TWO GREAT GIFTS
John 14:16, 25-27 NKJV
16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 25 “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
In John chapter 14, Jesus begins to share with His disciples about the Helper, the Holy Spirit. Jesus is letting the disciples know about who the Holy Spirit is and what He will do for them. The words of Jesus as they regard the Holy Spirit are applicable to us today just as much as they were for the disciples.
In verse 16, Jesus uses an interesting term when He states that the Father will give them another Helper. That word 'another' indicates another of the same kind. In other words, the Holy Spirit will be the same kind of helper that Jesus was.
If one of my children wrecked their car and I told them I would get them another vehicle, they would be expecting another car. If I bought a bicycle for them, that would not be another vehicle because it would not be of the same kind. When Jesus said another Helper, He meant that the Holy Spirit would be a helper in the same class as Jesus. Later, Jesus would tell His disciples that it was to their advantage that He was leaving because of the Holy Spirit coming to them. It seems that the idea of Jesus leaving them was difficult for the disciples. They had not grasped the magnitude of who was coming to help.
In verse 25, Jesus begins to define some of the help that the Holy Spirit would provide. When Jesus was present, He taught the disciples. But in His absence, the Holy Spirit would take the job of teaching. And being the third member of the Godhead, He is well-equipped to teach.
And the Helper, the Holy Spirit, would bring to their remembrance what Jesus had said to them. This makes the gospels so vital to us. The Holy Spirit was there and able to communicate with the disciples everything that Jesus said. If we regard His role, then it makes perfect sense that the Scriptures are inspired and the recall of events supernatural. It’s a spiritual thing, not a mental memory task.
The second gift that Jesus gave us was His peace. Not the peace of having everything perfectly calm on the outside. The peace that is found when there is no turmoil or trouble. But the peace Jesus gave us is a result of having a relationship with our Heavenly Father that is not based on works. It is a peace that comes from having the Holy Spirit’s help and guidance. A peace that stems from a new relationship with God that Jesus provided for us. Because of what Jesus has done, we can have a peace in the middle of turmoil and trouble. Our peace is built on our trust in God. The knowledge that He loves us and is for us and will help us and never leave us gives us peace.
APPLICATION
Learning more about the Holy Spirit and His helping role is a way we access this great gift of God. He, like Jesus, will not force His way into our lives. But if we acknowledge His help and strength, we will begin to see His assistance.
Believing that we have the peace of Jesus Himself is a great step toward walking in that peace. We are responsible for not allowing our hearts to be troubled or afraid. This means we have the capacity to live in a supernatural peace that passes all understanding.
Jesus gave us two amazing gifts. Let’s make sure we do not leave His gifts to us unopened.
PRAYER
Lord, thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit and the gift of Your peace. Please show me how I can utilize Your great gifts more in my life.