John 15:26-16:15
“But I will send you the Advocate – the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me. And you must also testify about me because you have been with me from the beginning of my ministry.
“I have told you these things so that you won’t abandon your faith. For you will be expelled from the synagogues, and the time is coming when those who kill you will think they are doing a holy service for God. This is because they have never known the Father or me. Yes, I’m telling you these things now, so that when they happen, you will remember my warning. I didn’t tell you earlier because I was going to be with you for a while longer.
“But now I am going away to the one who sent me, and not one of you is asking where I am going. Instead, you grieve because of what I’ve told you. But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me. Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more. Judgment will come because the ruler of this world has already been judged.
“There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.’”
Jesus said remarkable things in this long passage, including the amazing truth that His departure from the earth was actually for our benefit. We may wish that Jesus was still here with us walking the earth like He did 2,000 years ago, just as His disciples wished that He would remain with them longer, but Jesus told them, “[I]t is best for you that I go away.” Why? Because then the Holy Spirit came to live in our hearts.
Jesus promised that the Advocate would come to help us, to empower us, to inspire us, to comfort us, to guide us into truth and to help us bring Jesus glory. The Holy Spirit can be with each of us all the time. We don’t have to travel to Jerusalem to find Jesus. We don’t have to wait for him to show up at our homes or our church. Instead, the Spirit is right here with us, right now and always. Every time we gather as a church family, the Spirit is present. Every time you bow your head in prayer, the Spirit is there. Every time you call out to God in need or joy, the Spirit is already right there with you.
Jesus’ words call us to fully embrace the presence and power of the Spirit. When we pray, when we worship, when we read scripture, when we serve the mission Jesus gave us, we can do it all in the mighty power of the Holy Spirit.Thank You, Jesus, for sending the Holy Spirit to live in my heart. Help me to listen to Your voice and to follow Your word through the power and wisdom of the Spirit. I pray through Your Spirit and in Your holy name. Amen.
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Pastor Mike Mirakian
