Theme of the Week: The Holy Spirit
Bible Verse: But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. John 16:13
Scripture Reading: John 16:1-33
Have you heard the voice of the Spirit? What did it sound like? What did He say?
There’s something unique about how Jesus describes the Spirit in today’s passage. He is the Spirit of truth. There is much to unpack about what that means, but Jesus gives an overview with His next words — “he will speak only what he hears.” This implies that whomever the Spirit is listening to (the Father and the Son) is speaking the truth. While for those who are long in the faith, this may be an obvious point, for the disciples this was an entirely new theology.
They were getting a crash course not only in who God was, but how He worked. Remember, they were convinced that the kingdom of God was coming soon, and to them, that meant that Israel would be restored to independence (and perhaps dominance). Jesus would rule over an earthly kingdom as the promised ruler from David’s line.
But here, celebrating the Passover with the disciples, Jesus has begun to blow up all these expectations. Jesus is not staying; there will be betrayals and abandonment. The disciples are confused about all of it. The stress and tension must have been high.
Into this moment, Jesus utters the promise of the coming of the Spirit and identifies Him as the Spirit of truth. These words are meant to comfort, to soothe the anxiety of the disciples, and to assure them that they would not be alone.
That same Spirit is with us today. Uttering, in His own ways, the truth to our hearts and minds. That truth is the reality of the person and work of Jesus. The Spirit reminds us of who Jesus is and what He has done for us. What a wonderful truth to have on repeat in our souls. May you hear his voice today reminding you of Jesus’s deep love for you.
Prayer: Father, thank you for sending the Spirit to remind us of the truth. Help me today to hear His voice and to live in light of the truth. Help me to recognize the lies that attempt to pull me away from you and to hold fast to what the Spirit speaks.
Reflection: What lies are you tempted to believe? How can you listen more closely for the Spirit’s voice?
Copyright © 2023 Impactus | Promise Keepers Canada. All rights reserved.
About
