Over the next 6-weeks, to support our mid-week 'Together' meetings on The Holy Spirit, we will be looking at the person of the Holy Spirit in our devotionals. I hope you find these helpful in deepening your relationship with God.
During The Last Supper, as He faces betrayal and death, Jesus taught extensively on the coming of the Holy Spirit. Why does He do this? He does this because He wants His followers to be assured that His death does not mean their desertion! He will continue to be with them by the Spirit.
HE COMES TO US AS THE ‘ADVOCATE’
One of the titles that Jesus gives the Spirit is the ‘Advocate’,
“When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me.” (John 15:26)
It’s not ‘if’, it’s ‘When the Advocate comes! He is going to send Him to us. This promise is as trustworthy as Jesus is trustworthy.
The Spirit is called ‘another advocate’ or ‘helper’ (ESV). This speaks of many things:
‘Another’ Points to the Spirit being a person distinct from Jesus. ‘Another’ (‘Allos’ of the same kind) speaks of the Spirit’s ministry as being similar to that of Christ. The term ‘Advocate’ (Paraklētos) means one who comes alongside to help in active assistance. This means that Jesus’ ministry to us is continued by the Holy Spirit. Jesus called His disciples to follow Him and He taught them; He continues to call people to follow Him and teaches them through the Spirit. He comes alongside each Christian to help them in their lives. When children are small, a parent will come alongside, hold their hand and help them across the road. At some point, we trust and allow children to do this for themselves. This is never true of our relationship with God! We never mature so as to need Him less. The Spirit wants to come alongside to lead us through life and through this very day.
JESUS PROMISES TO BE WITH US BY THE SPIRIT
Before His death and ascension, Jesus promised to come and remain with His disciples. Jesus kept His promise as He came to them after His resurrection and continued to be with them by the Spirit after Pentecost. As He was their advocate (helper), Jesus has promised that the Spirit will come to us and help us also.
“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever – the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realise that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.” (John 14:16-20)
RESPONSE The Holy Spirit has been promised and He wants to be our Advocate (helper), so let's invite Him to walk with us today. To help us to do this, let's use this great text from John,
‘But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.’ (John 16:7)
Comments