May14, 2020

“Hope for the Future!” 

John 14:15-21

15 “If you love me, hold on to my commands.16 I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. 17 He is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it does not see him or know him. You know him because he stays with you and will be in you.

18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you. 19 In a little while the world will see me no longer, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 The one who has my commands and holds on to them is the one who loves me. And the one who loves me will be loved by my Father. I too will love him and show myself to him.”

Beloved in the Lord,

The disciples of Jesus Christ had just been told that Jesus would soon leave them. The one who had done great miracles, who had been there to support them in trying times, who had instructed them, was going to leave. The disciples needed hope for the future. Jesus gives them that hope. He promises that the Holy Spirit, the Counselor, would be there for them. And that same Holy Spirit will be there for us too.  The Counselor gives us, “Hope for the Future!”

There are a lot of uncertainties in life. One of the sad uncertainties of life is that people will leave us. Friends and family might move away. There will be people that we love who will die. There will be people whom we love that will become ill and will not be themselves anymore. The sad truth of life is people leave us. 

But the certainty of the believer’s life is God will never leave us no matter what we are facing — sorrows, hardships, or loses. We have the Holy Spirit, the Counselor, through faith which gives us hope. Jesus promises, “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever.” The fear of being abandoned is one of the greatest causes of hopelessness in our lives–this feeling that I am going to be deserted, I am going to be forsaken, I am going to be left alone, I am going to be overwhelmed and there is going to be no one to help. 

Jesus, however, promised the disciples and us to send someone to help us, to be with us, to encourage us, to teach us, after His physical presence was removed. He would send the Holy Spirit. Jesus calls the Holy Spirit the “Counselor.” The original Greek word Jesus uses is “Paraclete.” That is the word we translate “Counselor.” The Greek word has the idea of one who walks along-side of you, encouraging and instructing. It is a picture of someone who cares, who is always with you.

The Holy Spirit teaches us the truth to turn us from ourselves and towards Christ for the certainty of forgiveness and salvation. The Holy Spirit teaches the truth of the Lord’s love for us and His willingness to go to the cross and die for us to atone for our sins. Sadly, many people deny this truth. Jesus states, “the world cannot receive because it does not see him or know him.” The world looks at the truth of Christ’s love and His saving work and says it is foolish.

Although Jesus is no longer visibly present, we have not been abandoned, forgotten, or forsaken by the Lord. Jesus promises, “I will not leave you as orphans.” No matter what struggles or loses we face, the Holy Spirit is with us. He dwells within us to comfort us, to encourage us, to walk with us, and to give us hope for the future. Praise be to God!

Go, My Children, with My Blessing

(CW#332)

Go, my children, with my blessing, Never alone.
Waking, sleeping, I am with you; You are my own.
In my love’s baptismal river
I have made you mine forever.
Go, my children, with my blessing – You are my own.

Go, my children, sins forgiven, At peace and pure.
Here you learned how much I love you, What I can cure.
Here you heard my dear Son’s story;
Here you touched him, saw his glory.
Go, my children, sins forgiven, At peace and pure.

Go, my children, fed and nourished, Closer to me;
Grow in love and love by serving, Joyful and free.
Here my Spirit’s power filled you;
Here his tender comfort stilled you.
Go, my children, fed and nourished, Joyful and free.

I the Lord will bless and keep you And give you peace;
I the Lord will smile upon you And give you peace;
I the Lord will be your Father,
Savior, Comforter, and Brother.
Go, my children; I will keep you And give you peace.