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INJ
St John 16:5-15
'Not Left Alone'
Divine Service
Cantate, Easter 4 | April 20, 2008
Dear Saints,
We all heard stories and see news reports about children who were left alone by their parents. A child might get sick because their mother left them in the car while she was at the casino, or the father was in the bar. I found a story last night about a mother here in Colorado who left her six children, ages 6-14 home for 17 days while she went on a vacation to Italy.
Now there is no law on the books that says what age a child must be to be legally left behind, but I think in this case we all sense the law written on our hearts that says, “What!? Are you kidding? Leaving your children home for 17 days?” Now I don't know all the details, but do you recoil from this? We know that there's something wrong, that this is not a good parenting. You can't leave your children alone.
When we turn to our Gospel text from today in John 16 we find Jesus addressing this problem. He will be leaving His disciples, but He will not leave them alone. In fact, this whole section of John, from chapters 14-17, is a long discourse and prayer from Jesus on Maundy Thursday, and the entire discussion might be understood as Jesus giving is disciples and His church the comfort that He is not leaving them alone. He is not abandoning His children. John 14:18: “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”
In our text from John 16 Jesus speaks this way, “Nevertheless I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I did not go away, the Comforter will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.” [16:7] Jesus is speaking about the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Blessed and Holy Trinity, whom He names, “the Comforter.” Jesus does not leave us alone or abandon us or leave us to fend for ourselves and sort it all out. No. He sends another, even the Holy Spirit.
Now I would like to pause for a second and ask you to think of something. What is the first thing you think of when I say, “the Holy Spirit”? I'm guessing that most of you think of Pentecost, when the tongues of fire sat on the Apostles while they preached in all sorts of foreign languages. This is good. I'll bet that some of you thought of the faith healers on TV, or the charismatic displays that you've seen or heard, people being “slain in the spirit” or speaking in some sort of gibberish that is popularly and wrongly called “tongues” or other crazy things. It seems like all of the pagan nuttiness that goes on in the church is blamed on the Holy Spirit.
I remember two friends in college. On their first date, they said, the Holy Spirit told them that they were supposed to be married. Two weeks later they were. A few children and years later the Holy Spirit, as they say, told them to get a divorce. Not only is this a terrible sin, but its doubled when it is blamed on the Holy Spirit.
You also see this kind of thing whenever doctrine is changed in the church. The Holy Spirit is always being blamed for it. Did you know that the Lutheran Church is just about the only confession that believes that doctrine doesn't change? Almost every other church has the idea of the growth of doctrine, progressive revelation, the sense that teachings change, and whenever a Biblical truth is being changed or adjusted, it always seems to be the Holy Spirit's fault. You see this all over in, for example, the Episcopal church. “The wind of the Holy Spirit is bringing us to new truth.”
But “new” and “truth” don't go together. God is not so cruel that He would withhold truth from His people of old. That we who were born late in time would have the advantage over the ancients, the patriarchs and all the faithful long departed. And so from the beginning of the world until the return of Jesus the Lord's church has had the same saving truth, that God the Father sends His Son into our flesh to suffer our death and destroy our devil and forgive our sin.
The Holy Spirit comes, says Jesus, to convict us and teach us and lead us these things. “And when when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.” [16:8] “When He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take what is Mine and declare it to you.” [16:13-14]
I've heard people complain that Lutheran's don't talk enough about the Holy Spirit. I hope that's not true, and if it is true in our midst, in our prayers and teaching and preaching, then we must repent. The Holy Spirit is together worshiped and glorified with the Father and the Son. It is by the work of the Holy Spirit that we are Christians, that we believe the Lord's promise that our sins are forgiven. It is by the word of the Holy Spirit that we hear and believe the Lord's Word and in that hearing our faith is strengthened, the the Lord's Word is implanted in us to the saving of our soul. It is by the Holy Spirit that we are together in this place to eat with faith the Lord's meal and the in it we will know His love and forgiveness. It is by the Holy Spirit that we confess today and all the days of our lives that we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Against all errors and false teaching about the Holy Spirit we have the simple and wonderful truth that the Holy Spirit has called us by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith. In the same way He calls, gathers, enlightens and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. In this Christian Church He daily and richly forgives all my sins and the sins of all believers. (And) on the last day He will raise me and all the dead, and give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ. This is most certainly true.
The Holy Spirit is the Lord Jesus' gift to the church. He does not leave us, abandon us, forsake us, drop us off, or leave us at home alone while He goes on vacation. No. He send His Holy Spirit, and in the midst of or death and dying and sin we have the comfort that the Lord is with us. Even when we feel forsaken we know that He is with us, helping us, comforting us, strengthening our faith through His Word, and that He will, at last bring us to our eternal inheritance in the resurrection of the dead. Amen.
And the peace of God which passes all understanding, guard your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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Pastor Bryan Wolfmueller
Hope Lutheran Church | Aurora, CO
