JESUS PROMISES THE HOLY SPIRIT
John 14:14-31
By Ps. Paulus Budiono
Lemah Putro, Sunday, September 6, 2020
Shalom,
We should hold fast to the name of Jesus which has the power to give victory and to the Holy Spirit who can help us; thus the name of Jesus will be glorified now and forever. Indeed, the testimonies that we heard or experienced prove that our Lord is alive and real. The Holy Spirit gives enlightenment when we hear His Word or read the Bible and His shalom or peace is always with us.
Now what does God want to speak to us? John 14: 14-31 state, “If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. “If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you…”
Let’s learn more about what Jesus said, “If you ask anything in My name, I will do it” and “I will pray the Father.” On another occasion, Jesus said, “ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? … If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” (Luke 11: 9-13).
As a physician/doctor, the writer of the Gospel of Luke really understood what the body needs in terms of food, clothing and shelter. Doctor Luke observed, investigated and quoted the words of Jesus – His Father would give the Holy Spirit to anyone who asked Him. Nevertheless, none of His disciples asked for it. Honestly, doesn’t our prayer of supplication to Heavenly Father focus more on physical matters concerning the daily necessities of life? Indeed, it is not wrong to pray for such, but sometimes those who are blessed abundantly do not care about those who live in need that social gap occurs. Our primary need is the Holy Spirit, not momentary worldly supplies.
Why do we need the Holy Spirit that Jesus asked His Father?
- The Holy Spirit is the Helper who dwells with us forever.
We may thank people who have helped us, but after our needs are met, we no longer need them. As an illustration, a student needs a teacher at school, but after graduating and he starts working, he will not deal with the teacher anymore and he even might forget him.
Why did Jesus ask His Father for a Helper, the Spirit of truth, not directly mentioning the Holy Spirit? Because generally the word ‘Holy Spirit’ has spiritual and theological meaning: God, Lord, Good Spirit, etc. Other religions also acknowledge that God exists and that He is the Creator of the universe. Jesus did not immediately mention the Holy Spirit because sometimes the word ‘Holy Spirit’ terrified people, just like Isaiah who was afraid and felt unclean seeing the Lord Almighty (Isaiah 6: 5). Provenly true that the Holy Spirit is a helper, comforter, and the truth. He is with us forever, not only when we need Him. The problem is, do we still have an intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit or are we bored and even forget about Him when everything is comfortable and seems normal?
Speaking of eternity, He made everything beautiful in its time and He even gave eternity in men’s hearts. But they cannot comprehend the work that God does from the beginning to the end.
Who is meant by "eternity" in our hearts? It is God the Trinity – God, Jesus (the Word) and the Holy Spirit. We often forget about eternal matters and are more occupied with physical necessity in this world. As we know that the universe, which is still rolling in order, is ready to be destroyed by fire on the day of judgment (2 Pet. 3: 7) and replaced by a new heaven and earth (Rev. 21: 1). Beware, if we stick to the old life, we will lose the new eternal life.
Unfortunately, we do not respond to the Holy Spirit asked by Jesus to His Father. Even some churches are waiting for the infilling of the Holy Spirit only on the day of Pentecost, which takes place once a year.
- The Holy Spirit can satisfy the human’s "thirst".
Before starting the ministry, Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist who witnessed that Jesus was the Son of God (Matt. 3:17) sent by God and gifted with His unlimited Spirit (John 3:34). Jesus did not immediately speak about the Holy Spirit at that time because the followers, including His disciples, did not understand it. However, step by step He brought them into the real truth. After they believed in Jesus, they were expected to believe in the Holy Spirit, who was promised to be with them forever. That is why when a woman of Samaria, who was dissatisfied with her married life, wanted to fetch water from Jacob's well, Jesus offered her living water that would no longer make her thirsty. That water will be a fountain within her and continue to flow up to eternal life (John 4: 7,10,13-14).
Jesus was very aware of men’s "thirst"; therefore, He cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified” (John 7: 37-39). At that time, the Holy Spirit was still in the form of a discourse that had not yet been realized, but Jesus had been aggressively offering water (the Holy Spirit) which can satisfy men’s thirst.
Implication: men seek temporary refreshment and satisfaction, but Jesus offers the Holy Spirit who gives eternal satisfaction. Why are there wars between countries, divorces in marriages and break-ups in families?
What went wrong? Let the Holy Spirit play the significant role in the lives of a husband, wife and children according to His character, so that each of them will not indulge in their own self- righteousness. This way, peace will always be in the marriage and family.
Jesus described further about the role of the Holy Spirit as the helper, comforter and Spirit of truth who will not only teach all things but also remind all that He said (John 14: 25-26). After rising from the dead, Jesus appeared to His disciples and immediately mentioned about the Holy Spirit (John 20: 19-22) because the Holy Spirit is a Person of theTriune God.
- The Holy Spirit is the guarantee of our position as God’s possession.
After Jesus ascended to Heaven, He fulfilled His promise – 2000 years ago when all the believers (120 people) were gathering in a room, they were filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2: 1-4).
We do not need to be afraid of receiving the Holy Spirit because we who were not holy have been made holy by the blood of Jesus (Hebrews 13:12). Indeed, no one is neither worthy nor great enough to match the Holy Spirit, the Holy Father and the Holy Word! That is why Jesus, as the Son of God, offers His followers to receive the Holy Spirit. The Book of Acts tells us a lot about the Holy Spirit’s works through the disciples after they were filled by the Holy Spirit. The Jews who had crucified Jesus were pricked in their heart when they listened to the sermon of Peter. They asked what they should do. According to the promise of God, they had to believe, repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of their sins, so that they would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2: 26-38).
Hence, we do not have to wait for a year – on Pentecost day – to ask for the infilling of the Holy Spirit. Jesus has completed His task, returned to Heaven, and poured out the Holy Spirit, so that the church of God would grow and develop until He comes again.
Remember, do not trifle with the Holy Spirit who lives with us forever considering that He can be sad, angry and jealous because He is God.
When we face difficult problems, do not look for a way-out from the world because the Holy Spirit will comfort, help, and give freedom and solutions in the truth of the Word. The Holy Spirit, who was sealed in us when we believed in Jesus, is the guarantee that will make us qualified to receive the full redemption to become God’s belonging (Eph. 1: 13-14). After the Apostle Paul repented and was baptized by Ananias, the Holy Spirit inspired him to write the Epistle of Ephesians (Acts 9: 17-18). All Bible scriptures were written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and they will bring us toward the new heaven and new earth that is the New Jerusalem where the Triune God dwells.
Make sure that the promise of Jesus to pour out the Holy Spirit has been fulfilled in us and we have accepted Him to dwell with us forever. Amen.
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