The Coming of the Advocate

 John 16: 5-11

Jesus Must Leave

⁵ but now I am going to him who sent me. None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ ⁶ Rather, you are filled with grief because I have said these things. ⁷ But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. ⁸ When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: ⁹ about sin, because people do not believe in me; ¹⁰ about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; ¹¹ and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.

After three years of being with Jesus, learning from him, being sent on "practice preaching", agonizing with him as he was betrayed and condemned to death, rejoicing at his resurrection and now faced with the prospect of losing his physical presence for good, the grief of the apostles is understandable.  How would we feel losing that physical, assuring presence?  Doubt, fear, uncertainty all enter into this picture, and Jesus, in his tender pastoral care, explains the "why" and reassures them that "the best is yet to come" with the Gift and Presence of the Holy Spirit.  Indeed, for 2,000 years of "ups and downs" the Holy Spirit has helped generations of "apostles" (you and I included) to carry on Jesus's mission. We might feel a bit of a twinge in our hearts as we face the departure of Jesus (the Ascension on Thursday), but we might also listen to Jesus speak to us as he spoke to the apostles. Let us open our hearts to receive the Holy Spirit and commit ourselves again and again as his witnesses, instruments and channels of his grace.

Bro. Rene