John 14:15-26 “If you love me, obey my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. 17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.
18 No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. 19 Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live. 20 When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”
22 Judas (not Judas Iscariot, but the other disciple with that name) said to him, “Lord, why are you going to reveal yourself only to us and not to the world at large?”
23 Jesus replied, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them. 24 Anyone who doesn’t love me will not obey me. And remember, my words are not my own. What I am telling you is from the Father who sent me. 25 I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. 26 But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.
observation
There is a special relationship that Jesus has with the Father, he tells us that everything that he says is from God and he tells us that his resurrection will prove that he is in the Father working in perfect unity and also that we are to take place in that unity (v. 20). The unity that God and Jesus have they both want for all of the believers to have (John 17:20-26)
I just did a bunch of “spring cleaning” in the yard and pruned back too much, according to my wife, but she was still willing to get out there and help with the cleanup along with our sons help. Everybody likes to have some help especially help that will never go away, we have all had help that didn’t last and then we were stuck finishing a project all by ourselves. The Holy Spirit will be our helper that will never leave and he will show us the truth and he will remind us of all the things that Jesus taught to his disciples.
This help isn’t completely unconditional it requires that we prove our love for Jesus by being obedient to the things that he commanded us to do. I suppose that if I wasn’t very loving to my family then they wouldn’t want to come outside and give me a hand, God is the same way, he helps those that show their love for him through obedience.
It may seem that it would be easier to live the Christian life if we were walking the streets following along with Jesus but Jesus told us that we would not be orphans, we would not have to go it alone and that he would send us a helper that would remind us of his teachings as we live for him each day.
application
I need to be obedient and strive for unity with my brothers and sisters in Christ so that we will be a testimony to the love that we have received in Christ. My obedience will enable the Holy Spirit to work in my life, if I am living for myself then he will not be able to work in me.
prayer
Thank you Lord that you didn’t leave us alone to try to live for you, we couldn’t do what you ask without the Holy Spirit to guide us and be our help. Help me as I learn about the Holy Spirit this week.
