Meet the Comforter.

Worthy – worthy – is the Lamb who is a King – the King of all creation – yet slain. He is worth everything I have and am.

“I receive your praise, as I receive the praises of countless millions of your brothers and sisters. The time will come when you will really understand how worthy I am. You will understand the true depth of the meaning of that word as it describes Me. How can you put a price or a worth on anything as great and stupendous as I am in my Father and for what I have done? Just allow it to sink in to your mind and cause it to well up in you with a sense of gratitude and love and express it in song yes, but also in obedience in all spheres of your life and your thoughts. It is cosmic but it is also personal – the great transformer of your life.”

As we read John 14:15-24, we are introduced to another aspect of the Trinity. We have met Jesus and discovered that He and the Father have such an intimate connection that Jesus Himself is described as being God. That the supernatural work He has done has been the Father working through Him. Vs 10. This new aspect is in fact a Person. Jesus calls Him the Comforter. The Greek word is actually “Paraclete” which means “one who comes beside you”.

This passage is perhaps the most expansive in describing the person and work of the Holy Spirit that we have. Notice first of all the continued context of the intimacy of relationship. Jesus with the Father and flowing from that us. But now this “Person” of the Spirit who Jesus is introducing to us appears to be the very factor that is going to draw us into the same sort of relationship with Jesus that He has with the Father.

Three times in these few verses Jesus reaffirms that he is speaking of our relationship with Him and the whole Trinity. Vs 15 If you love me you will keep my commands.

Vs 20 b, I am in the Father and the Father is in Me, and I am in you.

Vs 23 b My Father will love him (you), and we will come to him (you) and make our home with him. (You)

Key to this relationship is the other statement which is repeated: Obedience vv 15, 21 23. We need to understand it is not obedience that brings the Holy Spirit to dwell in us. Obedience is the fruit of our relationship with the Trinity. It is a demonstration that we have entered into this relationship. It is Jesus way of saying, “this is for those who have become my children, who are now part of the family”. Notice that the emphasis is not on faith here. The emphasis is on obedience. Does that mean that faith is not important? No – it means we only know that someone really has faith by seeing them live a life of obedience to Jesus commands.

In other words the clearest indication of the reality of our faith is the fruit we produce, here described as obedience. It is with that in mind that God sends the Comforter. He is the one through whom we are going to be enabled to produce fruit. Galatians 5:22 His role is to maintain and bring to fruition the relationship that God desires with us and the reason He sent His Son to die. His role is integral to that of the Father and the Son, as important in completing the relationship triangle. Yet He is the least visible. His work is to throw light on the Father and the Son.

Historically in the evangelical church the role of The Holy Spirit has often been neglected in their teaching. The charismatic renewal of the 70’s and 80’s was almost a reaction to that and focused to a large degree on a rediscovery of the importance of the Spirit’s role. Unfortunately as often happens it brought that role so much to the foreground that it changed it from a sort of silent partner in the Trinity to being on the forefront of the stage. That has subsided to some extent and I think everyone is more aware and sensitive today to the work He is doing.

Ultimately He is then an integral part of this relationship which Jesus is unfolding in these chapters. So as the Easter events are unfolding over the next days remember that it is His Spirit that is making all this real and interpreting it for us. What a wonderful God we serve!

May you all have a blessed Easter as we remember and relive the most important part of our faith which we call “The Way”. God bless till next week.