16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; 17 [that is] the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you, and will be in you.
Message: The Promise of Another Helper
Time: John most likely wrote between A.D. 85 and 90. John's purpose in writing was, "that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name (John 20:31)."
What the Lord is Saying: As I am reading and studying theses passages here in John 14, they seem to be foundational passages. Jesus is speaking to us. He is responding to the disciples, namely Peter, Thomas, and Philip, and their questions to Jesus about where He is going, why they can't follow, and who God the Father really is. And even as Jesus gives answers that don't always give the disciples peace but rather give them more questions, He also is giving them comfort and a mission in life and reminding them while He--Jesus--is not there with them, they are not alone without Him and now in these verses He mentions a Helper. Basically, "I am leaving, but you are not alone." Or "I am leaving, but in reality I am still here with you."
Jesus must leave. Going back to verse 31 of John 13 He says, "the Son of Man glorified." Jesus has a purpose. The disciples are baffled and scared. They are void of the full picture of Jesus and what He is going to accomplish. They have fear and so Jesus proceeds to give them comfort. Jesus continues to say, "Believe Me."
I am involved in an online ministry or forum. The forum is based upon the idea of the gospel. The gospel is presented and through that gospel conversations result. Most of those conversations are with people who agree with the gospel or the good news of Jesus Christ and want to make it a part of their lives and live it. But some conversations are with people who don't agree with it, think it is false, or have a different version of good news. Recently, in this forum I have been speaking with a man that has said God, the Bible, all of it is garbage. It is fake. It is manipulation. It is about controlling the masses. His arguments are simple and so far, lake much depth. This means good news is just not religion. And instead the good news is science is where it is at and defines everything in life and yet right now, in our conversations, there is little meat to what he is saying. But, in many ways he is asking me to believe him, to trust him.
At this point of the gospel I am much further along in my encounter with Jesus. He has come and been born and come into the world and is asking people to "Believe Me." He wants people to listen to Him, to His words and trust Him. His audience is mostly made up of people who already believe in God. He is asking them to believe also in Him. He is asking them to trust that He and God are equal in their purposes, not the same. He still remarks that there is a difference, but He is trying to convince His audience that God's purpose is His purpose. And this purpose now has a future culmination. Along the way He is stating that believing in Him is all people need and will give them full life, eternal life. People will have everything they need because He is all they need. And the written words give us examples, supernatural examples of work that He has done. But those works need to also be coupled or combined with what He is saying. Clearly some people are only interested in the supernatural aspects but He is wants them really, first and foremost, to believe in Him.
I suppose I just mention this because with the atheist and with Jesus the words seem to be; Just believe Me.
So Jesus is now saying, "And." This "And" that begins this passage is Jesus continuing the thought. In our preceding verses Jesus mentions the continuous motion of life, "Asking" and "Doing." I think my Atheist friend is just telling me to "Believe" and "Do it." But Jesus is stating here that we ask and do. Preceding the asking is "believe." So really we have (1) believe, (2) ask and then (3) do or obey. Interesting. With God we have something different and that is prayer or asking. Jesus in these verses even echoes that sentiment by saying, "And I will ask the Father." Jesus in verse 16 is practicing in some ways what He said in verse 13 and 14 when He told His disciples to ask Him. The difference in those verses is He is telling His disciples to ask Him. But here he is asking the Father. Verse 13 and 14 was to ask in His name and then He will do it.
I jump to another tangent here for a moment thinking about prayer because even in a prayer I have mostly me talking to God. I suppose I am emulating the Lord's Prayer, but I am ending the prayer with these words of "In Jesus' name." And yet in verse 13 and 14 and now in verse 16 the agent that is working in either Jesus or the Father.
In verse 16, what has been asked is for Help. But not simply help, but a helper - an active agent. A living, active agent. Someone. And this help will never leave us. "He may be with you forever." Jesus realize He is not always with them. But this Helper won't ever leave. And this "Spirit of Truth" is only for those who believe in Jesus. So the Spirit only helps the Believer is what Jesus is saying. In other words, we have something special and distinct from the world. We have a helper. The disciples have a helper.
And "He abides with you, and will be in you." This is really dynamic. We have a Spirit of Truth and this Spirit will be in us. Forever.
Summary: Jesus is leaving, but He is sending to those who believe in Him a Helper and this Helper will always be with those that believe in Jesus.
Promise: Thank Jesus for the gift of the Helper, the Spirit of Truth.
Prayer: God, you are in heaven and your name is great. Thank you for a new day, to arise, to get up and start anew. I need your strength today to radiate in me. I am tired and I know I am at the end of my week and still have things I need to do. Thank you for this truth. Thank you for Jesus. And thank you Jesus for giving me help. Even though you left, you provide Help and that help is always in me. For many years I did not really realize it because I did not talk much of the helper, the Spirit of Truth, but now that I have picked up on it, I am constantly amazed at His presence and how is with me through all of life. And I need Help. I believe in You and I want to obey You, but I need Help. So I keep asking for your help. Help me. Give me strength. Give people strength for each day. Life sends me curve balls all the time. Help me. Thank you for the comfort of knowing that You are there and others are near by also to encourage me.
Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's.
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