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Today is sometimes called “Maundy Thursday”, the day before what many people call “Good Friday.” Around the world, many people today will be reflecting on what is reported by the Gospel writers, to have taken place in Jerusalem about 2000 years ago, when Jesus and His disciples gathered in an upper room for the Passover meal.
Then, as you may recall, they went to the Garden of Gethsemane that night for prayer. It was there Judas came with a crowd who arrested Jesus and took Him to late night questioning by religious and political leaders in Jerusalem. By morning, Jesus had been so badly abused and beaten, He was hardly recognizable, and He was condemned to die by crucifixion on Friday morning.
For the past few days I’ve invited us into that upper room, to be eyewitnesses to an evening which has changed our world. John the beloved disciple gives us 5 chapters of his record of what happened that evening (John 13-17), so let’s rejoin them in the upper room. Jesus is speaking: “I will ask the Father and He will give you another Counselor, to be with you forever, the Spirit of Truth. The world cannot accept Him because it neithers sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him, for He lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans…” (John 14:16-18)
The disciples had been with Jesus now for more than 2 years. They had grown accustomed to His ever present availability for wise counsel and God’s answers when they faced the challenges of real life issues. I wonder my friends, where do you go in 2021 when you need wise counsel for living life in these complex times in every city, every society of our world?
When Jesus used the phrase “another Counselor”, He meant, another counselor just like the one you already have in ME. Do you see Jesus spoke here of all three persons of the Triune God? He, God the Son, said He was going to ask God the Father to send God the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, to these disciples to help them live life in their complex first century times, just as He had been helping them. The disciples, as good Jewish men, knew that the Holy Spirit of God had many times, in Jewish history, come upon people in significant times, as recorded in the Old Testament.
May I give you three examples they would have remembered:
* Judges 6:34 “The Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon…” and with God’s help and guidance, Gideon led only 300 men to defeat an army of more than 120,000 who were attacking Israel.
* 1 Samuel 10:10 “The Spirit of the LORD came upon Saul in power…” and Saul, as Israel’s first king, at least for a short while, led Israel well. But in his pride, however, Saul was not obedient to God and God removed His Spirit from Saul.
* 1 Samuel 16:13 “The Spirit of the LORD came upon David in power…” and the disciples of course knew well how God had led David in such great ways to be a great king in Israel’s history.
We can assume the disciples listened to Jesus’ promise, about the Holy Spirit coming upon them, with great interest. Jesus continued His explanation by saying “The Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14:26)
Now that was a very significant statement. Unlike today, no one was recording, either audio or video, Jesus’ messages or His miracles. And after Jesus was gone, everyone would be looking to these disciples expecting them to tell the world the stories of Jesus’ life, and do so accurately. But you and I know how easily our memories get clouded with time, or how two or three people being eyewitnesses to the very same event will report that event very differently.
Jesus here explained that the Holy Spirit would help the disciples remember accurately so they could report, both verbally and in writing, the story of Jesus, so 2000 years later we could depend on the truthfulness of their recounting of the life of Jesus. But did you notice Jesus also said the Holy Spirit would TEACH these disciples the meaning of what they had witnessed! They in turn would be able to teach people of their generation not only what they saw and heard, but what it MEANS as God’s truth for us!
Then Jesus said “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give you. Do not be troubled and do not be afraid…I will not speak with you much longer, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold on me, but the world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what My Father has commanded me.” (John 14:27-31) Peace of mind and heart is something that has been elusive for every person since the days of Adam and Eve, would you agree? Sin steals peace! Rebellion against God, God’s truth and God’s ways always will repulse and reject peace!
Look closely at the city, the society, the world where you live. People who have true peace of heart and mind are people who are living in a vibrant, authentic relationship with God through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit calms them as they live in God’s truth. It isn’t difficult to look deeply and see the contrast between people who have ‘soul peace’ and those who don’t. ‘Soul peace’ is peace of heart and mind. “Soul peace” is found in a truthful relationship with God, through Jesus, nurtured by the Holy Spirit.
When Jesus spoke of the ‘prince of this world’ He was speaking of the devil, and the devil’s efforts to silence Jesus, awaken doubt about God’s truth in the minds and hearts of people, and stir rebellion in people against everything Jesus had said and accomplished. Jesus’ statement that “I do exactly what My Father has commanded Me.” was intended to be a guiding life principle for His disciples and anyone/everyone who has become a follower of Jesus since that day.
