August 13th, 20

Your Advocate is Here

Today’s readings are Jeremiah 16 – 17, Psalm 96 and John 16.  We are reading from the New Living Translation.

Imagine Jesus, physically with you today.  Imagine what a day like that would look like.  Imagine Jesus waking with you, starting into the day with you. Perhaps you share a cup of coffee before you head out to the car, and the commute, and into your day. He joins you at your desk or workplace.  He’s sitting at the table, across from you, at lunch as you share a meal together. You’re sharing your day with Jesus – and it’s a day without judgement or condemnation.  It’s just a day in each others presence. Imagine a day like that.  Wouldn’t that be something? How could anything be better than that?  That’s what these boys, the disciples, experienced for three years.  They were with him, day in and day out. It’s hard to imagine anything better than that.  But here, in John 16, he tells them that he has to go.  He has to leave them because there is something better.  In John 16: 7 he says:

But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you.

But first he has to go to the Father, he tells us.  And the route to the Father is through the cross.  It’s at the cross that He makes righteousness available to all who will believe in Him.  He makes us right with God, for life, right here, right now.  He’s saying that It’s best if He goes away, so that He can do all of that for us.  It’s hard to imagine things being any better than Jesus being with us, day in and day out.  But that was only true for the twelve.  But by leaving, He was doing the ‘best thing’.  Others would come to discover the life and righteousness that comes through following and living in him.  It’s best, he says, because when I go away,  I will multiply my life into the lives of many many others.  My presence will be multiplied through the advocate, abiding in all those who believe.

The presence of Christ in us – this, Jesus says, is best.  The presence of Christ is with you today, whether you’re in Cincinnati, Ohio, or Somerset, NJ, Perth, Australia, or San Paulo, Brazil. Christ is being multiplied in all those who  are believing and trusting in Him at this very moment.  

Jesus came from the Father, into the world, and returned to the Father.  But he did what was best.  He sent the Advocate – the spirit of Christ – to come and abide in you, and that makes all the difference.  Through this Advocate, you can begin to experience hope like you’ve never had it before.  You can begin to experience Christ in you, your hope and glory.  Jesus says it’s best that it is this way.  

You can really imagine today, that Christ is with you, as you get up, drink your coffee, head on out for the commute, work at your desk, break bread at lunch, and return home in the evening. In all the things that go on from morning til night, imagine that Christ is with you, because it’s true!  

Christ has multiplied.  He has come to live and dwell in us.  And we can begin to experience the joy of it, right now.  Live in this ‘best thing’  with anticipation and joy for what God is going to do.

You are loved!