OUR ADVOCATE IN A HOSTILE WORLD
John 15-16:15
“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.”
Jesus tells us that having the Holy Spirit is better than having him still around. Of course part of that is because Jesus is going to the Father and there he will be our intercessor. But you can’t escape his meaning that the Holy Spirit is vital to us as disciples. It begs the question “what role does the Holy Spirit play in your Christian walk?”
Jesus does not elaborate as to how the Holy Spirit will interact with us. All he said was “But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” It would seem that we do not need to know and so we should trust that the onus is not on us but on the Holy Spirit.
What he does elaborate in detail is what the Holy Spirit will do.
Firstly, he “will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” Jesus makes it very clear that what the Holy Spirit teaches and reveals will be consistent with Jesus. “He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you.” It is an important marker that helps us know the voice of the Spirit.
Secondly, “he will testify about me.” One way to understand this is that the Holy Spirit will work to attest to the truth of Jesus. Another way is to say that he will be your great resource as you testify about Jesus. Whether it is through miracles that support the preaching of the Gospel, or it is wisdom and insight that make the preaching of the Gospel effective, or it is working directly in the hearts of hearers, to convict them of their sin and open their hearts to the love of Christ, help them to be aware of the judgement of God, or in ways unknown, the Holy Spirit is to be your most important resource in witnessing for the Lord.
Finally, “he will tell you what is yet to come.” Jesus is very careful to emphasise that the Spirit will never go outside of what is already revealed in Christ, will never undermine the authority of Christ, and the supremacy of Christ; ultimately Christ is the One to whom all things belong. But we cannot avoid that one of the Spirit’s roles is to reveal what is yet to come—prophecy. Knowing how this can be used by the evil one to deceive, my only word of caution is that prophecy from the Spirit of Truth must bear the mark of truth.
What is the prophecy for? “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear.” It would seem from the context that the prophecy is to prepare disciples to face difficult times so that they will not fall away. I do not believe that the Spirit will prophesy for frivolous and trivial purposes.
The Holy Spirit keeps our memory and understanding of Jesus alive and fresh. He enables us, in word and life, to testify of Jesus, and as a result challenges people’s ideas about themselves, about God and about Christ. This, Jesus tells us, will result either in hostility or receptivity, but mostly hostility.
In this world of hostility, Jesus spoke of leaving us peace and giving us peace that is unlike what the world gives. The Advocate is the source of this peace. In all that he does, he strives to bring us to peace and leave us in peace. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. This is our Lord’s lasting gift for us all.
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”