Jesus Promises A Friend

For 5/29/2011
All scriptures are from The Message

The Sermon on the Mount in Matthew’s Gospel is a place to find the essence of Jesus’ message during his ministry, what people heard from him during those three years. Although certainly not complete it gives us a sense of the radical nature of the change he urges us to accept and help initiate. In the same way John’s gospel gives us Jesus’ last words before his crucifixion in what is known as the Final Discourse in 13:31 - 17:26. Unique to this gospel it presents a picture of what life after Jesus’ ascension will be like for his disciples and by extension for us today. Included in the Final Discourse are several promises about the Holy Spirit, one of which we will look at today.

• The Holy Spirit is very alive in the litany and theology of significant portions of the Christian faith but for many it is an unexplored idea, possibly associated with some kind of experience like speaking in tongues. How would you summarize your understating of the Holy Spirit?

Let’s walk through some of the ideas that Jesus gives us about the Holy Spirit.

John 14:15-17"If you love me, show it by doing what I've told you. I will talk to the Father, and he'll provide you another Friend so that you will always have someone with you. This Friend is the Spirit of Truth. The godless world can't take him in because it doesn't have eyes to see him, doesn't know what to look for. But you know him already because he has been staying with you, and will even be in you!

• What does Jesus tell us about demonstrating love for him? What would you include in a list of the things Jesus told us to do? Some examples might include the 10 commandments, the Great Commission that closes Matthew’s gospel, teachings like the Sermon on the Mount, and the example Jesus set for us.
• What word does Jesus use to describe the Spirit and what meaning does the word friend have for you? How long will the Friend be with us? What is your take on the term ‘another Friend’ in his promise? Why would these words be meaningful to the disciples who had been with him for so long? Are they comforting to you?
• There are a number of terms in scripture associated with the Friend that Jesus promises.

Advocate
Counselor
Helper
Comforter
Intercessor
Strengthener

What does each term mean to you? Which of these matches your experience with God’s Spirit? Are there other descriptors you would use?
• How do you interpret the idea of a “Spirit of truth”? John records Jesus speaking of the truth on many occasions as in this example:

John 16:12"I still have many things to tell you, but you can't handle them now. But when the Friend comes, the Spirit of the Truth, he will take you by the hand and guide you into all the truth there is. He won't draw attention to himself, but will make sense out of what is about to happen and, indeed, out of all that I have done and said. He will honor me; he will take from me and deliver it to you. Everything the Father has is also mine. That is why I've said, 'He takes from me and delivers to you.'

• What is your reaction to these words? What should we expect from the Spirit’s presence? How have you experienced the presence of the Spirit, was it clear to you at the time that the Spirit was present?
• Why does the world not see the Spirit? What are we told prevents their seeing? How does this teaching compare with your experience? Do you think that it is important to see the Spirit?

Jesus Continues with his promise:

John 14:18-20"I will not leave you orphaned. I'm coming back. In just a little while the world will no longer see me, but you're going to see me because I am alive and you're about to come alive. At that moment you will know absolutely that I'm in my Father, and you're in me, and I'm in you.
21"The person who knows my commandments and keeps them, that's who loves me. And the person who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and make myself plain to him."

• How was the disciple’s condition going to be like that of an orphan? Do you think that these feelings might apply to our situation in any way? How are they reassured and how do you understand his promise to come back?
• Have you ever felt like an orphan in your faith life? What are some situations or conditions which might stimulate this kind of a feeling? Do Jesus’ words here offer any comfort? In your experience what has helped mitigate feelings of being a spiritual orphan?
• Jesus tells the disciples that they are about to come alive, what do you think that he is referring to? How were the disciples different after the coming of the spirit at Pentecost? Have there been times when you particularly felt the presence of the Spirit? Did it make a difference in the course of your faith journey?
• Jesus describes the relationship among the Father, us and him, what is it and how does it fit with your experience? Are there other ways you would describe it?
• How important is it to know Jesus’ commandments, what is it a sign of? How does he describe the chain of love that makes up our faith life? What should we expect to experience as a result of being faithful?

If you would like to comment click on comments at the bottom of this posting.

