a historical Jesus; it is knowing the risen Christ, being joined to Him, and living because He lives. When the Spirit reveals Jesus, what we see changes who and what we love, and who and what we love changes how we live. Jesus becomes more valuable than family approval, social acceptance, position, comfort, or reputation. John 12 gives a sobering example of th