So we're going to read from John's Gospel, chapter 14, from verse 15 down to verse 27.
Just wait for the others to come back there.
So let's read John chapter 14, verse 15 to verse 27.
This is Jesus speaking to his disciples.
If you love me, keep my commands.
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever, the Spirit of Truth.
The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him.
But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.
I will not leave you as orphans.
I will come to you.
Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me.
Because I live, you also will live.
On that day, you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.
Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me.
The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.
Then Judas, not Judas Iscariot, said,
But Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?
Jesus replied,
Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching.
My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.
Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching.
These words you hear are not my own.
They belong to the Father who sent me.
All this I have spoken while still with you.
But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name,
will teach you all things, and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
Peace I leave with you.
My peace I give you.
I do not give to you as the world gives.
Do not let your hearts be troubled,
and do not be afraid.
Well, let's ask for God's help as we look at this together.
Let's pray.
Father, thank you for John's Gospel.
Thank you for this written account of the Lord Jesus Christ,
God's wonderful gift to the world.
And we pray that as we read and look at these words together,
that they would become life to us,
nourishing us and feeding us,
bringing new life and causing us to grow and mature,
causing us to become fruitful,
causing us to be the kind of people you want us to be.
By your Holy Spirit,
do an effective work in our lives today,
individually and together,
so that as we leave this building,
we will go and encourage people,
a changed people,
trusting you,
and knowing how awesome and how wonderful you are.
So would you please do that for us?
Would you bless us today?
Would you give to us what we need?
We ask for your help.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
Well, as we've entered into this Christmas season,
and as we reflect about the birth of Jesus Christ,
I can't help thinking,
wouldn't it have been great to have been there?
I mean, yes, we have the written account,
we have John's Gospel,
which we've just been reading together,
but it's really not the same,
is it, to be reading what's on a page
and seeing the actual Lord Jesus.
I mean, could you imagine,
stretch back in your memory,
well, not your memory,
but in your minds,
stretch back and imagine,
if you were there with the shepherds
when the angel appeared
and you went to visit,
or that you travelled with the Magi
and you brought your gifts
to this baby.
Or maybe you're thinking,
I would like to have been Simeon or Anna,
waiting all those years
for the arrival of God's Messiah
and then holding the very Messiah
in your arms
to meet and see the real Jesus.
Wouldn't that be good?
Wouldn't that be better
than what we're experiencing now?
Or how about being with Jesus
as he grew up?
Maybe being his neighbour
or maybe a buddy of his at school.
Or thinking about Jesus
later on in his life
as a carpenter,
maybe working with him
on some construction project.
Or what if Jesus were to just
walk in that door right now
and move a seat
and place it right beside you
and you turn and you look
and you kind of actually
prod and touch
and you go,
yes, this is a real person.
Could you imagine Jesus
being there with you?
And then going home with you
for lunch
and sitting down at the table
and eating food with you.
Yes, physically putting food
in his mouth
and drinking and laughing
and sharing with you.
the real physical Jesus
at your dining table.
Well, the disciples
were some of those
who had that real experience
of being with Jesus.
They had spent time with him.
But here we discover
something quite extraordinary.
Jesus has something better
for the disciples
and something better for us.
Have a look.
Just jump forward
to chapter 16 and verse 7.
Chapter 16, verse 7.
Jesus is talking about
his return to his father.
He had been sent by the father
and now he's returning
to his father.
Chapter 16, verse 7.
But very truly I tell you,
it is for your good
that I am going away.
Unless I go away,
the advocate will not come to you.
But if I go,
I will send him to you.
Yes, Jesus says,
it is better that I must go.
It is better for you
that I don't stay with you.
It is better that I leave
that you don't see me
in the flesh anymore.
It is for your good
that I am going away
and you won't be able to see me.
You see,
being with the shepherds
or with the magi
or with Simeon or Anna
or even with the disciples,
it would have been
a great experience
hanging out with Jesus,
walking, talking.
But the truth is,
it is for our good.
It is actually for our best
that Jesus
is not physically present.
