An excerpt from my sermon for the Ninteenth Sunday after Trinity, 2006:
Critical for our attention regarding the gift of the Spirit to these saddening disciples, is his description, by Jesus, as “another Comforter”. First, he is another Comforter” as we read in v. 16. In other words, he’s going to do for them the same kinds of things Jesus was doing for them, even at that moment. As Jesus says, in v. 18, he will not leave them comfortless. He has been a comfort to them, in so many, many ways. Jesus brought comfort to his disciples by ensuring them of their being loved by the Father and forgiven of their sins. He brought them comfort by helping them to understand the Scriptures and the wonderful things God intended for them therein. He was also just a good, trusted friend who cared for them. They fear this needed comfort will be taken away from them, but Jesus assures them that it will not. He is sending them someone else to take over the job.
But the word translated “Comforter” can also have two other meanings. It also means Helper. Jesus often helped the disciples, did he not? He would give them things to do, and they would run into trouble. He would give them something so miraculous as the casting out of demons to do, yet, they would run across a situation they couldn’t handle, and so Jesus would step in, and bring about the deliverance. He would help them. Or, it may have been something so seemingly simple and mundane as taking a boat across the Sea of Galilee; something they did lots of times. Yet, unexpectedly, they could face trouble there as well – who is going to calm the storm when Jesus is gone? The Holy Spirit would be their helper. They need not be troubled and feel that they faced any difficulty alone. Jesus, by His Spirit, would still be there.
The word for “Comforter” can also be translated Advocate. Jesus was and is the advocate of His people. He vindicates our cause. When people leveled accusations against the behaviour of Jesus’ disciples, he stood up for them and justified them. But, more importantly, he was their advocate before the throne of heaven, and continues to be the advocate of all God’s people before that throne. He is the one who intercedes on our behalf, as we continue in our imperfect condition, as we await the day of our perfection. So also, the Holy Spirit, would be their advocate, and is ours. As the apostle Paul says in Romans 8: we do not know how to pray as we ought, so the Holy Spirit makes our intercessions for us. As Bishop Wright says, “In [God’s] court, his people can rest assued that their case will be heard, that God will constantly be reminded of their plight, because the spirit will plead on their behalf.”
Jesus is leaving, but he is not leaving. In fact, his leaving is going to be a greater blessing for his disciples than his staying would have been, because there is so much blessing in this other way of his being with them. They are going to have the Holy Spirit as their Comforter, their Helper, and their Advocate as never before. Thus enabled, they will be able to do wonderful works for God; wonderful things that even Jesus of Nazareth did not do, though, as we realise, they never did anything but that it was because of what Jesus had done on the Cross for them and for the whole world.
Critical for our attention regarding the gift of the Spirit to these saddening disciples, is his description, by Jesus, as “another Comforter”. First, he is another Comforter” as we read in v. 16. In other words, he’s going to do for them the same kinds of things Jesus was doing for them, even at that moment. As Jesus says, in v. 18, he will not leave them comfortless. He has been a comfort to them, in so many, many ways. Jesus brought comfort to his disciples by ensuring them of their being loved by the Father and forgiven of their sins. He brought them comfort by helping them to understand the Scriptures and the wonderful things God intended for them therein. He was also just a good, trusted friend who cared for them. They fear this needed comfort will be taken away from them, but Jesus assures them that it will not. He is sending them someone else to take over the job.
But the word translated “Comforter” can also have two other meanings. It also means Helper. Jesus often helped the disciples, did he not? He would give them things to do, and they would run into trouble. He would give them something so miraculous as the casting out of demons to do, yet, they would run across a situation they couldn’t handle, and so Jesus would step in, and bring about the deliverance. He would help them. Or, it may have been something so seemingly simple and mundane as taking a boat across the Sea of Galilee; something they did lots of times. Yet, unexpectedly, they could face trouble there as well – who is going to calm the storm when Jesus is gone? The Holy Spirit would be their helper. They need not be troubled and feel that they faced any difficulty alone. Jesus, by His Spirit, would still be there.
The word for “Comforter” can also be translated Advocate. Jesus was and is the advocate of His people. He vindicates our cause. When people leveled accusations against the behaviour of Jesus’ disciples, he stood up for them and justified them. But, more importantly, he was their advocate before the throne of heaven, and continues to be the advocate of all God’s people before that throne. He is the one who intercedes on our behalf, as we continue in our imperfect condition, as we await the day of our perfection. So also, the Holy Spirit, would be their advocate, and is ours. As the apostle Paul says in Romans 8: we do not know how to pray as we ought, so the Holy Spirit makes our intercessions for us. As Bishop Wright says, “In [God’s] court, his people can rest assued that their case will be heard, that God will constantly be reminded of their plight, because the spirit will plead on their behalf.”
Jesus is leaving, but he is not leaving. In fact, his leaving is going to be a greater blessing for his disciples than his staying would have been, because there is so much blessing in this other way of his being with them. They are going to have the Holy Spirit as their Comforter, their Helper, and their Advocate as never before. Thus enabled, they will be able to do wonderful works for God; wonderful things that even Jesus of Nazareth did not do, though, as we realise, they never did anything but that it was because of what Jesus had done on the Cross for them and for the whole world.
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