Last Sunday the church celebrated Pentecost Sunday. We commemorated the momentous event recorded in Acts 2 when God’s Spirit was poured out on all of God’s people who gathered in Jerusalem. We must remember that in the Old Covenant, the Spirit was only poured out on special people like prophets and kings, for special purposes. Luke builds on this linkage of anointing and ministry (Acts 1:8) but now makes it clear that in the New Covenant all of God’s people are special and anointed for ministry.
We may not be surprised that the apostle Paul has a more comprehensive understanding of the work of the Spirit. Like Luke, Paul sees the Spirit giving us spiritual gifts for ministry (1 Corinthians 12:7). But the Spirit is also the spirit of adoption that effects our adoption as children of God (Romans 8:14–17). The Spirit also empowers us to be Christlike (Galatians 5:16–26).
But I have always been drawn to John’s writing about Jesus promising the coming of the Spirit.
I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 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.”
Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?”
Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.” (John 14:18–23 NIV)
We live in a lonely world. It has long been established that we need to live lives connected to other human beings (Genesis 2:18). But we were also created to live lives in intimate communion with God.
Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day …. (Genesis 3:8a)
We lost this communion when we sinned. There is therefore a longing for God in humankind. I believe the genesis of the various religions are all attempts to connect with God again.
So Jesus’ teaching about the coming of the Paraclete is significant. He tells us that He won’t leave His disciples as orphans. And one consequence of being in a right relationship with Him is that He will come to us, and the triune God — Jesus, the Father, and the Spirit — will make their home with us. Since God is one, we shouldn’t be surprised that the presence of the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, also means the presence of the Father and Jesus too.
I fear that many believers do not know this or have forgotten this. We live as though we are orphans, with no one to care for us. We look out at a scary world, we look at the burdens we carry, and we look at the prospect of death, as though we were cosmic orphans. But we are not. As we commemorate the pouring out of the Spirit to empower us for ministry, we should also remember the initiation of the permanent presence of God. Jesus said:
But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (John 14: 26, 27 NIV)
There is much in life that is troubling. Jesus tells us not to be troubled and not to be afraid. Why? Because we are not alone. We are not orphans. God is with us.