May '22
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Scripture
John 15:26-16:15
The Work of the Holy Spirit
“When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father - the spirit of trust who goes out from the Father - he will testify about me. And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.”
“All this I have told you so that you will not fall away.
They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God. They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me.
I have told you this, so that when their time comes you will remember that I warned you about them. I did not tell you this from the beginning because I was with you, but now I am going to him who sent me.
None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ Rather, you are filled with grief because I have said these things. 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 wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.”
“I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you.
All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”
Devotional
I remember being asked as a child: “if you could ask Jesus one thing, what would it be?”
Common responses tend to revolve around our perception of the worth of mankind, questioning God’s love for us, and wanting the secret to securing our place in heaven. Two different websites Crosswalk and Baptist and Reflector asked this question on Facebook and shared their most common responses, including:
“Do you truly love everyone?”
“Why did You accept half of Zaccheus’ possessions but require the rich young ruler to give his all?”
“How did You perform your miracles?”
“How did You create something out of nothing?”
“Why do some suffer more than others?”
“How do I make sure I get to heaven?”
“If You could do anything, why did your son have to die?”
For me though, it was a hug. I just couldn’t imagine anything greater than feeling the full embrace of God wrapping around my very being. This is an image I’ve coddled myself to sleep with on nights that surged with depression, and an image I’ve used to calm my anxieties and fears. I just can’t help but imagine the pure warmth and light that would come from God’s embrace. Quite simply, I’m convinced it would be the best hug I’ve ever gotten. And while the good Lord knows I will be asking for that hug when I join him in Heaven someday, the truth is I’ve already felt His embrace. We all have.
At different distinct times in my life, I’ve felt His presence wrapping around my soul. Sometimes it comes like a small cool breeze, sending a small tingle through my body, causing me to freeze and take in the moment. Sometimes it’s a wave of security and calmness as I pray for deliverance. And other times, it’s a powerful hand, pushing Satan away from my presence as I denounce him in Jesus’ name.
It’s the courage I got before going on my first mission trip, the comfort I found before my first date with my husband, and the surge of passion that filled my being when I realized I wanted to apply for doctor of audiology programs.
These incredible moments, where God’s presence has literally wrapped around my being, are a gift that came off of the cross. When Jesus approached the final days of his life on earth he spent precious moments with his disciples sharing a sacred promise: it was for our good that he was leaving.
In his last days, Jesus reinforced to his disciples the depth of love that both God the Father and God the Son have for his people. Out of this merciful love would come a gift that would allow all of God’s people to feel his presence - not just the lucky few who physically walked by Jesus’ side.
The moments in life where we feel God’s guiding presence wrap around our being are a direct result of Jesus’ parting gift: the Holy Spirit, or Advocate, as Jesus names him in the passage.
In John 15 and 16, we learn six key characteristics that define who the Holy Spirit is.
1. The Holy Spirit will come from the Father.
John 15:26
“When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father…”
Jesus first introduces the Holy Spirit by sharing that he will come from God the Father. The Holy Spirit does not come from this world and is not of other gods. He is sent to God’s people, through Jesus, and by the Father. He is the completion of the holy trinity. Not apart from God, but a part of God.
With this knowledge, comes his name: Advocate. An advocate is someone who willingly and publicly supports a cause, concept, or person. In today’s world, we think of an advocate as someone who stands up for the little guy. Medical providers should be advocates for their patients - making sure that their needs and concerns are being heard, respected, and met. An advocate for underserved youth would make sure the child is getting enough food and water, has clothes on their back, and becomes their voice to the face of others.
An advocate speaks honestly and boldly to try and create a greater good. That is our Holy Spirit - the final gift from God, and the overarching purpose behind his five other characteristics.
2. The Holy Spirit is a spirit of trust that will guide us into truth.
John 15:26
“...the spirit of trust who goes out from the Father…”
John 16:13
“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth…”
In the world of finance, there is a common term used to identify where a person’s interests lie: fiduciary. A fiduciary is someone who works for the good of another person without personal bias. For example, if you gave your money to someone to manage, you would expect them to make decisions that are best for your finances, not their own. Being a fiduciary means that the individual is working for your good, and sharing the whole truth of a scenario. There is nothing hidden or left out for their personal gain.
The Holy Spirit is a fiduciary. He comes from God, for our good, to share the truth about God. He is there for our whole benefit, not to conceal things, but to expose them. He is an advocate for God’s truth to the world.
3. The Holy Spirit is for our good.
John 16:7
“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.”
Take a moment and consider sitting by Jesus’ side as he shares that he will be returning to the Father soon. He expands further, saying on that day, people would seek to kill you and think that by doing so, they were serving God. You are filled with fear, confusion, and perhaps even doubt.
And then, in the middle of the fears seeping through your being, Jesus looks at you and says: “‘very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away.’”
All you can think is ‘how in the world is this news going to work together for my good’?
Before you can go any further down the rabbit hole of your thoughts, Jesus stops you with a gentle smile and expands: “‘Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.’”
I love this verse of Jesus’ captured speech within John 16. To me, it reads like a love letter. It’s a reassurance from Jesus that his death comes with multiple purposes. The fact that Jesus shares that he has to leave for the Holy Spirit to come, shows how special and important the Holy Spirit should be to us.
I don’t think Jesus would willingly die on a cross and return to his Father, just to send us a sympathy basket filled with flowers and fruit. If the Son of God is leaving God’s people, and sharing that what will be left behind is worth his absence, then we know that his parting gift is worth everything to us.
