By: Rev. Gerry Weesner, Maples United Methodist Church
“…I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to 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.” John 14:16-17 (NIV).
As Jesus was preparing to face his death, he made a profound promise to his disciples. He said, “I will not leave you orphaned.” He promises those who faithfully follow him that he would not abandon them. He would ask God to send them a Spirit of Truth. What is the Spirit Christ gives? What is it like? Jesus gives us images of what this Spirit will be like, but not a clear definition.
The comfort of that Spirit is what Christ promised his disciples. He was preparing them for life after he is gone. “I will not leave you orphaned.” Jesus called this Spirit the “Advocate.” In Greek, that is also transliterated as “comforter,” “champion,” and “counselor,” and it is derived from a verb meaning, “to call to one’s side.” More than this, the Spirit indwells each of us when we are baptized as God’s children and in this sense God is always with us.
This gives us new insight into what God provides for us in the Holy Spirit, not only one who comforts us, but also one who is constantly with us, guiding us , and advocating for us in our times of need. When we face times of difficulty the Spirit of God is there for us, and with us. But God’s Spirit isn’t just there in times of tragedy and pain, the Spirit celebrates with us in joy as well. We turn to God in crises, in sorrow and pain, and we are so thankful in those tough times when we are able to sense God’s presence in our lives. It gives us strength to go on.
But God’s spirit is also with us to celebrate the moments of great joy. We give God thanks when the doctor reads the test results, and they are good. We can sense the Spirit of God when that which has been lost is found. We can feel God’s presence when we gather to celebrate an anniversary. God stands with us and beside us in times of joy and sorrow, when we are delighted and when we are distraught, when we jump for joy, and when we writhe in pain.
We are not left as orphans; Christ has sent the Holy Spirit to be with us always. Let’s be more open to sense the Spirit of God with us. Let’s be more sensitive to the ways in which God touches our lives, for it is from the Spirit we receive God’s comfort, guidance, and joy.
