LutheranLectionary.org

Reflections on Scripture with Dr. Leins

Time Stamp	Transcript
0:01	[Music]
0:18	[Applause]
0:20	hello
0:22	today
0:24	let’s talk about the Holy Spirit
0:27	the text for today is John chapter 14
0:30	verses 16 through 21.
0:34	this is part of a rather long and
0:36	intimate section of John’s gospel
0:39	beginning with the Lord’s Supper in John
0:41	13 and stretching all the way to the
0:43	high Priestly prayer of Jesus in John
0:46	17
0:47	all of this takes place in the upper
0:49	room between Jesus and his disciples
0:51	before the Lord leads his disciples out
0:54	to the Garden of Gethsemane in John
0:57	chapter 18.
0:59	where he is betrayed by Judas and denied
1:03	by Peter
1:04	so again these verses for today are John
1:08	chapter 14 verses 16 through 21.
1:13	they are part of a protracted teaching
1:15	Luther calls it a preaching by Jesus in
1:19	the upper room
1:20	in order to prepare his disciples for
1:23	his passion his death his resurrection
1:26	and Ascension
1:28	pivotal in this teaching is the promise
1:31	for the sending of the Holy Spirit Jesus
1:34	will promise clarify and expound upon
1:38	the person and the work of the Holy
1:40	Spirit throughout chapters 14 15 and 16
1:44	of John’s gospel
1:46	now may I suggest to you that in the six
1:50	verses before us today
1:52	his disciples heard at least three
1:54	different words from Jesus
1:58	a confusing word
2:01	a frightening word
2:03	and a powerful word
2:05	so let’s talk about them
2:08	first a confusing word
2:12	Jesus had just promised his disciples
2:15	whatever you ask in my name
2:18	that will I do
2:20	in fact he said it again in the very
2:23	next verse
2:24	if you ask me anything in my name I will
2:28	do it that was John 14 verses 13 and 14.
2:32	but then two verses later in the text
2:35	before us now Jesus says in verse 16.
2:39	I will ask the father
2:42	and he will give you another comforter
2:46	so now
2:47	who’s going to give them the helper the
2:49	comforter
2:51	is Jesus going to do it or is the father
2:53	going to do it
2:54	and to make matters a little more
2:56	confusing than that
2:59	though Jesus declares that the father
3:01	will give them another comforter
3:03	then Jesus says
3:05	I will not leave you as orphans I will
3:08	come to you
3:10	so first
3:12	is the father sending the spirit or is
3:14	Jesus sending the spirit
3:16	and second is Jesus going to come to
3:18	them or is the spirit going to come to
3:21	them
3:22	so I suspect that
3:24	this may have been a bit confusing for
3:26	the disciples
3:28	of course the Lord Jesus
3:30	knew the inner workings of the Holy
3:33	Trinity
3:34	Jesus knew that he and the father and
3:36	the Holy Spirit are one
3:39	one God one substance
3:42	yet they are three three distinct
3:45	persons
3:46	furthermore
3:48	when the Holy Spirit comes about whom
3:51	does he speak
3:53	to whom does he point
3:55	the holy spirit always gives glory to
3:57	Jesus and calls to our remembrance all
4:00	that Jesus has said and done
4:03	Jesus was providing his disciples with a
4:05	rather sophisticated theology that was
4:08	as yet unknown to them
4:11	but if we’re honest
4:14	two thousand years later the
4:17	interpersonal relationships
4:19	of the persons of the Holy Trinity
4:23	and their outworking among
4:25	Humanity
4:27	are still all a mystery to us
4:31	but you see Jesus himself is
4:34	still a mystery to us
4:36	oh we know some things
4:38	is he fully God or is he fully human yes
4:43	so when he speaks in this text
4:45	he alternates between speaking as God I
4:48	will do it and speaking as a human I
4:52	will ask the father
4:53	Jesus is both fully God and fully human
4:59	he had to be God
5:01	in order to carry the sins of the whole
5:04	world
5:05	in order to Bear the pain and Punishment
5:08	of all God’s judgment for Humanity
5:12	and to swallow up death and Destroy his
5:14	power to walk alive as the Lord of life
5:18	and light out of the grave
5:20	this was a god-sized task
5:23	that only God could do
5:26	but Jesus had to be human
5:29	so that what he did
5:31	he did for us as one of us