Watch this friends, just as the Holy Spirit enabled Jesus to understand God the Father’s directions for Him, and enabled Jesus to obey those instructions and accomplish the mission God the Father had sent Jesus to earth to accomplish, so the Holy Spirit does exactly the same thing in us today who are seeking to follow Jesus faithfully. Is that your experience? Is the Holy Spirit actively guiding you and empowering you to follow Jesus daily and accomplish what Jesus is guiding you to accomplish, as His representative in your city?
Jesus went on that evening to explain to His disciples that just as grapes grow in the healthy connection between vine and branches, so Jesus wants to live in a healthy, fruit bearing relationship with each and all of His followers, and the Holy Spirit is the nurturing power of that fruit bearing relationship!
Do you see that in John 15:1-8 and is that your daily, empowered experience my friends? Are you living what Jesus said: “I am the vine, you are the branches. If anyone remains in Me and I in them, they will bear much fruit, apart from Me you can do nothing!” (John 15:5) How do you describe the vitality of your connection to Jesus? What is the fruit that you see in your life that is the direct result of your relationship with the risen Jesus Christ? What do you see is the evidence of the authenticity of the Holy Spirit alive and well in your life, OR the absence of the Holy Spirit from your life? These are really important life questions aren’t they my friends?
Jesus went on to tell His disciples that they would be hated and opposed by the world. “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated Me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own…but I have chosen you OUT of the world. That is why the world hates you… If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you also… They will treat you this way because of My name for they do not know the One who sent me… When the Counselor comes…the Spirit of Truth who goes out from the Father, He will testify about Me. And you must also testify about Me… (John 15:26,27)
Oh my, that fits with our world today doesn’t it my friends? Do you feel that when you live faithful to God’s Truth and you seek to live a God honoring life, that you find yourself living COUNTER-CULTURE to the world all around you? Do you find yourself mocked or ridiculed or even persecuted when you try to live life as a true Jesus follower? Take heart my friends, these words of Jesus are for you and me today!
Finally, that evening Jesus said to His friends: “I tell you the truth, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. When He comes He will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment… when He, the Spirit of Truth comes, He will guide you into all truth…” (John 16:7-15) Of course this shocked Jesus’ friends. They couldn’t imagine how it could be to their benefit if Jesus left them. During His time here on earth Jesus, God the Son, was restricted to the limitations of His human body. He needed rest, He could only be in one place at a time etc.
By leaving and sending the Holy Spirit… the Spirit of God could be with EVERY person who trusted in Jesus, ANYWHERE in the world, all at the same time! Now that is exciting my friends! You and I can live with the Spirit of God with us, actually IN us! The holiness of God, the power of God, alive within us, all of us, each of us, as born again followers of Jesus! This is one of the central, miraculous realities of what Jesus accomplished through His Easter death and resurrection! As we trust Jesus to be our Savior from sin condemnation, God places His Holy Spirit within us as new creations in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17,18; Romans 8:5-17).
Are you living TODAY in this reality my “Walking with Jesus” friends all around the world? The reality of the Holy Spirit of God alive in you, counseling you, teaching you to understand God’s truth, guiding you in daily living in obedience to Jesus leading your life, reminding you of God’s life principles, empowering you to live a God honoring life?
If not, could it be that you have not yet fully trusted Jesus to save you from your sin condemnation and do His life transforming work in you through the ‘born again’ experience (John 3:3-7)? Could it be God has not yet forgiven you of your sin (Ephes. 1:7), nor has He yet declared you justified, (Romans 5:1) nor has God yet adopted you into His family (Galatians 4:3-7), nor has the Holy Spirit yet taken up residence in your new spiritual life (Romans 8:5-17)?
Oh my friends, on this Maundy Thursday, may I invite you to spend some extended time with your Bible open, reading John 13-17 and asking Jesus to show you, by the guiding power of His Holy Spirit, what the true condition of your relationship with God is? May I invite you to step into a new, fresh, Holy Spirit renewed relationship with Jesus today?
Here’s a wonderful worship song that may help you in this special time with the Holy Spirit:
Today’s Scripture is John 16:7-15.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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