WATCHWORD:
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. John 14:16
Meditation:
Memory Verse – 3/4
At the beginning of his ministry, Jesus had a personal relationship with the disciples, they were drawn to him because of his personality and because of what he was teaching. It was all very reassuring to them as they began to see His actions and feel the presence of a very special man. We don’t know exactly when they began to realize that Jesus was a man of God, and maybe more than that. In this chapter, Jesus begins by saying “When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. 4 And you know the way to where I am going,” and that leads into the “meat” of his ministry on earth. The fact that he seems to be implying that he is leaving them, must have created great anxiety among them. And, so, verse 16 becomes Jesus’ reassurance.
What is the message in this verse? We know that the disciples were to love Jesus and each other, and to obey His teachings and Commandments. He also reassured them that belief in Him was the means of salvation and the promise that He would provide whatever is asked of Him.
The ‘ask’ here refers to something that is included in our prayers, but it carries a more personal and mutual sense, it is a response that compliments God’s plan, not necessarily the specifics that we may have asked for. This passage implies that Jesus shares a relationship with God that goes beyond that which we can understand. It also underscores the idea that prayer is not intended as a way to simply grant our wishes.
“He will give you another Advocate,” is Jesus stepping aside from his earthly ministry so that the Holy Spirit can be active. The Holy Spirit, in a sense, does from the inside what Christ ha been doing from the outside: teach, remind, guide, etc. The Advocate is only available to those who believe.
We may recall this passage in the course of our prayer life, when we seek encouragement and assurance of God’s presence, in the form of the Holy Spirit, in our lives. Note, He (God) gives the Advocate. It is personal to you and to me, and that support, that Guide, that Advocate, will never leave you. Take that in and digest it. It is the source of the peace that can only come from God.
As I have said before, “God is in charge. He loves us. He knows what He is doing.” Trust that. Amen.
Bulletin Board:
A rabbi, a priest, and a minister were all asked the same question: “What would you like people to say about you after you die?” The priest said: “I hope that people say that I helped them to understand the absolute love that God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit offers to them through the Church.” The minister said: “When I die, I hope that people will say that I saved many souls by bringing them to Christ.” Finally, the rabbi was asked, “Rabbi, what do you hope people will say about you after you have died?” Without pausing, the rabbi answered: “Look, he’s breathing!”
Closing Prayer:
All-Powerful Father, I bow before You because You are awesome and worthy of all the praise. Your word declares that I can do all things through You who strengthens me! I put all my trust in You. You alone are my God. You alone are my joy. You are my heart and my soul. You are the grass under my feet and the sky above. You are seen and unseen, Father. Keep me at Your right hand forever, fill me with Your grace, and make me Yours all the days of my life. Amen.