Really?
Yes, it is.
Christmas is a time of giving
and Jesus is giving
a gift to us.
And this gift is better
than being with or seeing
the actual physical Jesus.
Look at our text
in chapter 14, verse 16.
Back to chapter 14, verse 16.
Jesus says,
I will ask the Father
and he will give you
another advocate
to help you
and be with you forever.
Who is this advocate
that he is speaking about?
Well, look at verse 25.
All this I have spoken
while with you,
but the advocate,
the Holy Spirit,
whom the Father
will send
in my name.
The Holy Spirit
is a wonderful gift
to us,
requested
by Jesus
and given
by the Father.
He's not someone
we can
get ourselves
or request ourselves.
The Spirit
is a generous gift
from God
to his children,
to those who
love and trust
in the Lord Jesus.
So who is this gift?
What is this gift
from Jesus?
Who is the Holy Spirit?
Well, two things
about this gift
that we're going to look at together.
First, the gift
we can know
and then second,
the gift
we can enjoy.
So first,
we're going to look at
the gift
we can know.
The gift
of the Holy Spirit
is not an idea,
something in our imaginations.
He is a person
who can be known
and experienced.
Look at verse 16.
I will ask the Father
and he will give you
another advocate.
When Jesus says
another advocate,
Jesus means
another one
just like
Jesus.
Not different,
not someone else
or something else,
but another one
just like
Jesus.
He is,
as we're told
in the beginning
of verse 17,
the Spirit
of Truth.
Now a spirit
isn't visible
in a physical sense,
so Jesus
is not
with us
physically,
but he is
present with us
spiritually.
Right now,
as we gather,
he is here,
he is with us.
So often
we think
it would be
much better
if Jesus
were here
physically.
Well,
if he were
here physically,
he would be
sitting with
just one person,
but he is now
present with
every person.
The point is,
Jesus is here
by his Spirit.
The only difference
is we cannot
see him.
Close your eyes
for a minute.
Go on,
just do it.
Close your eyes.
As you close
your eyes,
you know
there is somebody
beside you.
You cannot see them,
but you know
they are there.
Well,
Jesus is here.
It's just
we cannot
physically
see him.
He sends
us another,
verse 16,
advocate.
Well,
what's an advocate?
Someone who
comes alongside
you.
Kirsty,
my wife,
is an advocate,
not just for me,
but for the
deafblind.
She works
with people
who need
someone to
come alongside
them in a
supporting,
helping,
comforting
capacity.
It means
being able
to understand
where the
person is at
and then
giving
what is
required,
what they
need.
Well,
Jesus tells
us that
the Holy
Spirit
is our
advocate.
He comes
alongside us.
He's one
who knows
us
inside out
because
he is the
one who
made us.
more
than that,
Jesus
lived a
life on
this earth
as a
fellow
human
being.
He knows
what it
is to
experience
weaknesses
and fears,
loneliness
and temptation.
He knew
joy and
happiness,
tears and
heartache.
He understood
when people
were sick.
He understood
what it was
to lose
loved ones.
And so
he comes
alongside us
now by
his Holy
Spirit and
he gives
of himself,
look at
verse 16,
to help,
an advocate
to help,
to equip
us and
enable us
to live
life in
this broken
and disordered
world,
to comfort
us in
our sorrows
and in
our struggles,
to encourage
us and
give to
us what
we need.
So he
gives us
another
advocate
to help
us.
Verse 16,
who will
be with
you.
He will
be with
you.
Remember
how John's
gospel began.
Let's
remind
ourselves
of those
words again.
Let's
go to
chapter 1
and verse
1.
Follow
along
with me.
Chapter
1 and
verse 1.
This is
how John
opens up
his account.
In the
beginning
was the
Word.
And the
Word was
with God
and the
Word was
God.
He was
with God
in the
beginning.
God
became
one of us.
But then,
verse 14,
the Word became
flesh and made
his dwelling
among us.
The Word that
spoke the
universe into
existence,
the Word that
sustains and
keeps everything
in motion,
keeping everything
together,
the Word
became
one of us.
