The Holy Spirit, The Teacher - John 14:22-31

          

Our passage this morning is part of a section that begins with Jesus washing the disciples’ feet and ends with Jesus being arrested. Jesus is preparing the disciples for his death and resurrection, which includes the promise of the Holy Spirit. This morning we’re focusing on Jesus’ promise of the gift of the Holy Spirit which is fulfilled on the feast of Pentecost.

When things are going well, we think less about our faith and God, and focus more on what we want. We don’t think about difficult times, our faith feels strong and confident, then the ground under us shifts and we begin to feel unsure about life and our faith gets tested. The disciples, on their way to Jerusalem had been arguing about who was going to get the places of honour and power in the coming kingdom Jesus keeps talking about. Jesus gives them a lesson in humility by washing their feet, and talks about his death. Just before going to the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus says in Matthew 26:31–32, “This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written: “‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” The disciples’ confidence is being shaken.

Jesus tells his disciples that he’s going home, “Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” The disciples are unsure what Jesus is talking about, they sense something bad’s about to happen, but not sure what. Jesus’ talk of leaving, his earlier talk about being killed is sinking into the disciples’ consciousness.  

Jesus knows things are going to get hard for them, so he reminds them of the importance of obeying his teaching; reassuring them of the Father’s love. We see the unity between Father and Son as Jesus reminds them that everything he taught comes directly from the Father. To help them remember and obey his teaching, Jesus promises them the Holy Spirit, “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 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.”

Just as the Father sent his son Jesus, the Father sends the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ name, revealing the divinity of the Holy Spirit, the connection between Father, Son and Holy Spirit, giving authority to all that the Spirit will teach them: Jesus’ teaching. For the early believers, the most important thing about the gift of the spirit of truth, is that the Spirit is holy. The Holy Spirit has the same character as God, as the Father and the Son, a Spirit to be completely trusted.

Jesus calls the Holy Spirit the parakletos, which means “Helper, Counselor, Encourager, Mediator.” Most Greek dictionaries emphasize “Helper.” The Holy Spirit is given to provide us with help in difficult times. In giving the Holy Spirit, Jesus gives them peace. This peace through the Holy Spirit brings knowledge, strength, and courage in the difficult and exciting times that lie ahead. The Spirit teaches “panta,” or “all things,” helping us remember everything Jesus taught, everything we need to know of the kingdom of heaven, of God the Father, and of himself and how we’re saved through Jesus.

It's clear the disciples didn’t understand everything Jesus taught them; but later on, they remember what he’d said and finally understand. That comes as we mature in our faith, as the Holy Spirit teaches us; but we need to be humble and listen and learn. John Calvin sees the Scriptures, not as timeless truths but as the participatory engagement of God with human persons. This engagement happens through the Holy Spirit. Martin Luther writes that Jesus “must be a Saviour and Redeemer from real, great, grievous and damnable transgressions and iniquities, yea, and from the very greatest and most shocking sins…. you will have to get used to the belief that Christ is a real Saviour and you are a real sinner.” The Holy Spirit convicts us of this, and our need for Jesus as our Saviour.

On this Pentecost Sunday, we celebrate the presence of the Holy Spirit as the helper God sends, but the Spirit’s also given to us to convict us of our sin, John 16:7–8, “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. When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment….” We’re given a way to live by God and Jesus through the commandments and teachings to help us grow into the image of God we’re created in, and flourish as his people. It takes trust and faith in the way of Jesus, especially when it counters what our culture teaches.

There are things we’re taught, when we receive the information, but don’t really understand it until a situation comes up and suddenly it makes sense. Jesus taught often about bearing our crosses, yet just before this passage, the disciples were arguing about sitting on thrones instead. It’s only after Jesus’ death, resurrection, and the coming of the Holy Spirit that they finally understand that part of following Jesus involves suffering, persecution, and even death, for some of them, death on a cross. The Holy Spirit’s given to help them find peace in the suffering, faith in Jesus, but even more importantly, as Dallas Willard often said, the faith of Jesus. The Spirit gives us the strength and ability to obey Jesus and find our life in him because he gave his life for us.

We just ordained elders, a youth elder, and deacon. Let the people see your obedience to Jesus’ teachings and God’s laws and decrees, let them see and hear your faith in Jesus, help them see that you have the faith of Jesus that carries us through life. Obey in a spirit of love for God and Jesus. This looks like loving God’s people deeply, loving those who are lost and searching. Lean on the Holy Spirit to love as Jesus loves. The world will know we follow Jesus by how we love; not just those who are like us, but especially those who are difficult to love, those who are very different from us, even those who don’t believe as we believe.

We love because we’re created in the image of God. Love leads to forgiveness and reconciliation. The Holy Spirit’s given to us to help us live this, because in our own strength we’re unable to. When Jesus meets the disciples in the upper room on Easter, John 20:21–23, “Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven,” remembering we are forgiven as we forgive others!

Jesus warns us about the prince of this world, “I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me, but he comes so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me.” The prince of the world is Satan, and as we learned when Satan tried to tempt Jesus in the wilderness, he has no power over Jesus. Satan comes so that the world will learn how much Jesus loves the Father, trusting completely in the Father, doing exactly what the Father has commanded him. This completely frustrates everything Satan’s trying to do to twist creation, as God created it, out of shape. Satan’s the prince of lies, this is why Jesus sends us the spirit of truth, pointing to Jesus, who is the way, the truth, and the life; helping us to keep our eyes, ears, and hearts focused on Jesus, strengthening us in our faith.

Paul emphasizes that the Holy Spirit reveals its presence in our lives by working in us to grow the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22–25, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” There’s so much more to say about the Holy Spirit, but ultimately, if we fail to listen to the Holy Spirit and grow its fruit, we need to look deeper at our faith. Is our faith in Jesus, or in the things of the world? Today, listen deeply to the Holy Spirit’s teaching as the Spirit points us to Jesus’ teaching and way. Follow the Spirit in the way of Jesus.