John 14:15-21 - Jesus Has Not Left Us as Orphans - May 17, 2020

Few people face as daunting and difficult a road through life as orphans – children who are without mother or father. Whether through accident or neglect, orphans are left to face life on their own. They have no one to provide for them, guide them, protect them – and maybe most tragically, no one who is simply there for them, in good times and in bad. Throughout history, many people, and especially Christians, have recognized the extraordinary challenges placed before orphans and built orphanages to care for them. [1] Unless you happen to be an orphan, it’s impossible to imagine how helpless and alone they must feel in a big and scary world. And yet, in a small way, isn’t that how we often feel in this world, especially these days? We have been commanded to avoid social contact with other humans – for many of us, including our families and friends. We have been forbidden to gather for worship with our brothers and sisters in faith. Maybe most clearly at this time, the three entities (I would label them idols) that were supposedly able to guide, protect and heal us: government, medicine, and science – have utterly failed to protect the most vulnerable and to large extent have done significant harm to countless American lives and livelihoods. Is it too strong to call them idols? I don’t think so. They demand your fear, your love, and your trust – which we are to give to God alone (Exodus 20:2) – and yet, like all idols, are unable to make good on their promises (Isaiah 44:6-20). More than ever, we should see the wisdom of Psalm 146: do not trust in princes, in mortal men who cannot save (Psalm 146:3; NIV84). And the question many Christians are asking is: where is Jesus in all of this? Has he abandoned us? Has he left us helpless and alone? Jesus knew that disciples of every age would ask this very question, and he answered this question in advance, the night before his death.

On Maundy Thursday in the upper room, the disciples were feeling like they were about to become orphans. Jesus had told them that he’s going away, to a place that they could not follow (John 14:33). Remember, Jesus had called these men away from their homes and families and occupations – and now, he’s leaving them to carry on without him. It’s no surprise that they are troubled by this, feeling helpless and abandoned. But Jesus calms their fears by promising that even though he’s leaving them; he’s not leaving them alone. He gives them – and us – three comforting and enduring promises.

First: I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. The Greek word translated “counselor” here is paraclete (literally: “to stand beside”). It’s a tough word to bring into English, because it has such a broad scope of meaning. That said, I’m not sure “counselor” is the best choice here. Most people today think “therapist” when they hear “counselor” – and the Holy Spirit is certainly not a therapist (his job is not to make you feel better about yourself). I would suggest that a better translation would be advocate: one who “stands beside” you; especially in a legal sense.

Jesus says the Father will send another Advocate, implying that we already have one. Who? John writes: If anyone does sin, we have an Advocate before the Father: Jesus Christ, the Righteous One (1 John 2:1). Jesus is our first, our primary advocate, our defense attorney. Jesus stands beside us. When we stand before God’s Judgment seat and the Judge tells us to rise, Jesus stands up with us. When we plead guilty (as we must – Romans 3:9-18); guilty of sins we know and feel and guilty of sins we are unaware of (Psalm 19:12) – Jesus lifts his hands and says “See Father, I suffered, I bled, I died in the place of this guilty sinner.” Jesus serves as our Advocate by pleading our case before the Father, pleading that He judge us “not-guilty” for his sake. And Jesus’ resurrection serves as proof that he was successful – his resurrection proves that God has declared us “not guilty” (Romans 4:25).

But here in John 14 Jesus is promising another Advocate – who would serve in a different way. I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. He is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it does not see him or know him. Paul explains the Holy Spirit’s work in Romans 8: the Spirit himself joins our spirit in testifying that we are God’s children (Romans 8:16). While Jesus pleads our case before the Father, the Holy Spirit pleads the Father’s case – the Gospel – to us. So the question is: how do you get this attorney, this advocate, on retainer? How do you know the Spirit is with you? Some believe that the Holy Spirit is the warm sensation you get in your belly when you “feel” close to God. Others imagine that the Holy Spirit “speaks” to them through thoughts and dreams. But that’s not what Jesus says, is it? Jesus doesn’t promise the Holy Spirit to those who imagine him or feel him but to those who love [Jesus] and hold on to [his] commands. What commands is Jesus talking about? What commands did Jesus leave only to those who love him – to believers? To put it another way: how does the Holy Spirit argue to us, assure us, that we are forgiven and saved? The 10 Commandments? No, those were left to us by Moses; and those commands are written, albeit dimly, in the hearts of all people (Romans 2:14-15). What commands did Jesus leave to comfort believers?

There are many, but here are a few: Go and gather disciples from all nations by baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and by teaching them to keep all the instructions I have given you (Matthew 28:19-20). Just as the Father has sent me, I am also sending you…Whenever you forgive people’s sins, they are forgiven. Whenever you do not forgiven them, they are not forgiven (John 20:21, 23). Take, eat, this is my body…take, drink, this is my blood…do this…in remembrance of me (1 Corinthians 11:23-26). These are a few of the commands Jesus has given exclusively to his disciples, to the Church. And, through these means, the Holy Spirit assures us that the Gospel is not only true, but that it is true for us! The Spirit comes through the instruments Jesus has chosen: his water, his blood, his body, his Word – to assure you that God’s plan worked, Jesus paid for your sins with his death, you are forgiven! When you receive these gifts frequently and faithfully, the Holy Spirit is with you – whether you can feel it or not. Why? Simply because Jesus has promised it.