God
taking on
humanity,
God in
flesh,
becoming
one with
us.
We could
say, and we
could describe
it like this,
that God
moved in
with us.
He took up
residence as a
person on
this earth.
Now, as
incredible as a
fact as that
is, the
God-man,
Jesus Christ,
when he was
on this
earth, was
always limited
in where he
would be and
who he was
with.
Jesus could
only be in
one place at
one time.
Not in
multiple places,
all over the
place with
different people
all at once.
One place,
one time.
But now,
let's go back
to chapter 14,
he has given
to us the
gift of
his Holy
Spirit, which
means he
now is
with us,
all of
his people,
all of
the time,
wherever we
are.
Verse 18
tells us,
he says,
I will not
leave you as
orphans,
I will come
to you.
An orphan
is someone
without a
parent,
without the
caring,
loving protection
of a mum
or a dad.
So Jesus
says,
I will not
leave you as
orphans.
I'm not
going to
abandon you.
You will
never be
without me.
There will
never be a
time when you
can say,
I am not
there.
Wherever you
are,
whatever you
do,
whatever
happens in
your life,
I am
present with
you as
your helper
coming
alongside
as your
advocate.
But it
gets better
than that.
Look at
verse 23.
Jesus
replied,
anyone who
loves me
will obey
my teaching.
My father
will love
them and
we will
come to
them and
make our
home with
them.
Just focus
on that
text,
verse 23.
All of
God,
the
Father,
the Son,
and the
Holy Spirit,
we will
come and
make our
home with
you.
God
literally
moves in
with us.
He takes
up residence
in our
life.
We
celebrate at
Christmas,
God dwelling
with us,
God coming
in person.
Well,
that is
actually true
for us.
Through this
act,
God is
saying,
I want
to get
close to
you.
We might
think of
it this
way.
The final
act of a
Christian
marriage
is that
you would
move into
the same
home as
your spouse.
It's a sign
of commitment,
of loyalty,
and faithfulness.
You are
saying,
I love
you,
I care
for you,
I'm going
to move
in with
you.
But God
is saying
to us,
I am
moving
into
you.
The
God of
the
universe,
who made
the universe,
the universe
cannot
contain
God,
but yet
God
comes down
and makes
his home
in
us.
Father,
Son,
and Holy
Spirit
dwelling
within.
What an
awesome,
amazing
truth.
And this
act of
God,
we're told,
will be,
again,
verse 16,
another
advocate to
help you
and be
with you
forever.
Forever.
Jesus was
born physically
into this
world.
He was
with his
parents for
33 years.
People knew
him physically
on earth
and then
he died
and then
he returned
to his
father.
But now
because Jesus
has sent
his spirit,
there is
never going
to be a
time when
he is
not with
us.
Look at
verse 19.
Jesus
says to
the
disciples,
before
long,
the world
will not
see me
anymore,
but you
will see
me.
Jesus
knows that
his death
and his
resurrection
are coming
soon.
And when
it does
happen,
when he
does die
and when
he does
rise again
and returns
to the
father,
he says
verse 19,
the world
will no
longer see
him.
Now
whenever
John uses
the term
world,
he's talking
about people
of the
world,
people who
are separated
from God
and need
rescued.
Like that
well-known
verse in
John 3.16,
God so loved
the world.
It's talking
about people
who are living
in rebellion
to God.
He loves
us and
came to
do something
about it.
Now in
verse 19,
he says,
the world
will no
longer see
him.
Those who
have rejected
Jesus,
those who
have refused
Jesus,
will not
see him.
But because
we have the
Spirit,
if we're
trusting him,
we will
see him.
That's what
he's telling
us at the
end of verse
19,
but you
will see
me,
because I
am going
to die
and I'm
going to
rise again
and I'm
going to
my Father
and not
even death
will be
able to
break the
bond and
the unity
that you
have with
me.
In fact,
our very
death will
mean being
in the very
presence of
Jesus himself
for all
eternity,
forever.
this is
the gift
of Christmas,
the gift
of the
Holy Spirit
requested
by Jesus
and given
by the
Father.