5:36	Jesus was our representative
5:39	the new and second Adam
5:43	Jesus as the God man
5:46	suffered and died for us
5:50	he conquered sin and death and the devil
5:53	for us for that reason
5:56	God now looks at us differently
6:00	by grace through faith in Jesus God no
6:04	longer looks at us with disfavor and
6:06	judgment but sees us through the virtue
6:10	of the Cross as beloved holy and
6:13	righteous children
6:17	Hallelujah glorious Jesus
6:20	he had to be fully God and fully human
6:24	for our salvation
6:26	of course all the while
6:28	he is still being one with God the
6:32	father and one with God the Holy Spirit
6:37	this was a lot for the disciples to
6:39	grasp
6:40	even though they had the Divine and
6:42	human Jesus right before them
6:45	and were receiving the benefit of his
6:47	ability to read their thoughts
6:49	and to speak his inspired truth
6:54	a second word
6:57	a frightening word
7:00	then Jesus foretold
7:04	after a little while the world will
7:07	behold me no more
7:11	you can imagine the disciples what were
7:14	they thinking
7:16	he said that he’s going to leave us
7:19	we will not see him anymore
7:22	how can I withstand the assaults of the
7:25	devil
7:25	the assault of the world
7:27	the assault of my own flesh
7:30	the devil’s ways are overwhelming he
7:33	pummels me with anxiety
7:36	stresses me with fear
7:38	inundates me with Temptations
7:41	I Fall to his traps again and again he
7:44	doesn’t even have to be creative
7:46	he already knows me too well
7:49	if that weren’t enough there are the
7:51	Troubles of the world nasty people
7:54	unkind words undeserved treatment
7:58	physical pain
8:00	Financial worry
8:02	family squabbles
8:04	don’t even get me started about my own
8:06	Temptations and failures my shames and
8:09	guilts
8:10	surely the disciples were thinking those
8:13	things
8:14	what does Jesus mean
8:16	that he’s going away
8:18	that the world will Behold Him no more
8:21	but then Jesus says
8:25	but you will behold me
8:27	because I live
8:30	you shall live also
8:32	in that day you shall know that I am in
8:35	my father
8:36	and you are in me and I am in you
8:41	did the disciples understand that they
8:44	would live in Jesus
8:47	did they understand that they were in
8:49	Jesus and Jesus was in them
8:52	or did they think that they were not a
8:55	fit place for the Holy Spirit and not a
8:58	fit Temple or a house
9:00	for Jesus
9:02	would Jesus really live in them
9:05	there were so many other people more fit
9:07	more righteous more Worthy
9:10	they were not fit for him
9:13	are you fit
9:15	for Jesus
9:18	but the disciples were forgetting that
9:21	the question was not
9:23	are you capable of housing Jesus the
9:26	question was
9:27	is Jesus capable of being housed in you
9:33	is Jesus capable of being housed in you
9:38	see I like that question
9:40	that’s an easy answer
9:43	Jesus is capable of doing anything he
9:46	who created the universe he who became
9:49	flesh
9:50	he who took upon himself the sin and
9:52	death of humanity is HE capable yes of
9:55	course he’s capable of doing anything
9:57	that he wants
9:59	he is capable
10:01	of living in you
10:03	and even in me
10:07	is Jesus reading their thoughts when he
10:10	answers
10:12	you shall know that
10:14	I am in my father
10:17	and that you are in me
10:20	and that I am in you
10:23	yes I suspect he’s reading their
10:26	thoughts
10:27	this is
10:29	not just a statement this is a promise
10:33	this is the power of the crucified and
10:35	resurrected Jesus Christ at work
10:39	and the hearts and lives of his
10:41	disciples
10:42	at work
10:44	in your heart and life too
10:48	a third word
10:50	a powerful word
10:52	Jesus promises
10:55	I will ask the father
10:57	and he will give you another comforter
11:01	that he may be be with you forever
11:05	our own Hearts issue a rebuttal
11:08	and Luther posits it in his sermon on
11:11	John 14 16 and following Luther suggests
11:15	an internal struggle as we speak with
11:18	ourselves
11:20	Luther begins
11:23	you have not been living right
11:26	you are full of sin
11:29	and then he answers himself
