John 15:26-26; 16:4b-15 "When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf. You also are to testify because you have been with me from the beginning. "I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. But now I am going to him who sent me; yet none of you asks me, "Where are you going?' But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts. Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because they do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer; about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been condemned. "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
This coming Sunday is Pentecost Sunday. It is when the Holy Spirit descended from Heaven in the form of flames as of fire. The act would be a memorable one and one that Jesus is seeking to prepare His disciples for witnessing and experiencing. In fact, the Gospel of John was placed between the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts, believed to have been one volume, because of the emphasis and preparation that John spend on the Holy Spirit. Here is what Jesus shares with us: 1) The Holy Spirit is an Advocate sent from the Father. 2) He is a Spirit of truth who testifies on Jesus' behalf. 3) We are called to share what we know about Jesus because Jesus has been with us. 4) Jesus had to go away in order for the Holy Spirit to come. 5) The Spirit's arrival will do many things that th world doe not already know: a) He will prove the world wrong about sin, righteousness, and judgment. b) Sin will become real because people will know Jesus. c) Righteousness will be real because Jesus will be God the Father and the Holy Spirit will speak about what is right. d) Judgment is coming to he who rules the world (Satan). 6) The Spirit will guide us into all truth, for what He shares is truth from God Himself. 7) The Spirit will glorify God and this will be revealed to us.
Pentecost Sunday is celebrated because every time the Church invites Him down, He comes. Every time we invite the Holy Spirit in, He enters. And life lived without the presence and power of the Holy Spirit is a weak life.
PRAYER: Come, living Spirit, into our lives. May we seek to receive and be all that Jesus prepared at the Holy Spirit's coming. We pray in the strong name of Jesus our Lord, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
