Click this link to hear an audio version of the below text narrated by SOTH member Jerry Rhinehart:
John 14:15-21 (NIV)
Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit
15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”
Last Sunday’s reading concluded in v. 24 by reminding us of the comfort of the Holy Spirit. When John’s audience would have heard this, they would have remembered the many passages in the Gospel of John which taught about the Spirit. Today we have the most important one. Here the Holy Spirit is described as “another advocate.” This literally means “defense attorney.” What the Spirit does is tell our hearts the truth about how we are free and forgiven on account of the merits and love of Christ. (hence “Spirit of truth) So, when we feel condemned, because we feel we are not good enough, successful enough, loved enough — the Spirit testifies to our hearts that we are infinitely valued by God.