The
presence of
Jesus
with us
in you,
alongside
you,
helping
you,
forever.
That's
the gift
we can
know.
the
second
thing we
want to
see is
the gift
we can
enjoy.
The gift
we can
enjoy.
This
gift is
not just
to be
known,
but to
be enjoyed
and experienced.
So let me
give you
two things
that we
can enjoy
this Christmas
season and
on into
the new
year.
The gift
of the
Spirit,
how we
can enjoy
his gift.
Here's the
first one.
The Spirit
reveals
Jesus
to us.
The Spirit
living in
us will
reveal
more of
Jesus to
us.
Because the
Spirit's
longing and
desire is
that we
would all
know Jesus
better.
Look at
verse 17.
He is
the Spirit
of Truth.
What does
it mean
that he's
the Spirit
of Truth?
Well,
look at
chapter 15
verse 26.
Chapter 15
verse 26.
When the
Advocate
comes,
whom I
will send
to you
from the
Father,
the Spirit
of Truth
who goes
out from
the Father,
he will
testify
about me.
That the
Spirit
will testify
or speak
the truth
about Jesus
because he
wants us
to know
Jesus
better.
And we
can only
know
someone
better
if they
introduce
themselves
in the
first place
and continue
to reveal
and tell us
things about
themselves.
They must
speak to
us.
So how
is the
Holy Spirit
going to be
speaking to
you and I
so that we
can get to
know Jesus
better?
well,
look down
at chapter
16,
verse 13.
Chapter
16,
verse 13.
He's
speaking to
his
disciples.
Verse
13.
But when
he, the
Spirit of
Truth,
comes,
he will
guide you
into all
the truth.
He will
not speak
on his
own.
He will
speak only
what he
hears and
he will
tell you
what is
yet to
come.
He will
glorify me
because it
is from
me that
he will
receive what
he will
make known
to you.
A little
bit complex
but I hope
you can
follow the
sequence here.
There's a
pattern,
there's a
flow of
thought.
And it's
this,
Jesus makes
known the
truth about
himself to
the Spirit
and the
Spirit makes
known the
truth about
Jesus to
his disciples.
Jesus makes
it known to
the Spirit
and the
Spirit makes
it known to
the disciples.
That's what it
says in
verse 15,
chapter 16,
verse 15.
All that
belongs to
the Father
is mine.
That is why
I said the
Spirit will
receive from
me what he
will make
known to
you.
Jesus to
the Spirit,
the Spirit to
the disciples.
You see,
the disciples
were given the
unique privilege
and responsibility
of receiving
truth about
Jesus,
who he is,
what he came
to do,
what it means
to follow him,
and they in
turn have
written it
down.
That's what
John has
done.
The author
of this
gospel has
written down
the truth
about Jesus
so that we
can know him
better.
You see,
the Spirit
of God
takes the
Word of God,
Scripture itself,
and makes it
known to
us,
makes Jesus
known to
us.
So if we
want to know
Jesus better,
if we are
going to enjoy
him,
over this
Christmas season,
and on into
the year,
then we've
got to open
this book,
the Bible.
And as we
open up this
book,
we will learn
more about
who Jesus
is.
Jesus will
be revealed
to us more
and more in
a deeper
way so that
we can
experience him
in our
life.
Want to
know him
more?
Want to
know Jesus
better?
Let the
Spirit of
God work
through the
Word of
God into
your life,
and I
guarantee
you will
know him
better.
So,
the Spirit
reveals Jesus
to us.
The second
part of that
gift is,
how we can
enjoy him,
is the
Spirit
deepens
Jesus'
love for
us.
He gives
us a
greater
experience
of the
love of
Jesus.
God loves
us.
He loves
me,
and he
loves you.
And in
many ways
it's true
that we
cannot make
God love
us more.
He loves
us with a
steadfast,
loyal,
and faithful
love,
a love
that is
perfect.
However,
there is a
way in
which we
can experience
that love.
