The Comforter: A Mother's Day Message

Engage

when Annalise was Two years old She was a Daddy's girl.

But she was really a mommas baby.

I go to work and she's ok. But when Mom goes to work it's like her little world is ending

Tension

Mommy and daddy have to go to work.

Focus on mommy and daddy leaving her nana with her during the day to help her with everything she needs throughout the day.

she would Comfort her when she misses her mommy and daddy.

We all feel that way sometimes.

We don't understand why someone leaves us.

Either through death or divorce or something else.

The disciples experienced this when Jesus gave his final words to them about his upcoming events

Truth

She doesn't understand that mommy and daddy have to work, but would rather stay home with her all day.

When we get home,she Runs to the door and greets us with huuuggsss and begins to tell us about her day and everything nana and her did

Nana truely is momma and daddy for her throughout the day, until we come home in the evening.

John 13 and 14

9Prep for Passover borrowed donkey Matt 26:17-1 Passover feast- judas will betray him (John 13:21) Go do what you are going to do - verse 30 Leaves the other disciples and Jesus. One of if not the most important lessons of his teaching career - 13:31-32,33,34,35 36-38 Peter Pipes Up Jesus goes on to talk about being the way to the father John 14:1-14

Disciples really still dont know who he is, and how he and the father are one. That brings up today’s passage -

John 14:15–21 ESV

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”

Disciples are in the same boat as my daughter.

They know JEsus is leaving, but they dont understand why.

He leaves an encourager, a counselor, an advocate, and a comforter.

Verse 17- the Holy Spirit will lead them into all truth. Understanding of why Jesus had to die.

The only thing they had to do was accept his commandments and follow them.

Jesus is leaving them to face the trial, crucifixion, death and resurection.

The Holy Spirit, not a human body, like the first advocate, Jesus himself. The world does not know the Holy Spirt or know about him except through the love shown by the disciples.

Acts 17

People are looking for a higher power, but do not understand what it is.

Altar to an unknown god. Verse 23

Acts 17:23 ESV

For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.

Acts 17:28–30 ESV

for “ ‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “ ‘For we are indeed his offspring.’ Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,

God’s plan is for nations to seek after him and feel their way toward him and find him.

Though he is not far away from us. Verse 28- for in him we live and move and exists.

Verse 30 commands everyone to repent and turn to him.

So we see in John that there is a painfully confusing verse, 14:20

John 14:20 ESV

In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.

I can understand why disciples were confused!

But it's not super complex. Sometimes we overbiblificate things.

It's not a matter of deep study and reading commentary after commentary.

It's just as simples as trusting that Jesus loved the disciples back then, and knowing he loves us today.

We don't have to worry about who's on first or how the trinity really works.

"I got this and it is going to be good". The Holy Spirit was being sent to help facilitate the love that Jesus commanded of the disciples.

Jesus and the Holy Spirit were here so that through them we can come to know this unknown god from acts 17.

The Holy Spirit would be the comfort until JEsus comes back or they pass away and go to meet Jesus. Whichever came first.

Application

What does this mean to you?

We have never laid eyes on the skin and bones of Jesus.

We only have the Holy Spirit and the words left by previous founders of the faith.

We have God’s written word on paper and on our hearts through the Holy Spirit.

When we are lost and longing for our real purpose in life, we lose hope. We have all been there at times.

Inspiration and Reflection

Hospital room with my mom. I never got to say goodbye and hear it back.

She is gone, but she is still here.

I have a lock of her hair and her ashes, but the one thing that i have that got me through her leaving, was a voicemail on my phone that i was able to save in a million places so I will always have it and be able to hear her voice, saying that she loved me.

I never realized how much it would mean to me to hear her voice and to know that she is looking down on me, and is here with me in the love that i have here on earth. Just as the disciples shared after JEsus left this earth.

I know this love is here, because i got to lead my mom to Christ on Mother’s Day, when i was still in High School.

It is from that confusing verse, John 14:20, that I know that mom is still here with me and in me.

Because she was in JEsus and JEsus was in her and i am in Jesus and Jesus is in me.

Action

I challenge each of you to consider where you are in your walk.

Have you felt a closeness with the holy spirt?

Is church and worship something you do, or who you are.

The Nazarene Articles of faith start out with number 1, Triune God, 2 JEsus Christ and 3, the Holy Spirit.

this is one of our core beliefs

So this is my Mother’s Day message. The love of a mother for her child and the love God has for us.

Just as my wife and I have to go to work to provide life for our child, Jesus had to go provide eternal life and reconciliation for his family.

We used to Nana here to take care of Annalise, and Jesus has left the Holy Spirit to take care of use.

And so the marvelous story goes on and on until JEsus returns.