Wednesday 29 May 2024
When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth. (v. 13a)
Background
Sunday 19 May was Pentecost. The memory of the anniversary of the coming of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the Church is still fresh in our minds. This passage is about God’s new kingdom being born out of the world in the coming of the Holy Spirit, ushered in by Jesus’ life, death, resurrection and ascension.
But for Jesus’ disciples these events all lie ahead so here Jesus is trying to prepare his disciples for what is to come – the entry into Jerusalem and his trial and crucifixion are still in the future.
Jesus is aware that his disciples are struggling to understand his words and actions. Yet he cannot fully explain what will happen for it is beyond what the disciples can conceptualise. They are not yet ready.
So, Jesus assures his disciples that although they will have to bear lots of sorrow, he will not desert them and the Spirit of truth will be their comforter and guide.
To Ponder:
- Jesus was faced with talking to his disciples not just about extraordinary things that would happen but about things that would take people into a whole new world. How do you think about the work of the Holy Spirit? How easy is it to discuss this with others?
- ‘Truth’ is more elusive nowadays than it ever was in the past. Each person has his or her own ‘truth'. How do you think the Holy Spirit helps us to discern the truth in such a challenging context?
Prayer
Heavenly God, we give thanks for the presence of your Holy Spirit with your people down the generations. We give thanks for the empowering of the disciples of Jesus as they spread the gospel message and established the Church. We give thanks for the work of the Holy Spirit through John and Charles Wesley whose heartwarming experiences we have just commemorated. Give us, we pray, warmed hearts and inspired minds as we seek to be your ambassadors in our own time. Amen.
Bible notes author: The Revd Jennifer Potter
Jennifer is a supernumerary minister living in the Croydon Circuit. She works as a part-time chaplain at the local MHA (Methodist Home for the Aged). She was previously a minister at Wesley’s Chapel in London.