Ok, but what about his second promise: I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will see me no longer, but you will see me. Have you seen Jesus lately? Have you been able to walk and talk with him like the disciples did? Has he appeared at the foot of your bed to give you concrete answers to your prayers? Have you been able to get a timeline from him on when this whole coronavirus lockdown will end? Doesn’t this promise seem to support the claims of the unbelieving world that Jesus is truly just a myth, a fictional character – because no one has seen him for 2000 years?

Well, how did Jesus show himself after Easter, after his resurrection? In every instance he would appear for a brief time and then disappear again. He wasn’t physically present with his disciples 24/7 even during the 40 days between his resurrection and his ascension. In fact, Jesus made a point of directing those who witnessed his resurrection away from his visible presence and to the Scriptures which prophesied that it had to happen this way (cf. Luke 24:25, 32, 44-47; John 20:17). These appearances of Jesus during the 40 days between his resurrection and his ascension prepare us for how Jesus would continue to be with us from then until the Last Day. They illustrate for us how it would be that we would see him but the world wouldn’t. That comes out in the last verse of our text: the one who has my commands and holds on to them is the one who loves me. And the one who loves me will be loved by my Father. I too will love him and show myself to him. Once again, there’s something there in the Greek that you can’t see in the translation. “Show myself” comes from the Greek word emphanidzo. Jesus promises to “emphasize” himself to his disciples.

How? How, for example, did Jesus emphasize himself to the disciples on the road to Emmaus? He said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures (Luke 24:44-45). That day Jesus opened the disciples’ eyes to see how he was emphasized in the Scriptures. Today, Jesus emphasizes himself to those who open up those very same Scriptures. How? Scripture serves as a lens of sorts, which helps us to see Jesus’ presence among us, a presence the world cannot see. Scripture says that we see Jesus whenever we hear his called servant or any Christian announce the forgiveness of sins (John 20:23). Scripture says that we see Jesus as a Good Shepherd gathering his children into his arms, adopting spiritual orphans into his family, whenever sinners are baptized in his name (Acts 2:38; Galatians 3:26-27). Scripture says that wherever two or three are gathered in Jesus’ name – around his Word – that he is there with them – so that even if it’s just you and your family in your pajamas on the couch watching this service – Jesus is there with you (so put some pants on!) (Matthew 18:20; John 20:31). And it’s not just in the church, either. We can see Jesus in the governmental leaders whom God has appointed to serve and protect us – even if we may disagree with some of their decisions and mandates (Romans 13:4). We see Jesus, the Great Physician, in the doctors and nurses and scientists who are working tirelessly to heal those who are sick and find a cure for this virus (John 5:1-9; 1 Peter 2:24). We see Jesus in the Christian moms and dads who have been forced to become parents, teachers, doctors, coaches, and pastors to their children – many for the first time and all at the same time (Isaiah 49:15). The world cannot see Jesus today. But we can, because through the lens of Scripture can see behind the scenes; we can see his almighty hand working behind the scenes of everything that happens in this world.

Our text closes by circling back to the beginning: The one who has my commands and holds on to them is the one who loves me. And the one who loves me will be loved by my Father. I too will love him and show myself to him. How do we show our love for a Jesus we can’t see? By using the means, the Baptism, the Bible, and the Communion that we do see. To the degree you treasure these things you are treasuring Jesus. To the degree you neglect them you are neglecting Jesus. And, when you treasure Jesus in these means, then Jesus gives one final promise: that you will have the Father’s love too. How? Well, the Father is the one who put this whole plan together, from creating this world for you to live in to sending his Son to redeem you and the Holy Spirit to call you to faith and salvation – every part of it was the Father’s plan. He sent Jesus to die and rise for you and he sent the Holy Spirit to deliver the victory to you – through Word and Sacrament. So hold on to these means – because when you see Jesus emphasized in Word and Sacrament, you also see your Father’s boundless love for you.

In these days of the “Safer at Home” lockdown, many of us may feel like orphans – isolated and alone, unsafe and unloved. The devil and the world work tirelessly to make Christians believe that because they can’t see Jesus that they are alone, they are abandoned. But Jesus has not abandoned you. He has sent the Holy Spirit to stand beside us, to assure us that the Gospel of free forgiveness and salvation are not only true, they are true for you; through the lens of Scripture we see Jesus actively working for our good everywhere in our world, and, last but not least, he leads us to see the Father’s love – love led him to sacrifice his own Son to save us. You may feel like an orphan, but you’re not. You are a dearly loved child of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

[1] Schmidt, Alvin J. How Christianity Changed the World (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan 2004) pp. 131-134