John 15:26-27
“But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.
John 16:12-15
“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 authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
Our Grace, mercy and peace to you from God the Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, we often admire the stained glass windows surrounding our sanctuary. The three today I'll talk about briefly. Are three moments the exalted Christ crowned with glory and honor because of the death he suffered. The Spirit descending as a dove when he was baptized, and Jesus in the Jordan River when he began, began his earthly ministry. Each of these shows us how God works as a Father Son and Holy Spirit. Today, we look at our text. In the Gospel of John, Jesus gave us a promise about the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives and in the life of the church. In our passage, Jesus is speaking to His disciples just before his crucifixion, preparing them for what lies ahead his death, resurrection and ascension. He promises that He would not leave them alone, but would send them a Helper, the Holy Spirit, to bear witness to him, lead them in all truths and glorify Him. Today, we see how the promises apply to us and to how the Holy Spirit actively works in our lives, even in the church, even now, the first role of the Holy Spirit, as Jesus explains, is to bear witness to Christ. The Holy Spirit is a great testifier of Jesus, always pointing back to Him as our Savior and Redeemer. In this the Holy Spirit is unique. He doesn't draw attention to himself, but always directs our gaze to Christ through the Word and Sacraments. The Holy Spirit is constantly revealing Jesus to us, affirming our faith and enabling us to believe and confess that Jesus is Lord, as it says in First Corinthians, chapter 12, verse three, when the gospel is preached, it is the Holy Spirit who opens our hearts to receive it, drawing us to faith in Christ. Think about the story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch. The Holy Spirit led Philip to the man in the chariot. He was reading the book of Isaiah, but didn't understand it. Through Philip, the Holy Spirit opened the eunuchs eyes and heart to see that the prophecy pointed to Jesus, and the eunuch was eunuch believed and was baptized. It's recorded in Acts chapter eight. The spirit continues to work the same way today, revealing Christ through the scriptures and through the preaching of the gospel. But this witness isn't something that we passively receive. It's something that we want to actively join. The Holy Spirit invites us to be a part of bearing witness to Christ through our words and actions, we are called to testify to this saving work of Jesus, the witness isn't done by our own strength, but through the power of the Spirit. Luther Small Catechism tells us that the Holy Spirit calls, gathers, enlightens and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth equips us to share the gospel in confidence, knowing that he is working through us. Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would teach and remind the apostles of all things, and this promise extends to us as well. When we share Christ with others, we can trust that the Holy Spirit is guiding us, helping us and working. In the hearts of those who hear in our passage in John chapter 16, Jesus acknowledges that his disciples were not ready to grasp all that he had to say. There were still things they couldn't understand, especially about the necessary necessity of His death and resurrection. There are mysteries for us, also mysteries of God that we cannot fully comprehend. But Jesus assures us that the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth will guide us. He does this through the Scriptures, helping us to see Jesus in every page and understand God's will for our lives. The spirit guides you and I into all truth through the means of grace, the word and sacraments in baptism, the Spirit enables Christ's death and resurrection to give applies Christ's Resurrection and death to us, cleansing us from sin and making us heirs of eternal life in the Lord's Supper, he brings us Christ's true Body and Blood for the forgiveness of sins and strengthening our faith. And through the preaching of the Word, the Spirit works faith in our hearts, Bringing the truth of the gospel into our lives. Through these means, the Holy Spirit not only calls us to faith, but also sustains and strengthens our faith. We don't have to rely on our own understanding or strength. We trust that the Spirit will keep us rooted in the truth of the gospel. One of the special aspects of the Holy Spirit's work is that he does not speak on His own authority. Jesus tells us in John, chapter 16, verse 13, that the Spirit speaks only what he hears from the Father and the Son. This reflects the perfect unity that the Trinity has. The Spirit's role is to direct us to Christ, not to create new doctrine or teaching everything he reveals to us points back to Jesus, confirming the truths that Jesus has already given us. Finally, the Holy Spirit's role is to glorify Jesus. Jesus says in chapter John, chapter 16, verse 14, He will glorify Me, for He will take what is mine and declare it to to you.
Spirit. Doesn't seek His own glory, but points to us to Jesus, helping us to see the completeness of his redemptive work. The Spirit continually draws us to the cross and to the empty tomb, where Christ glory shines both brightly, most brightly, we are reminded of Paul's words in Philippians chapter two, where Christ is exalted because of his humanity and obedience, even to death on the cross, the Holy Spirit doesn't just give us knowledge about Jesus. He brings that knowledge to life within us. He takes the grace, forgiveness and salvation that belongs to Christ, and applies them directly to our lives. This is not just head knowledge, but a transformative work of the heart. As a Spirit makes us new creations in Christ through the Word and Sacraments, the Spirit brings Christ's salvation to us personally, making us recipients of His grace. We are constantly sanctified by the Spirit who leads us to live holy lives in response to Christ's love. In verse 15 of John. 16, Jesus speaks of the deep unity within the Trinity. He says, All that the Father has is Mine, therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you. This shows us that the Holy Spirit is not working independently, but in perfect harmony with the Father and the Son. Everything the Holy Spirit does points us to Christ. As believers, we are called to project this unity bearing witness to Christ in all that we do and trusting that the Spirit will guide us in truth and empower us to live our life in faith. The Holy Spirit is our personal helper and comforter who bears witness to Christ and guides us to all truth, glorifies Christ in all things, and draws us closer to Jesus and strengthens our faith in Him. As we leave today, let us remember that we are never alone. The Holy Spirit continues to work within us and within the church, pointing us to Christ and grounding us in His truth and empowering us to live lives that glorify Him. Amen in.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
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