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