A love
that moves
from the
intellectual
to the
experiential,
from the
mind,
deep down
into the
heart.
Yes,
we can
know the
love of
God with
our head,
yes,
we can
write an
essay about
the love
of God,
but we
can know
and experience
the love
of God
in our
heart.
How?
Well,
let me show
you briefly.
Go back
to chapter
14,
verse
15.
Chapter
14,
verse
15.
Jesus
says,
if you
love me,
keep my
commands.
It says
something
similar in
verse 21.
Whoever
has my
commands and
keeps them
is the
one who
loves me.
The way
in which we
express our
love to
Jesus, if
you want to
say, I
love you,
Jesus,
it's by
obeying
his
commands.
Love is
not love
unless it
is expressed
in
action.
Now,
look what he
says when
we obey,
when we
obey his
commands.
What does
he say?
Look at the
rest of
verse 21.
The one
who loves
me,
in other
words,
the one
who obeys
my commands,
will be
loved by
my Father,
and I
too will
love them
and show
myself to
them.
As we
obey,
we experience
the love of
God deep
in our
hearts.
the love
that the
Father and
the Son
enjoy with
one another
is a love
that we
get to
participate
and share
in and
enjoy as
we obey.
Now you're
thinking,
hang on a
minute,
Johnny,
that all
sounds a
little bit
like this
works
theology.
I obey,
God loves
me.
I do
better at
my obedience
and God's
going to
love me
more.
Is that
what it's
saying?
No,
no,
God loves
us freely.
He loves
us because
he loves
us.
Not because
of who we
are or
what we've
done,
but the
experience
of that
love
comes
as we
love him
in response.
Think of
it in this
term again
as we
think of
the marriage.
Kirsty and
I love
each other,
but unless
our love
to one
another is
expressed,
love is
just not
experienced,
is it?
As we
love one
another,
as we
show love,
that love
between each
other grows
and deepens
as we
serve,
as we
give
ourselves
to one
another,
that love
is now
realised.
But here's
the crucial
point.
We need
help in
obeying
the commands
of the
Lord.
And that's
what the
Spirit does.
That's what
the Spirit
does within
us.
He empowers
us to do
what God
commands.
Remember,
it's the
very presence
of Jesus
within us.
the Spirit
of Truth.
And He
loves the
truth.
He loves
to obey.
And so
the Spirit
within us
enables us
and empowers
us and
equips us
to obey.
Just as
the Father
gave commands
to His Son
because He
loved the
Son,
and just as
the Son
obeyed the
Father because
He loved
the Father,
so we have
received His
commands and
we love in
our response
and we
are invited
into that
trinity
of love,
experiencing
what the
Father and
Son enjoy
with each
other.
So the
more we
know the
love of
God,
the more
we will
obey Him
and the
more we
obey Him,
the more
we will
experience
His love.
love.
You want
to know
Jesus
better?
You want
to experience
His love
in your
life?
Well then,
let me just
encourage all
of us to
open up the
Word of
God,
not just on
your own,
with others,
and you will
get to know
Him better.
But not only
that, you will
experience His
love in a way
that you've
perhaps never
known before.
The birth of
Jesus is only
the beginning
of the story.
There is so
much more for
us to know
and enjoy.
The gift
of the
Spirit,
another
advocate,
a helper
with you
forever.
Let's pray.
Lord Jesus,
thank you
for the
wonderful
request
that you
made to
your Father
to send
another
advocate,
a helper,
the Holy
Spirit.
Thank you,
Father,
for sending
your Spirit
into our
life.
Thank you,
Jesus.
Thank you,
Father.
Thank you,
Holy Spirit,
for making
your dwelling
in our
life.
Coming
alongside,
comforting,
strengthening,
and helping.
How we
long to
know you
better.
How we
long to
experience
your love.
And I
pray that
that may
be true
for each
one of
us.
Help us,
we ask.
Thank you
for the
gift of
your Holy
Spirit to
us today
and forever.
In Jesus'
name.
Amen.
We're
going to
sing as
we close.
Amen.