You can find the video here: https://www.facebook.com/1415702701879327/videos/594447424575318
John 14:15-17
Yesterday we talked about living the Jesus Way, so that the Jesus Truth would be heard, and others around us would be invited to live the Jesus Life. I want us to keep that focus throughout the remainder of our study. In fact I want that to be your daily focus from here until we are with Jesus face to face.
Today we are going to hear the words of our Savior speak of the Holy Spirit. Remember that Thomas had asked Jesus to show him the way to get where Jesus was going. Then following that conversation Phillip speaks up and asks to see the Father. And in a similar fashion Jesus speaks and He tells the Disciples that if they have seen Him – then they’ve seen the Father. And then we come to the passage where Jesus begins to explain how they can find comfort when He leaves this world. Let’s see what Jesus says.
John 14:15-17 (NIV) “If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. 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.
Do you notice that faith, love, and obedience are linked in these few passages? It seems as if they run in and out and through each other. Loving Jesus brings us to faith in Jesus and faith in Jesus brings us to obedience. It’s like these three thoughts or ideas are intertwined and not separable. And it’s the Advocate that Jesus is sending that can and will make this happen in us and through us for those around us.
Let’s also not forget that the Advocate is a promise from Jesus. Jesus is making a promise to the Disciples in that if they are obedient in living the Jesus Way and speaking the Jesus Truth inviting others to live the Jesus Life. He will send to them another Advocate.
Now that term Advocate actually comes from a legal understanding of someone who advocates for another person facing legal issues – on their behalf. Or someone coming alongside of a person to assist in some way. It has also been interpreted as Comforter, Consoler, Counselor, Intermediary, and Helper. No matter how you look at Him, the Holy Spirit is here for our benefit.
And Remember Jesus said – another Advocate. Now, there are two words translated from the Greek language into English as another. Eteros we translate to mean another from a different kind, and allos meaning another of the same kind – allos is used here. So Jesus promises another Advocate just like Himself except…this One wont’ ever leave our side, and Jesus’ own words are that this Advocate will live in each of us who believe in Him.
Now that is a big, no huge, no enormous thought. If any Jewish person were to read that God’s Holy Spirit would live in them, it would blow them away. You have to realize that very few people of their faith had the Holy Spirit either with them or upon them. When you begin to list them, you see Moses & 70 elders, Saul, David, some of the Judges (some of the time or only specific times) – you get my point. Not many could say that. But here Jesus is promising that if you were to believe in Him, God’s Holy Spirit will live in you.
And that’s what I want for me and for all of you. I want the Holy Spirit to live in me to the point that others see less of me and more of Jesus. And I want it to be to the point that I become more and more like Jesus Christ each and every day. I want us to live the Jesus Way so that others can hear the Jesus Truth, that they will be lead to live the Jesus Life.