Jesus died on the cross to secure our eternity in heaven and ensure equal opportunity for all of God’s people to experience His guiding presence. The Holy Spirit isn't a sympathy card falling short of the one who left, it’s a gift equal in importance and merit.
4. The Holy Spirit will prove the world wrong about sin, righteousness, and judgment.
John 16:8-11
When he comes, he will prove the world to be in wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.”
The Holy Spirit will clarify three things to the world: sin, righteousness, and judgment.
Jesus clearly shared where the world had gone astray in these areas. People have sinned because we did not believe that Jesus was the son of God. We have misunderstood righteousness because as Jesus was crucified, we believed we were serving God. We have practiced faulty judgment by condemning the only sinless being to exist.
Through Jesus’ death, resurrection, and the descent of the Holy Spirit, light is shone on where we have gone astray. The Holy Spirit enters into a broken situation and, as an advocate of God, speaks the truth about who Jesus was. In an intense “ah-ha” moment, God’s children simultaneously see their misaligned faith and are offered redemption through the One condemned.
5. The Holy Spirit does not speak on his own.
John 16:13
“He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.”
When we were small children and played the game telephone, one person would pick a phrase and it would carefully be whispered into each child’s ear. Giggles would erupt as everyone waited in anticipation until the last child heard the phrase and would boldly pronounce what they heard. 98% of the time, the final statement was outrageously altered from the beginning statement.
The Holy Spirit is the champion of the telephone game. He hears what God has to say, and in perfect translation, shares it with God’s people. There is no error, no silly mistakes, no laughter over a messed up message when it comes to the Holy Spirit.
He is the embodiment of God with us always. He is the comfort we feel wrapping around our souls in times of trial, the joy that brings us to songs of praise, and the voice we hear when God speaks to us.
6. The Holy Spirit will testify about Jesus to glorify God the Father and God the Son
John 15:26-27
“When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father - the spirit of trust who goes out from the Father - he will testify about me. And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.”
John 16:14-15
“He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”
The Holy Spirit will testify about Jesus, and likewise, disciples must testify about Jesus. Because the Holy Spirit is for our good and speaks only what he is told by God, he is our right-hand man in sharing the gospel. He is a resource we can rely on to guide us as we testify about God, Jesus, and how we have experienced God in our lives. The Holy Spirit wants to glorify God the Father and God the Son, and to do so, he guides us in a manner that allows us to glorify God through our actions, and speech.
So what can we take away from all of this? The Holy Spirit will come from the Father, is a spirit of truth that will guide us into truth, is for our good, will prove the world wrong about sin, righteousness, and judgment, does not speak on his own, and will testify about Jesus to glorify God.
One of the questions that someone wanted to ask Jesus was: “If You could do anything, why did your son have to die?”
We all know the main reason. Jesus willingly gave up his life to save his people. It was never a matter of God’s ability to save Jesus, or even Jesus’ ability to save himself. They both had the power to save his life but if they had, ours would have been lost.
What John 15 and 16 teach us, is that Jesus also left, so that we could experience the Holy Spirit - the advocate of God. It was not for our loss that He left, it was for our gain.
The Holy Spirit is Jesus with all people, for all people. We never have to fall into a lie of wishful thinking that we could be better if we had walked next to Jesus because now He walks with us daily.
Because of Jesus and his parting gift, we become victorious through Him who gave his life. The Holy Spirit is a remarkable gift to make sure that God’s people are never alone, and always have God’s guiding presence with them.
Rest in that.
Reflection
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If you could ask Jesus one question, what would it be?
There’s no right or wrong answer here. It’s merely a tool to help you consider your faith, priorities, and love languages.
What does that one question help you learn about your personal relationship with God?
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Think back to a time you experienced the Holy Spirit.
What physical sensation did you experience? Was it warm, cool, tingly, a sense of calmness?
How did that moment change your perception of the situation you were in?
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Which trait of the Holy Spirit stands out to you the most?
Take the time to reflect on it and consider what God is asking you to learn.
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Choose a day this week to intentionally spend time with God. Write it into your calendar now. Practice resting in his presence and inviting the Holy Spirit to be openly present in your life.
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Create an artistic representation of how you picture the essence of the Holy Spirit.
This can be a photograph, collage, sketch, painting…whatever allows you to creatively explore the Gospel.
If you would like, share it on Instagram and tag us @perennial_devotionals.
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Prayer
Heavenly Father,
I thank you for this day. For the air that we breathe, the food that nourishes our bodies, and the roofs that keep us safe. I thank you for the mountains, the trees, the birds, the ocean…all of your glorious creation. I thank you for seeing us, desiring us, and seeking us. You have been filled with utmost kindness and mercy towards your people.
Father I pray for your people, that we would learn to embrace the presence of the Holy Spirit and embrace him for who you say he is. May we learn more about you, and your truth, by learning about the Holy Spirit.
We know that it is for our gain that we were given the Holy Spirit when Jesus left, and I pray that we would never take that for granted.
Make us more like you, pulling us into your presence, that we might be your light to this world. Like the Holy Spirit, may we testify about you, glorify you, and speak only the truth of you.
Open our hearts to desire you more with every breath we take.
You are a good, and holy God, and we thank you for that. We praise you for blessing us, during your moments of sorrow.
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
Amen.
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