Closing Prayer
Holy God, Holy Spirit, you always seek our good and bless our lives. Come close to us this day. Empower us by your presence that your commandments might be written on our hearts. Amen

Next Week’s Lectionary Scriptures: Acts 1:6-14, Psalm 68:1-10, 32-35, 1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11, John 17:1-11

Owning Up to Our Doubts

For 5/1/2011
All Scriptures from The Message
The Lectionary scriptures now move beyond the resurrection to the events that transformed Jesus’ followers into true disciples. Today’s Gospel scripture places a focus on “Doubting Thomas” which is indeed an important lesson about faith and doubt. When our faith intersects with the real world questions have to arise if we are serious about seeking God’s presence in times of trial. But there are a number of other ideas that the story about Thomas raises.. First let us look at a story only found in John’s Gospel as the disciples gather after Jesus' crucifixion:

John 20: 19-20 Later on that day, the disciples had gathered together, but, fearful of the Jews, had locked all the doors in the house. Jesus entered, stood among them, and said, "Peace to you." Then he showed them his hands and side.
20-21The disciples, seeing the Master with their own eyes, were exuberant. Jesus repeated his greeting: "Peace to you. Just as the Father sent me, I send you."
22-23Then he took a deep breath and breathed into them. "Receive the Holy Spirit," he said. "If you forgive someone's sins, they're gone for good. If you don't forgive sins, what are you going to do with them?"

· What would you have been afraid of if you were among the disciples that evening in Jerusalem? Were their fears justified? How do you feel about the way in which they were handling their fear, would you have acted differently?

Before the crucifixion Jesus makes a promise to them about bringing peace:

John 14: 25-27"I'm telling you these things while I'm still living with you. The Friend, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send at my request, will make everything plain to you. He will remind you of all the things I have told you. I'm leaving you well and whole. That's my parting gift to you. Peace. I don't leave you the way you're used to being left—feeling abandoned, bereft. So don't be upset. Don't be distraught.

· How does Jesus describe the peace he will bring them and what role does the Holy Spirit have in bringing Jesus’ peace? What words does he use to describe the peace that will come to them?
· What does this say to us about the impact/benefit we should expect from a faith life in the real world of big and little fears? Will our faith necessarily make whatever threatens us go away? · Can you think of a time when your faith brought peace in a time of fear? Do you think that the Spirit had a role in bring about your peace?
· How does this story about the coming of the Spirit compare with the commonly remembered story from Acts 2:1-4, what differences and similarities do you see?

When the Feast of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Without warning there was a sound like a strong wind, gale force—no one could tell where it came from. It filled the whole building. Then, like a wildfire, the Holy Spirit spread through their ranks, and they started speaking in a number of different languages as the Spirit prompted them.

· When did you first sense the presence of the Spirit? What were the circumstances? What was the role of the disciples in the coming of the Spirit? What is our role in making the Spirit real in our lives? Prayer? Faith? Openness?
· Jesus spoke to the disciples about their responsibilities now that the Spirit was present with them.  What were they?  Look at the Lord’s Prayer for similar words in the form of a prayer he taught the disciples.

“‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

Now back to the Upper Room:

24-25But Thomas, sometimes called the Twin, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples told him, "We saw the Master."
But he said, "Unless I see the nail holes in his hands, put my finger in the nail holes, and stick my hand in his side, I won't believe it."
26Eight days later, his disciples were again in the room. This time Thomas was with them. Jesus came through the locked doors, stood among them, and said, "Peace to you."
27Then he focused his attention on Thomas. "Take your finger and examine my hands. Take your hand and stick it in my side. Don't be unbelieving. Believe."
28Thomas said, "My Master! My God!"
29Jesus said, "So, you believe because you've seen with your own eyes. Even better blessings are in store for those who believe without seeing."

· What do you think about Thomas, how would you describe him and the nature of his questions? Should he be criticized for needing proof?
· Does having doubts put our faith in question? How do you deal with the doubts that you might have? Doubts are expressed in many places in Scripture, many in the Psalms, as in the following from Psalm 10:

God, are you avoiding me? Where are you when I need you?

· What are some healthy ways to deal with our doubts? Could one be accepting the fact that we will have them? (Why else do they call it faith as opposed to certainty?) Will sharing our doubts with others help us deal with them?
· Why do you think that Thomas doubted his fellow disciple’s testimony about Jesus? What might it say about his state of mind at what he perceived to be a major loss in his life? · What is Jesus’ response to Thomas’ doubts? What does it say to us about God’s response to us in times of doubt? Does God’s love for us vary with the level of doubt that we carry?
· What does Jesus tell us about doubt and blessings? What does he suggest we substitute for certainty (seeing)?

Closing Litany
God has made us an Easter people!
We have found grace in the wilderness God has made us an Easter people!
We shall recount the deeds of God. God has made us and Easter people!
We shall be raised to new life with Christ. God has made us an Easter people!
We move forward in faith, no longer afraid. God has made us and Easter people!

Next Week’s Lectionary Scriptures: Luke 24:13-35, Acts 2:14a, 36-42, Psalm 116:1-4, 17-19, 1Peter 1:17-23