Reflections on "You Left Us What?" JOhn 14: 15-22 Acts 2: 1-22a Pentecost

A low-key Pentecost sermon.  The Gospel of John has a very different image of the Holy Spirit than the tongues of fire and blowing wind we associate with the Acts story of Pentecost. 

“You left us what?” Pentecost, 2025; St. Andrew Presbyterian Church; John 14 15-26; Acts 2 1-22

(John 14:15-26) ¹⁵ “If you love me, you will keep^[g] my commandments. ¹⁶ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate,^[h] to be with you forever. ¹⁷ This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him because he abides with you, and he will be^[i] in^[j] you.

¹⁸ “I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. ¹⁹ In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. ²⁰ On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. ²¹ They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me, and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.” ²² Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will reveal yourself to us and not to the world?” ²³ Jesus answered him, “Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. ²⁴ Whoever does not love me does not keep my words, and the word that you hear is not mine but is from the Father who sent me.

²⁵ “I have said these things to you while I am still with you. ²⁶ But the Advocate,^[k] the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I have said to you. 

Introduction:  At this point in their relationship with christ, I think the disciples would have had lots of questions:

if we go back a couple of months, the first question might have been “Jesus, Why did you have to be crucified?”

which quickly gave way to, “Jesus, What exactly is a resurrection?l

Which then led to “What does it mean that Christ has ascended?”

And now, after Jesus has ascended 

and the tongues of fire and blowing winds have arrived with Pentecost and the Holy Spirit, 

Their question, maybe our question also is:  “You left us what?”

Perhaps as they puzzled over this question, they remembered Jesus’ words that we just read from the gospel of John.

Move 1: And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate,^[h] to be with you forever.

a. If we are little bit intimidated by the Holy Spirit in the Pentecost story, we might find comfort in the image of the Paraclete, the Greek word translated as advocate in the gospel of John.   (if you misspell parclete, spell check will suggest parakeet – not quite the same image)

a. Greek word parakletos

1. Paraclete is combination of para ('beside/alongside') and kalein ('to call’), which put together literally means “one called to be alongside another”

2. the word carries a secondary notion concerning the purpose of the calling alongside: to counsel or support the one who needs it.

outside the Bible text in common Greek usage, the word Paraclete is often used to describe a family attorney.

3. This, the NRSV’s choice to translate Paraclete as advocate or comforter.

Eugene Peterson in The Message translates it as “friend.”

b. Jesus has promised his followers: ’I will not leave you orphaned” 

1. Orphaned – no parents; 

in the first-century world, being orphaned meant no status, 

no safety net, 

no security.

2.  The Paraclete, 

the who who walk alongside us,

the one who will advocate for us,

is the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise to not leave us orphaned.

3. The Gospel of John does not emphasize the power of holy Spirit found in blowing winds or tongues of fire,  but instead he power of joining with us.

coming alongside us

the paraclete, who will not leave us alone.

c. in some ways, the paraclete is an extension of the God of incarnation, who chooses to live among us.

1.  The God who breathed the breath of life into the mud returns in Christ to come alongside side us and make a home with us.

2. And now, as Jesus looks to his departure, he talks about “another paraclete.”

in other words, the Holy Spirit is coming to do what Jesus has already done - be with us.  (Frances Gench, Encounters wiht Jesus, 109)

Not the tongues of fire image of the Holy Spirit, but the ongoing companionship of God who will not leave us alone.

Move 2: one of the roles of the Holy Spirit is to remind us what Jesus has taught us.

a. Scott Hozee a preaching professor at Calvin Seminary describes the Holy Spirit  as “a tutor or a prompter on the wings of a stage while a play is going on.

1. The Paraclete stands next to us or near us so that we can be reminded of Jesus’ words and teachings as the Spirit whispers those things into our hearts, prompting us to remember what we might otherwise forget. (Scott Hoezee, The Lectionary Gospel, http://cep.calvinseminary.edu/sermon-starters/easter-6c/?type=the_lectionary_gospel).

1. Imagine a voice whispering in your ear as you go through life the things that Jesus has taught.

1. a constant call to bring Jesus' teachings into our decision-making; a constant reminder of Jesus' presence with us.

