He Gives You Another Helper
The gospel for this coming Sunday (Sixth Sunday of Easter) is John 14:15-21. This text is about the promise of the Holy Spirit to be their helper.
In this short text Jesus promises bring a great deal of reassurance to his disciples as well to us his modern day followers.
He begins with addressing the love of his followers. When a person is converted to Christ (first loved by God), the result is that he loves (1 Jn. 4:19). Such a condition is characterized by the concept of “keep,” which means watchful care, to cherish something that is considered a treasure and is always looked after and protected. We know from 14:23–24 that what the Christian cherishes cannot be reduced to a laundry list of dos and don’ts, but is rather the very Word of Christ.
Jesus does not leave us alone to do His will, however. He told the disciples that He would ask the Father to give them another Counselor to be with them forever. The Greek word for “Counselor” literally means someone called to a person’s side to help. The Spirit will always stand by Christ’s people.
Jesus makes a second promise when he says in verse 17: “He (Holy Spirit) dwells with you and will be in you.” This leads us to think of Jesus’ own presence with the disciples. Jesus was with them, and Jesus’ Spirit was with them. Now the Spirit of Jesus dwells in each believer’s heart.
The next promise he makes is found in verse 18 where he says: “I will not leave you as orphans.” An orphan is the most helpless of all people. The disciples will have both Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit. They will not be left as orphans. No matter our status in life we will never be spiritual orphans.
Also in verse 18 he says: “I will come to you.” He came as the baby Jesus. He came again in the Resurrection. He will come again on the Last Day. A second way He comes to them is in the Lord’s Supper.
In verse 19 we hear: “Because I live you also will live.” Christ’s resurrection is the basis for the new life that Christians begin to experience now and will receive fully on the Last Day.
Jesus says “I am in my Father, and you are me, and I am in you.” We are not God, but our relationship to the Father is as close as is the relationship between Father and Son. There is no closer relationship than this.
As Christians, all these promises to the disciples are ours also and forever.
Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, thank for all your comforting promises to your disciples which are also commitments to us. Have your Spirit dwells in us always right into eternity. Amen