As Yeshua was preparing to leave His disciples, He spoke to them about another Helper whom the Father would send. He says the world cannot receive this Helper because it does not see Him or know Him, but Yeshua’s disciples would receive Him.
He gives encouraging words to them about Him being one with the Father and the disciples will see Him again, even while the world can not. I am sure they may have struggled to understand exactly what this means, but how encouraging that though Yeshua would depart, they would not be alone. He encourages them to be peaceful and not fearful.
Read through the scripture and reflect on what the Helper is there to help them with as you read and we can meet again on the other side of the scripture.
Role of the Spirit
16“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; 17that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.
18“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19“After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also. 20“In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. 21“He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.” 22Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us and not to the world?” 23Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. 24“He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me.
25“These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you. 26“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. 27“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. 28“You heard that I said to you, ‘I go away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced because I go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29“Now I have told you before it happens, so that when it happens, you may believe. 30“I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me; 31but so that the world may know that I love the Father, I do exactly as the Father commanded Me. Get up, let us go from here.
As I read this scripture, it seems to me the Helper is there to help them live according to the teaching and instruction of Yeshua, which is totally consistent with the law and the prophets provided by the Father previously. The Helper is to help them understand scripture so they can live it out according to YHWH’s commands. He does not, as some seem to believe, make us do everything right without the need to study scripture anymore. Nowhere will you find Yeshua say that the Helper has replaced the need for God’s law or our obedience to it. Rather He helps us understand it and helps us to live it more than we could do on our own. He brings teaching back to our minds to help us.
25“These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you. 26“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.
21“He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.”
23Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. 24“He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me.
In fact, Yeshua sets the example and holds Himself to it. He shows His love for the Father through obedience as well.
31but so that the world may know that I love the Father, I do exactly as the Father commanded Me.
How we view the Holy Spirit is important. We can rejoice in this Helper, but let us take care not to fall into the trap of believing that we can go on auto pilot and no longer study or live according to the instructions of the Father. We must still study and seek the Lord and try to live for Him His way. The Spirit is a wonderful gift, but He is only a Helper. He will not prevent us from doing wrong if we are bound and determined to ignore God’s written instruction and do things our own way or the way of the world around us.
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