              4. this is the Holy Spirit as the Gospel of John describes the Spirit.

b.  The Holy Spirit teaching us and our growing in understanding

1. it is not enough for us to remember what Jesus has said, but we must grow in our understanding of it.

2. The Holy Spirit is among us,  teaching us how what Jesus has said applies to our current situation.

3.  In his essay The Present Age, Soren Kierkegaard describes a jewel being placed in the middle of a frozen lake on the thinnest ice. While retrieving the jewel is enticing, no one is courageous enough to skate on the thinnest ice. So they learn to skate in intricate ways on the thick ice. The skaters develop great skills, and those watching applaud the daring skaters who show their skills, but never venture onto the thin ice to retrieve the jewel. Eventually, everyone forgets the jewel. Kierkegaard wonders if the church is like that. So focused on its activities that it misses the jewel. (https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B458F3TQxB4qMmkzb3JFRTBvZ1k/edit)

4.  Holy Spirit reminds us and teaches us so that we do not forget the jewel, the good news that Jesus brings.

5. Maybe this is where the power of the Holy Spirit. Ones into play in the image of Paraclete.

the spirit uprooting us from our entrenched ways and blowing and pushing us into new understandings.

Move 3: the image of the Paraclete also shapes our understanding of community.

a. Pentecost as also known as the church's birthday.

1. A celebration of the body of Christ that Jesus calls into being.

2.  People like us walking a,Ingrid’s each other as we help each other grow in our faith and face our struggles.

b.  Which is also the role we are called to have in The world.

1.  Walking along side of those who suffer injustice,

or those who need food or shelter,

or those who need to find hope in the hopelessness of their lives.

like the Paraclete, we are sent to walk alongside of them.

c.  Again, this is where the other penetrants story informs our understanding of the Paraclete.

1. Just as the people that Pentecost day found they were given the gift of languages so they could share the good news of Jesus Christ to people no matter what language they spoke,

So to, the Holy Spirit will equip us with the gifts necessary to walk alongside those in need.

2. The power of the Holy Spirit at work enabling us to share the good news of  Jesus Christ with the world.

Conclusion: for many years, churches would celebrate Pentecost by releasing red helium balloons outside after worship.

The high-flying balloons would symbolize the blowing spurt that would take us to new heights.

Then, concerns about balloons killing birds and so on led to no helium balloon celebrations of Pentecost.

For the gospel of John, however, the helium balloon flying high is not quite the image of the Paraclete.  

No, for John the Paraclete is just an old-fashioned balloon, blown up, but still right there beside you.

The Holy Spirit that will not leave you alone!l

 

Reflections on “Knowing” John 17: 20-26

The consensus of Bible commentaries is that the main point of this passage is unity.  I, of course, had picked up on the verse about "knowing," when I chose the sermon title, so I was stuck with it!  It turned out to be an ok sermon from my perspective.  I had not thought about a red-letter Bible in a long time, and I had not heard about a blue-letter Bible until I was reading about the red-letter one.  It was kind of fun to include that in the introduction.

 “Knowing” June 1, 2025; St. Andrew Presbyterian Church; John 17: 20-26

20 “I ask not only on behalf of these but also on behalf of those who believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us,[a] so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. 24 Father, I desire that those also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.

25 “Righteous Father, the world does not know you, but I know you, and these know that you have sent me. 26 I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them and I in them.”

Introduction:  Back in the day before people read their Bible from their favorite app or website on their phone or iPad (guilty!), they had what they called red letter Bibles.  Some of you probably remember those, maybe even have one in the pew with you.

 A red letter Bible is not to be confused with the newer, cutting edge blue letter Bible.  Yes, that’s a thing.  An app wiht the Bible that has links to study helps; the hyper links are in blue, so it’s known as the Blue Letter bible https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Letter_Bible#:~:text=) 

but back to the old-fashioned red letter Bible,.  it is called that because all the words attributed to Jesus are highlighted in red. 

if you were to read Chapter 17 in a red-letter Bible, it would all be in red

All Jesus’ words.

Not just Jesus’ spoken words, but the words Jesus prays.

Go back a couple of chapters leading into chapter 17, Chapters 14-16 Jesus speaking ot the community,

but Chapter 17 switches to a prayer.  

in fact, It is the longest prayer Jesus prays in the gospels.