11:31	unfortunately
11:33	this is all too true so what is the
11:36	result
11:38	oh you must go to hell
11:41	interjects the devil in the dialogue
11:44	and Luther responds
11:46	no
11:47	that is not the will of God
11:50	be gone devil you and the evil world for
11:54	my Lord Christ says no to you
11:57	he tells me that the father is not angry
12:00	with me
12:00	but will give me the comforter
12:03	who will come to me in answer to his
12:07	prayer the comforter and they
12:11	concur that is Jesus the spirit and the
12:14	father agree in this
12:16	that they do not want me to be
12:18	frightened and sad much less rejected
12:21	and condemned
12:22	but comforted and happy
12:25	Jesus further promises I will not leave
12:29	you as orphans I will come to you
12:32	after a little while the world will
12:34	behold me no more but you will behold me
12:37	because I live you shall live also
12:43	beloved
12:45	Christ has come to you
12:48	all the forces of Darkness death hell
12:51	and the devil try to devour him
12:54	yet he drowned death in himself and he
12:57	swallowed it up with his own light and
13:00	life
13:01	and he destroyed it
13:03	with his own power
13:05	in the same way Jesus preaches to you
13:09	what darkness and death and the devil
13:11	could not do to me
13:13	I will not allow them to do to you
13:17	I continue to live
13:19	and you shall live also
13:21	I am raised up in the Kingdom of peace
13:24	and joy
13:25	and I will raise you up and bring you to
13:28	myself that where I am you may be also
13:31	with my cross and Grave and Resurrection
13:34	I have beaten broken and destroyed the
13:37	devil and death not only for myself but
13:40	for you
13:42	and for all who believe in me
13:45	do not think that my victory and my
13:47	gifts of Grace are dependent upon you no
13:52	this is my power for you
13:56	and my gift to you
13:59	for you are mine
14:01	and I am yours says the Lord Jesus
14:04	Christ
14:06	More Than This Jesus has promised
14:10	the spirit of Truth whom the world
14:13	cannot receive because it does not
14:15	Behold Him or know him you know him
14:17	because he abides with you
14:20	and will be in you
14:23	to that Luther continues his internal
14:25	dialogue
14:27	I have the Holy Spirit dwelling in me
14:30	I shall
14:32	and I must have him
14:34	for I know of course that my Christ with
14:37	his blood baptism and Sacrament is Holy
14:41	and consequently that the gospel which I
14:43	preach with my mouth here with my ears
14:46	and believe with my heart
14:48	is also holy and if I have this
14:52	I must also say that the holy spirit is
14:54	in me
14:56	for you will surely have no faith no
15:00	good thought
15:01	no joy no comfort from him
15:05	unless the Holy Spirit dwells in you and
15:09	works and accomplishes all of this in
15:11	you
15:12	of this
15:14	you can cheerfully boast against the
15:16	devil who assails you with doubts and
15:19	wants to rob you of this comfort and
15:21	against which the world which boasts
15:24	against you of it
15:26	has possessions and condemns your faith
15:29	and your words
15:32	and your works
15:36	so through faith in Jesus Christ
15:39	those who believe have become Lords over
15:43	death
15:45	and will no longer fear the world the
15:47	devil death hell
15:49	or all their defiance
15:52	as Luther declares
15:55	then you will have to say
15:58	such power
16:00	I did not have in me before
16:03	without it I would have had to remain
16:05	subject to the devil’s power and to the
16:08	terror and might of death
16:11	just as others are
16:13	but now I have a new courage
16:16	which Christ gave me through his spirit
16:20	and by which I perceive that he is with
16:24	and in me
16:26	now I can sneer at the Terrors and
16:29	threats of death and the devil and rely
16:31	cheerfully and boldly on my Lord
16:34	who lives and rules above with the
16:37	father
16:39	all of this
16:40	beloved
16:42	the Savior Jesus has given to you
16:45	including himself and the Holy Spirit
16:48	for Christ and the spirit
16:51	are with you
16:53	and will be in you
16:55	forever
16:58	amen