SHERMAN’S SERMON
Gospel of John 14: 26-27
The Holy Spirit as Teacher, Reminder, and Peace
Sermon Two of Five
The material in this series of sermons centers around the teachings of Jesus and His message to His disciples about Him preparing to leave them. There are very special references to the
relationships in the Godhead. Jesus wanted the disciples to understand, “It was necessary that He go way in order for the work and ministry of the Holy Spirit”. Jesus wanted the disciples to fully understand such a transition was needed in the great plan of redemption the Father had in mind to end sin once and for all. In verses 16-27, John records these conversations and teachings from Christ preparing them for His physical absence from them in the very near future. In doing so the Son of God was explaining the role and function of the Trinity. Some one else has said so well, “while the Trinity may not necessarily be stated in Scripture, a careful study of the Word reveals the purpose, presence and proclamation of the role and function of the Godhead. Jesus emphasizes the importance of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Jesus wanted the disciples (and us) to know of His role and concern for them when He was no longer visible to them. Above all, He wanted them to better understand they would not be left alone. Being alone is a difficult circumstance to most of us. Following the physical departure of Jesus opens the door for the Godhead to be fully at work in the great plan of redeeming humanity.
Jesus explains even more of the importance of the Holy Spirit in verses 25 and 26. Reading these verses carefully reveals the pronouns of the Godhead are not in terms of the impersonal “it”. What is noticeable is the concept of “personalities”. God is in the form of three. Even from the first book of Genesis, God is in terms of “us” which leads to the desire of God in terms of a relationship to His creation.
Preparing His disciples for His departure, notice that Jesus tells His disciples the Holy Spirit will be their (our) ally. He will be their “teacher” as well. He will teach all things to those who follow. The Holy Spirit will be a reminder to us of all that Jesus said while He was with the disciples. The Spirit has the role of coming to our aid while recalling and reminding moments. Such a role is not so much about the truth but the desire for the meaning of truth. In one sense of such recall, the message becomes food for our soul showing us the truth of the message. This may not be so much by knowledge and education degrees but by relationship and divine revelational truth.
The Holy Spirit is also our peace. This peace (verse 27) is different than the absence of trouble. The peace of the Godhead is a divine heavenly peace which is far beyond outward circumstances. It is the Peace of Christ’s Kingdom. Jesus also reveals to His disciples His confirmation of His restoration to glory. He is returning to the Father. Just as He came in the flesh and met the conditions of His mission “just as He said”, He will return to the Father and in doing so reveals to us an identity with God the Father. What a revelation of how the Godhead (Trinity) can share in perfect fellowship! In Christianity a person can be in God but can never be God. Jesus was showing that God can become human (as He did in the Christmas miracle) but this process cannot take place the other direction. Again, this is all possible because of the unique role of the Trinity. Three personalities maintain their distinctive roles yet have complete
unity as the Trinity. Jesus was illustrating the fellowship we can enjoy with God while He retains His “Otherness” and you and I retain our personal identity. In a great sense the Trinity makes possible our fellowship with God, heals or humanity, and completes our personhood.
God’s tremendous plan of completing our brokenness in the Fall makes possible our broken human limitations and sets forth the various effects of the sin problem. Only God could ever have conceived such a redemption plan. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit will fix our problems using the Trinity, if we simply ask, allow, and agree for Him to fix the problem of sin.
Until Next Time,
Sherman Reed
CH (COL) US Army, retired.