I Will Send You the Advocate

“I have told you this while I am with you. The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.” John 14:25-26

In these days of confusion and unclarity, I often think of my parents and wonder what they would have done to solve the many challenges of this amazing time. My father passed away in 2019. He was a very innovative man, with lots of ideas. My mom, who died in 2014, was enterprising, so industrious, and persevering. I miss them both so much. But they did not leave us empty handed. They left us a thriving business with a lot of potential and great promise.

I suppose when Jesus left His disciples, they were confused and did not know what to do at first. But just as our parents left us a gift, Jesus did not forsake His disciples without leaving them a lot of wise words and the most precious of all, the largesse of the Holy Spirit. 

Jesus said in John 16:7, “It is better for you that I go.” What can be better than Jesus beside them 24/7? What can be more preferable to Jesus walking preaching, healing people, loving them? Believe it or not, Jesus not being on the earth! That’s what He said in the 16th chapter of John. “It is much better for you that I go, (it is profitable, expedient, it is for your good, it is for your advantage that I leave you),” Jesus said to the disciples because they were filled with grief. “Unless I go away, the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener, Standby) will not come to you, (will not have close fellowship with you, will not be able to partner with you). But if I go, I will send Him to you.”

I can see that if Jesus were still walking the earth, I would have to go where He was to speak to Him, to ask Him about what to do about this or that. Can you imagine the crowds around Him, clamoring for His attention? 

Instead I can be in my nightclothes, and just ask Him from wherever I am. I can read the Bible and the Spirit can illuminate certain passages for me. I can pray in the Spirit for people I don’t even know because the Spirit knows them and their problems. And the Holy Spirit can speak to a trillion people all at the same time. The Spirit is more omnipresent than the internet or TV or radio because the Spirit can go where those are forbidden or censored. 

Yes Jesus is present in a more powerful way today. He is IN us! And because He is IN us, we can be more powerful if we work together, pray together, plan together!

Let us not waste this precious gift of the Spirit by belittling it, or not being aware that we have Him in us. Jesus said in Luke 10:19, “I have given you authority…to overcome all the power of the enemy.”