A story-changing word

In some of the final words of our New Testament, the Holy Spirit and the Church, the bride of Christ, join in a tandem affirmation. Together, they speak one, powerful, story-changing word. In Revelation 22:17, they say to Jesus, “Come!” After this word gets recorded, John, the Revelation writer continues, “Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.” Then a few sentences later, he says it once more, “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.”

This is an important word to remember as we reach out to our friends and loved ones with the message of God’s love and hope. Ours is never the first word. Any time we urge someone to “come” the Holy Spirit has gotten there first. When we stumble and stutter, asking someone to come and consider Jesus, the Spirit has already been laying the foundation, already whispering to their soul.

The Spirit is always speaking to the human race, saying that word, “Come.” The word gets spoken to Jesus at the end of the book of Revelation when John says, “Amen, Come, Lord Jesus” and it gets spoken to people today as the Spirit beckons them to come home.

It is like the words from the angel to the women at Jesus’ tomb, “But go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as He told you’” (Mark 16:7). Jesus always goes before us, and the Holy Spirit always speaks first. When we go to Jerusalem we find that Jesus is waiting for us there. When we plead with someone to come home to Jesus the Spirit has already been preparing their heart.

The Spirit is already laying the groundwork so that when you arrive to speak, yours is not a strange voice. When you say to her or him, “Come to Jesus, come to purpose, come home” you have an ally. You are an echo. The Spirit is speaking. So, let’s confidently lift our voices and join the Holy Spirit in calling the world to “come.”