Jesus’ prayer is a little bit more complicated than, “Now I lay me down to sleep…”

David Lose notes:  The prayer is complex enough, even convoluted enough, that we can forget that it is a prayer. Indeed, we call it the “high priestly prayer” because it is not only intense, but also at portions – including in this reading – rather theologically dense. (David Lose, https://www.workingpreacher.org/dear-working-preacher/the-power-of-being-prayed-for)

as we reflect on these words, this prayer of Jesus this morning, do not forget it is a prayer - the words offered up to God like we offer up prayers - full of hope, maybe words revealing our vulnerabilities, 

words of prayer that express our greatest desires from the God who hears our prayers.

So Stop here for a moment and consider this question:

If you knew your time was coming to an end and you were going to say a prayer - what words would you pray?

That’s what we read in this passage - Jesus praying as he knows his time on earth is drawing to a close.

Move 1:   Several powerful themes in this prayer

certainly we see Jesus’ desire for unity

but as I read this prayer recently, I was struck by Jesus’ Prayer for us to know him, and in knowing him, knowing God.

a.  Jesus is not praying for us to have some book knowledge.

1. He does not pray that somehow we understand the Trinity in theory,

or be able to explain the resurrection,

or give the details of how the virgin birth happened.

2. Jesus simply prays that we know him.

maybe to have some type of relationship with him

or know that Jesus has met some need we have

or that we have some encounter with Jesus which leads us to claim him as our Lord and savior.

3.  to know Jesus is not an answer to a quiz about jesus, but to experience the difference Jesus makes in your life.

b. then Jesus prays that to know Christ is to know God.

1.The world may not know God, but if we know Jesus, then we know God.

2.  Jesus wants to make it simple for us.

notice, I said simple, not easy!

But simple in that if we know jesus, we know God.

3. We often speak in terms of looking for God,

or seeking God,

or some grand pursuit of God that seems like and impossible task.

But hear again Jesus’ words:  the world does not know you, but I know you, and these know that you have sent me. 26 I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them and I in them.”

4.  To know Jesus is to know God and to know God’s love.

Move 2:  How do you know if you know?

a.  I am reminded of a story told about former President George H.W. Bush.  He  was campaigning for president, he made a stop at a North Carolina nursing home. When he came upon an elderly gentleman bent over in his wheelchair, Bush leaned over to ask: “sir, Do you know who I am?”  the man looked up and said, “No, but if you go to the nurses’ station, they can tell you.” Peter W. Marty, Christian Century, 1/18/2017, “From the Publisher, 3”

b.  "As far as I know, there is only one good reason for believing that he was who he said he was. One of the crooks he was strung up with put it this way: 'If you are the Christ, save yourself and us' (Luke 23:39). Save us from whatever we need most to be saved from. Save us from each other. Save us from ourselves. Save us from death both beyond the grave and before. If he is, he can. If he isn't, he can't. 

1. to know Jesus means experiencing how God is changing your life.

2. To know Jesus means feeling that life-giving, life-saving grace God’s love offers to us.

c. . But Buechner goes on to note: [that the only way we may know Jesus]  It may be that the only way in the world to find out is to give him the chance, whatever that involves. It may be just as simple and just as complicated as that.” (sermon discussion from Frederick Buechner, Frederick Buechner Blog.)If your life i

1. to know Jesus is to risk believing that he will be at work in your life and your world.

2.  that’s what we see in the Story  we read in Acts.  

the jailer deciding to risk knowing Jesus.

3. Powerful story - Paul and Silas changing lives in the name of Jesus Christ.

3. Paul has cast the evil spirit out of the young woman, 

changed her life

although admittedly it seems more from selfish reasons than discipleship reasons.

nevertheless, they know Jesus and in his name they change her life.

4. .  They get thrown in jail.

5. They pray.  

like Jesus, they understand the power and I,pittance of prayer.

6.  The jailer hears them and sees what knowing Jesus is doing on their lives, 

so he decides to take a risk

to risk his life by giving himself over to the one Paul and Silas knows, Jesus Christ.

3. and his life was never the same again.

Conclusion: At the communion table, we often invite people to come and “Meet the risen Christ.”  

I somehow doubt we will see the Risen Christ in person waiting to hug you or shake your hand as you come forward this morning.

But you come because you know him, 

or you want to know him

or you want to know him better.

and in knowing him, you know God.