Ever Present

On this Ascension Sunday, we begin worship with:

John 14:15–17a; 16:7

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth.

Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.

We probably all have had the thought, what if Jesus stayed with us.  What if we could walk, talk, and have lunch with Him?  We could talk over our concerns, learn of the future, and enjoy the truth He speaks.

Strangely though, Jesus said in these verses that we would be better off (sympherō) if He left!  And the reason given, is that the Spirit of Truth could be with us instead. 

How could having the Spirit be better than Jesus?  Jesus, being fully God and fully man, retained in His humanity the limitations of man.  He was confined by a body, so He was limited to a single location.

This passage goes on to tell us that the Spirit “will be in you” (John 14:17).  It will be to our advantage that everywhere and at all times, we will have the help (paraklētos) of the Holy Spirit.