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And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever\u2014 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\u201d (John 14:16-18)

Today, we return to Jesus promise of the Holy Spirit. His disciples were in deep distress because he kept talking about leaving them. Understand, these were young men who had committed their lives to him. They had left everything to follow him, if he left, they literally had nothing. They were quite distraught with Jesus\u2019 talk of leaving. We get a glimpse of that after his crucifixion.

Last week we reflected on the Spirit as paraclete. Jesus now indicates that he understands just how devastating his leaving will feel to his disciples. He says, \u201cI will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you\u201d (John 14:18). There is deep theology in these verses, so deep that these verses caused the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church to go their separate ways about 1000 years ago. But there is also deep comfort for the Christian, both then and now.

Jesus is our King and Lord. A people need their king. That is the way things are. But heaven can seem such a long way away. When we ask, \u201cwhere it is?\u201d and \u201cwhat is it?\u201d we get rather vague answers. But this is where our text comes with such wonderful news, \u201cI will come to you\u201d. Jesus has just promised to ask the Father to send another advocate, paraclete. This is the Holy Spirit.

But notice the word, \u2018another\u2019. This means someone just like. The Holy Spirit is nothing less than the life-breath of the exalted Jesus, our Lord and King. This Spirit makes the victory of Jesus available for us: saved, sanctified, and sent. As much as Jesus led, taught, and comforted his disciples, the Spirit will do the same for us.

The Paraclete remains with us forever. He \u201cabides\u201d in us continuously as He makes His home with us. So much so, that Paul would later write, \u201cDo you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?\u201d (1 Corinthians 3:19). The words used here are intensely personal and relational.

Jesus has even more to say, \u201cIf anyone loves me, he will keep my word; and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him\u201d (23). Father, Son and Holy Spirit come to abide, encourage, empower, and witness through us. No wonder we will never be orphans.

The Spirit connects us intimately with Jesus. He says, \u201cyou are in me, and I am in you\u201d (20). Jesus speaks here of an intimacy which is without precedent or parallel. Even \u2018the disciple whom Jesus loved\u2019, leaning on his breast at the supper, could not make such a claim. The key to it is expressed in these terms, \u201cbecause I live, you also will live\u201d (19). The Spirit will fill us with the life of Jesus, sending us forth to do the ministry that Jesus did.

Heaven may seem far away, but the Spirit is right here, dwelling within us. There is no need to feel as if our prayers are bouncing off the ceiling. They do not need to go that far. Jesus is right with us. The Spirit connects his heart with ours. He hears us.

And while the Spirit dwells in each of us personally, He also abides with us corporately. He is the One who gathers us and makes us one. Jesus called his disciples, \u201clittle children\u201d. They would become the body in whom He dwells through the Paraclete. Even when we cannot see each other face to face, we are still one body, for the Spirit fills us and makes us one.

Jesus is our King. Revelation opens with Jesus walking among his congregations. He is with us. Do not fear.