2Corinthians 5:16-17 (Amp) says, "Consequently, from now on we estimate and regard no one from a purely human point of view (in terms of natural standards of value). No, even though we once did estimate Christ from a human viewpoint and as a Man, yet now we have such knowledge of Him that we know Him no longer in terms of the flesh. Therefore if any person is ingrafted in Christ (the Messiah), he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old previous moral and Spiritual condition has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come."
Jesus spoke to His followers in John 16:6-7 (Amp), but they didn't understand what He was saying at that time. If we had been in the group, then we wouldn't have understood Him either. Thus, Jesus says, "However, I am telling you nothing but the Truth when I say it is profitable (good, expedient, advantageous), for you that I go away." The disciples probably wondered, "How can it get any better than living with, walking with, eating with and conversing with Jesus, like we do every day?" We would probably have believed that too.
Jesus continued in Verse 7, "Because if I do not go away, the Comforter, Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener, Stand-by, will not come to you; into close fellowship with you: but if I go away, I will sent Him to you, to be in close fellowship with you."
This probably meant very little to them at that time, because they only knew Jesus as a Man. Jesus' followers believed He was the Messiah, Who came to deliver them. They thought the deliverance would include the overthrowing of Rome. Then, they witnessed Jesus being beaten, nailed to a cross, dying and buried in a tomb. They couldn't see or understand what was happening in the Spirit realm, because no one was born-again or filled with the Spirit yet. They couldn't understand what the Father was doing in the unseen realm of the Spirit. This is what Paul wrote about in 2Corinthians 5:16, when he said, "Now we have such knowledge of Him, that we see Him no longer after the flesh and as a Man, but after the Spirit."
Like the early Church who received the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, we have the Revelation of what in the Spiritual realm at Jesus' crucifixion. We have the knowledge that Jesus is our Sacrifice Lamb and our sin offering, but this couldn't be seen from the natural side of His crucifixion, because it only comes by Revelation from the Spirit. The disciples had no idea that Jesus' death and resurrection, would redeem them from the Curse of the Law. They couldn't imagine being born-again and made righteous with God, because of what Jesus endured. They couldn't understand what Jesus meant, when He said, "You will be better off when I go, than you are now."
Today, many still see Jesus more after the natural Man, than by the Spirit. In order to identify with Him in His Resurrection, we must trust in the Revelation, than in the natural Man. Even now, it's just as difficult for natural men and women to understand the Revelation, which has led to the Church's having an identity crisis. Jesus did man awesome things as a Man, while here on earth, but those things can't compare with the fullness of what He's made available to us, through His death and Resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus clearly heard the Father, while in the flesh and this ability is made available to us today. We're focused on the world and our daily lives, so we don't hear clearly from the Father. I'm not writing this in order to bring us condemnation, but to make us more aware of the Father's Voice. Jesus said, "I only do what I hear My Father say." If we heard that clearly, then we would and could do the works that Jesus did.
Everyone who heard Jesus say in Luke 4, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me," knew the scripture came from Isaiah 61:1. They knew the scripture, but couldn't believe that, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." We read how Jesus has made us righteous, redeemed and joint-heirs with Him, but we doubt that "Today it is fulfilled."
We continue believing that the fulfillment of God's Word is for "another time in the future." We believe Jesus can do what He said and that He will do what He said, but we don't believe He'll do them today. We keep trying to become righteous, instead of believing that He's already made us righteous. We believe that we'll become the righteousness of God, when we die and go to Heaven. We believe that we'll get healed in Heaven, instead of believing that, "By His striped we are healed." Like those who heard Jesus speak in the temple, we don't believe that, "Today, this scripture is fulfilled in your ears."
Paul tells us in 2Corinthians 5:16 (Amp), "Now we have such knowledge of Him, that we see Him no longer after the flesh and as a Man, but after the Spirit." The things Jesus' followers were waiting to come to pass, are already ours through Jesus and His Sacrifice. 2Corinthians 1:20 (Amp) says, "As many as are the Promises of God, they all find their Yes Answer in Him (Christ). For this reason we also utter the Amen (So be it), to the Glory of God." We're no longer waiting, because through the Revelation given by the Holy Spirit and God's Word, we have the knowledge of God in Him.
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