Breaking the Word

"When the Advocate comes whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth that proceeds from the Father, he will testify to me. And you also testify, because you have been with me from the beginning. "I have told you this so that you may not fall away. They will expel you from the synagogues; in fact, the hour is coming when everyone who kills you will think he is offering worship to God. They will do this because they have not known either the Father or me. I have told you this so that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you. "I did not tell you this from the beginning, because I was with you. (Jn 15:26-16:4a)

The spirit will testify. You will testify. To testify means to bear witness. It means to speak for the other; to stand for the other; ready to face any consequence for the other; be ready even to give one’s own life for the other. Why to they testify? They testify because they have been with Jesus. Theo spirit is from Jesus which means spirit has been with Jesus. The disciples bear witness because they have been with Jesus from the beginning. Total and complete indwelling is needed to testify or to bear witness.

They will expel you. Because one belongs to Jesus or because one bears witness to Jesus he will be expelled. Not only they will expel the disciple by they will also think that they are doing the right thing in front of God. They may even consider this as sacrifice and worship. But Jesus says that they are all wrong. Because any one who belongs to Jesus or any one who has the indwelling of Jesus then he belongs to God and he cannot be expelled. It only means they do not know God.

Knowledge of God; closeness with God; will make one inclusive. Anyone who says that he belongs to God but in stead begins to divide and speaks of divisive language then he does no have the indwelling of God in him. This is a beautiful criterion to find out the presence of God in one. God is present in anyone who welcomes the other and allows the other to grow and helps him to succeed to find God.     

"If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth,  which the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows it. But you know it, because it remains with you, and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me, because I live and you will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father and you are in me and I in you. Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him." (Jn 14:15-21)

Jesus has come into this world to give us the presence of God always. He himself is Immanuel (God with us). Now he is saying that he is going to ask the father it send the Holy Spirit among the people. The spirit is going to be with the people always. He is the spirit of truth and he is going to be with the disciples always. Presence of the spirit is always and continuous presence.

The followers are not going to b left as orphans. Jesus himself is going to be with the followers. And the followers will realize his presence in them. Presence of Jesus will not be seen by the world but the followers will feel his presence. The presence of Jesus is like the presence of the father in Jesus and how Jesus himself is present in the father.

The indwelling of the father in Jesus is invisible but certain. Jesus went about preaching and doing mighty works because this realization. The disciples themselves should live so with the realization that Jesus is with them living and working. This indwelling is further strengthened by the presence of the spirit. This indwelling of the father in the son and the son in the followers is confirmed by the love.