It was the evening of Yahshua’s fateful betrayal, the night before His death. He was in an upper room with His disciples. He had washed their feet, presided over supper, and inaugurated the new covenant. It’s hard to imagine what was going through His heart and mind as He looked around at His closest friends. The apostle John remembers Him sharing precious facets of truth [John 14-16].We learn He was full of inspirational thoughts, final instructions, and comforting words. That He was aware of how deeply His death would distress His friends is shown when He said, “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter” [John 14:16]. Yahshua had been teacher, comforter, and friend for over three years, and knew they were going to need another comforter when He was taken away. The ‘new’ Comforter would be the Holy Spirit, who, Yahshua indicated, was currently living with them, and would be in them [v17].
The word ‘comforter’ paints a lovely picture, doesn’t it? Vines Expository Dictionary says it suggests a “capability or adaptability for giving aid. It was used in a court of justice to denote a legal assistant, counsel for the defence, an advocate…one who pleads another’s cause, an intercessor…” It’s wonderfully comforting that we constantly have such amazing support available. Yet there is far more to His work than this. “The Holy Spirit does not come to us just at times when we think we need Him or at times when we think we need His help” writes Andrew Murray. “The spirit comes to us as our lifelong companion. He wants to view us as His possession, completely and at all times.”
I confess, that final sentence took my breath away. We tend to think of the Spirit as our possession, available for all the benefits outlined by Yahshua. That He possesses me, is a fascinating way of looking at the relationship, and begins to make sense when I consider that He lives in me and guides me constantly. It makes me re-evaluate my relationship to ensure I have it on a sound basis, giving the Holy Spirit all the attention and obedience His role demands.
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1 timothy 3:16 NIV - Beyond all question, the mystery from - Bible Gateway
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