John 14: 23 - 29

The Gospel of John was written sometime during the last decade of the 1st Century. At this time the community of believers were beginning to come to terms with the absence of Jesus, there was an acceptance that the glorious return of Jesus still lay some time in the future. The community wrestled with keeping alive the memory and message of Jesus when there was no end in sight.

In this weeks gospel, Jesus promises to send the Holy Spirit to the disciples and to the world. The Holy Spirit is to be the Advocate (the Paraclete) of the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit performs a dual purpose: firstly, to carry on the teaching; and secondly, to continue to remind the believers of all that Jesus said and did. The action of the Holy Spirit continues in the world today – inspiring and teaching those who are open to hearing and keeping alive the memory of Jesus, his teaching and his compassion. We talk about being full of school spirit and team spirit but these feelings of loyalty and commitment are only a distant echo of what it is to be filled with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the Advocate of Jesus in that the action of the Holy Spirit continues to bear witness to the message of Jesus.