The Gift of the Holy Spirit

Jann Martin May 27, 2007

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John 14:8-17, 25-27

Gospel Lesson

⁸ Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and we will be satisfied."

⁹ Jesus replied, "Philip, don't you even yet know who I am, even after all the time I have been with you? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking to see him? ¹⁰ Don't you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I say are not my own, but my Father who lives in me does his work through me. ¹¹ Just believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Or at least believe because of what you have seen me do."

¹² "The truth is, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. ¹³ You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, because the work of the Son brings glory to the Father. ¹⁴ Yes, ask anything in my name, and I will do it!"

Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit

¹⁵ "If you love me, obey my commandments. ¹⁶ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, who will never leave you. ¹⁷ He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world at large cannot receive him, because it isn't looking for him and doesn't recognize him. But you do, because he lives with you now and later will be in you."

²⁵ "I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. ²⁶ But when the Father sends the Counselor as my representative-and by the Counselor I mean the Holy Spirit-he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I myself have told you."

²⁷ "I am leaving you with a gift-peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give isn't like the peace the world gives. So don't be troubled or afraid." (1)

This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to You, O Christ.

The disciples are confused, they want to see God the Father, and Jesus is trying to tell them that they have seen God. In the verses just before this lesson Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. If you had known who I am, then you would have known who my Father is. From now on you know him and have seen him!"

In Jesus we have a visible and tangible God; they are one in the same. God came down to us in the form of the little baby Jesus that was laid in the manger. He experienced all of the things that we experience. He knew hunger, thirst, joy, pain, illness, sorrow and death. No matter what we experience in our lives, He has experienced or helped others that are going through the same thing.

Jesus has equipped the disciples to go out to the world to share the Good News. They have followed Him and watched Him for three years. They will be able to pray with others and ask for healing and help in difficult situations. But they are afraid that they are not capable of doing what Jesus is asking them to do. They don't feel they will be able to remember and share what all they have learned. This is when Jesus tells them about the gift of the Holy Spirit.

He tells them that the Holy Spirit or Counselor will come to them when He is gone. That this Counselor will be with them, to guide them and inspire them, this Counselor is the very presence of God that will be within them. This same Holy Spirit, or Counselor is present in each of us as a believer of God and Jesus Christ. We can draw on the love and power of the Holy Spirit just as the disciples did. We can feel warmth in our heart from the love of God. We can draw on this love to strengthen our faith and use it to guide our decisions.

Last fall I felt called to write a Christmas story to read to the children on Christmas Eve. I prayed before I began to write and asked God for guidance and the words He would like to speak to His little children. I feel honored and blessed for His guidance and the encouragement to continue to write for the children. This book will be published in September and a second book has been turned in to the publisher for review. It is so exciting when we follow a path that we feel lead by God to travel. He can really make our lives feel blessed, and it is an honor to be the vehicle to reach out to others.

When we travel down life's path, we seek guidance from God. We need Him to tell us what choices He would like us to make. He can reach out to us through others, and with the gift of the Holy Spirit, God is present in each of us. We can be the physical touch, the spoken words, or a calming presence for those we come in contact with. We each have been blessed with different gifts or talents and can use them to help others. Some of us have a gift of being able to heal, some to listen, some to teach, some to cook, some to sew, some to comfort, and some to nurture. Each of these gifts can be used to glorify God.

Just before Jesus was to ascend to heaven He told the disciples of a special gift that they would receive. He told them: "I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. But when the Father sends the Counselor as my representative-and by the Counselor I mean the Holy Spirit-he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I myself have told you." He was letting them know that they wouldn't be alone when they went out to spread the Good News. That He would always be present with them through the Holy Spirit, to help and guide them. This gift has been passed on down through all generations to us and will continue to be passed on to all generations to come.

Through the Spirit we meet Jesus on His terms. This verse from the Service Book and Hymnal of the Lutheran Church in America in 1958 shows us how He chose to come to each of us:

Thou didst leave thy throne, and thy kingly crown,
When thou camest to earth for me,
But in Bethlehem's home,
Was there found no room,
For thy holy nativity:
O come to my heart, Lord Jesus;
There is room in my heart for thee.
(Augsburg publishing House, #433; words by Emily E.S. Elliott)

This gift of the Holy Spirit doesn't mean we will have an easy life if we just turn ourselves over to Him. On the contrary it could give us challenges in our life to help our faith to grow. All this gift promises is that no matter what we face in our lives, the good and the bad, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit will be with us to see us through.

Our lesson ends with Jesus saying, "I am leaving you with a gift-peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give isn't like the peace the world gives. So don't be troubled or afraid."

So my friends, we all share in this gift of the Holy Spirit. How will you let it guide you in your life?

Amen.

1. Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.

©Jann Martin 2007