John 14:15-29 You Are Not An Orphan

Read John 14:15-29

Jesus is not going to leave his disciples (or us) alone as orphans. Our reading today kicks off our new theme of “The Holy Spirit & Prayer.” We see exactly when and where Jesus promises the Holy Spirit to his disciples. It was during his last meal with them. He was dropping a lot of truth bombs on them that night. Jesus was cramming some important stuff into this time with them.

You know how it can be when you’re getting ready to leave after a visit. You think of all the things you wanted to say the whole time but either didn’t find the right time to say or simply ran out of time. Either could be happening here. But clearly the disciples are starting to get a little nervous. The things Jesus was saying that night must have left them with more questions than answers.

It sounds simple enough, doesn’t it? “If you love me, obey my commandments.” Jesus goes on to say that he will intercede for us with the Father. “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.” Simple? Yeah, right!

I can just imagine these poor disciples sitting there in a nearly dark room, illuminated by candles or whatever type of light source might be burning. Can you imagine how preposterous Jesus’ words sounded? In other translations, the word “advocate” was translated as counselor, comforter, helper, encourager, or companion. The disciples had to be thinking, “we don’t want an advocate, we want YOU! Don’t go!”

This person of the Holy Spirit we know to be part of the trinity. The disciples didn’t have that knowledge. The verses that follow give us more insight into the purpose and power of the Holy Spirit. We’ll be exploring this more in the coming days with our themed readings.

I can tell you from experience, when you encounter the Holy Spirit and the power of his presence, it’s so remarkable you can hardly describe it. The promise Jesus made that night to those who love him was priceless. We are not orphans, we have been promised protection through a companion that is always with us. A companion sent by God the Father himself.

For those who wonder how it all works, Jesus promised the Holy Spirit “will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.” From that, I understand that part of the Holy Spirit’s job is to help us remember Jesus’ teachings and to understand them better. We have so much more to learn, and the Holy Spirit can impart that wisdom in us.

Verse 27 was marked in my Bible as a key verse for PEACE. “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” Jesus doesn’t want us to be afraid. Instead, knowing that we have an advocate, helper, or guide working inside us can give us indescribable peace.

Paul describes this further in Philippians 4:7, “Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” How does that make you feel right now?

You are not alone. You are not an orphan. Let the promise of the Holy Spirit give you peace!

Let’s pray. Father, thank you for sending the Holy Spirit into my life. I love you and want to obey your commandments. Help me to understand more fully how you want me to live my life, interact with others, and shine my light for you. Thank you for the peace I feel. I am comforted and empowered by your love. In Jesus’ name. Amen.