John 15:26-27

John 15:26-27 When the Counselor 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. And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.

After confirming the truth He would be hated and rejected by those He came to save, Jesus goes on to repeat what He has been teaching in preparation for his departure, the coming of the Holy Spirit. By saying that when the Counselor came, the Spirit would come from the Father and the Spirit of truth goes out from the Father, Jesus revealed and confirmed basic truths about the Holy Spirit of God. First, Jesus was stating the Holy Spirit resides with the Father; consequently, He is an integral part of the Godhead. Secondly Jesus says, God planned to send the Holy Spirit to testify of the Son, to reveal the divine nature of Christ to us and through us. Thirdly, by testifying of Christ our hope of glory, the Holy Spirit provides divine insight into God's nature because Jesus is the exact representation of the Father. The Spirit's assignment is to reveal God to us by revealing the Son is God in human form. By knowing Jesus Christ, we know God and his love for us. Many scriptures testify to this reality such as the picture we see in Hebrews where we read the description of the Spirit of God coming upon the prophets of old; then in the fullness of time, God sends his Son, whom the Spirit raises from the grave to reign on high. In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. (Hebrews 1:1-5) The Holy Spirit is the one who makes these truths a reality in the hearts of all believers for all time.

The Spirit knows the resurrected Christ, the Holy One who is high and lifted up, whose train fills the temple. The disciples also knew Jesus, the Son of Man, who walked among them. They knew him as Master and Lord; they knew him as friend. They were willing to answer his call, to leave everything and to follow him: As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed him. (Matthew 4:18-19) They knew Jesus' basic human nature and his acts of kindness: love for the poor, the needy, the sick, the hungry, and the distressed. They knew his desires, his habits, his way of life. They observed his dependence upon the Father, yet often said they did not understand his words or why He behaved as He did. But his charismatic personality and the Spirit burning within him attracted them, bound them to him, called them forward and onward. At times they faltered, but they did not turn back because they signed on to follow him regardless of the cost. But it was becoming hard for them now that He was talking about his death and sending them on a mission they did not expect. So He is telling them He will send the Holy Spirit with the mission to fulfill their beloved Lord in their lives. And we know, just as the Spirit's mission was to reveal Jesus as the Son of God to the disciples and all who would believe on Christ's name, He would soon tell the disciples: "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) Their mission was to share the good news of Jesus. The Christ they walked and talked with for over three years did not die and remain in a dark tomb. He won the victory through the power of the Holy Spirit. Emboldened by that mighty force, they traveled from place to place, telling the people of God's mercy and grace and a loving Jesus who gave everything that all might live. All but John accepted martyrdom for that cause--that's the love of the Father revealed through the Son by the Holy Spirit in the hearts of his sons and daughters.

Our privilege and responsibility today remains the great commission of Christ to go out into our world and to spread the news that Christ has come. The light has come and dispelled the darkness. Peace goodwill toward all men and women has come to Earth to reconcile a sinful and wayward people to a forgiving and merciful God who loves them with an everlasting and unfailing love. When we try to make our mission anything else, we err: we lose our way, and we fail miserably. If people know more about our own goodness and our life experiences than they know about God and his nature that He is slow to anger and quick to forgive, that He loves unconditionally and holds out his arms of love and waits for his lost sheep to return to his sheepfold, we have failed to honor his clear instructions. When we spend most of our time together talking about our successes and failures rather than about Jesus and his bountiful blessings and abundant supply, we miss the mark. When everyone knows more about our troubles, sicknesses, and concerns than about the magnificent love of God and his amazing delivering power from sin, we have lost track of the gospel message. When our exploits are magnified rather than Christ's total victory over sin and death, we have taken our eyes off Jesus the Bright Morning Star, the light of Heaven, Redeemer, Savior, Lord of All. Our human nature is constantly battling the will of the Father. God's will is to "hear ye him," not us. We are easily let astray by a fleshly will that wants attention, wants to be heard, needs affirmations, seeks acceptance. God wants to meet all those needs; and He will as we hide in him, yield to him completely. But we must hearken to the voice of the Holy Spirit. We must sit down beside Jesus of Nazareth, for He alone has hope and healing, peace and joy. He holds redemption and release in his hands; He alone can make life worth living. All the rest is just straw and stubble, grass that blows away in the wind and will not last for eternity. Listen carefully: the Spirit is testifying of Jesus, speaking directly in your ear. We who have tasted the sweet redeeming grace of God must share that sweet fruit with the world.