Читать книгу Holy Smoke! Unholy Fire! - Robert C McKibben - Страница 10

Jesus gathered His disciples together in an upstairs room of a private home the night before He was to be crucified. He desperately wanted to teach the disciples, preparing them for what He knew would be the end. They had a meal together. After Judas was dismissed, Jesus gave the disciples the bad news. “I’m leaving. Where I am going you cannot come.” But in His absence Jesus gave the disciples a new commandment, that they should love one another, as He had loved them.

In the emotion of the moment Peter asked why he couldn’t go with Jesus. Peter vowed he would follow Jesus anywhere, even lay down his life for Him. More bad news. “Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times” (John 13:38). Before Peter or the others could respond to this horrible prospect, Jesus shared with the disciples the most intimate, and yet the most important truths.

“Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And when I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me.” … “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him or knows him; you know him, for he dwells with you, and will be in you. I will not leave you desolate; I will come to you” (John 14:1-6, 15-18).

There it is! There’s the promise! Jesus promised the disciples “another Counselor (Helper),” namely the Holy Spirit. Did you catch it? There are no conditions attached. Jesus didn’t say that He would send His replacement to some believers and not to others. Nor did He say that you had to belong to a certain group of believers or be on a higher plain of spiritual performance or maturity. And did you happen to catch the time? TO BE WITH YOU FOREVER! Unlike Jesus, this Holy Spirit would come, slip inside each of them and live within them forever. This wasn’t a temporary presence; the Spirit’s presence would be unending – permanent!

One of Socrates’ disciples mourned the departing of his teacher just as Socrates was about to take that fatal cup. The disciple lamented that they were being left orphans. The disciples of Jesus were not left alone. Jesus promised, “I will not leave you desolate; I will come to you.” The Greek word Jesus used, translated by the RSV as desolate, is the same word the disciple of Socrates used for orphan.

These verses are special to me, as I suspect they are for many of you. Through a series of tragic events just after my birth, my sister and two brothers and I were placed in a foster home in Orlando, Florida. During those first four years of my life, the word orphan was heard often. Other children living with our foster parents never saw or heard from their parents again. My brothers and sister and I were among the fortunate ones. Sometime during the year before I turned five years of age, my father reentered our lives. We had a new mom and a new house to call home. Being the youngest, those four years of fearing abandonment and isolation had little lasting effect. For my brothers and sister, however, the psychological impact still lingers. Jesus promised His disciples He would not leave them as orphans. He promised them His Living Holy Spirit.

The promise of the Holy Spirit was that of a permanent presence. The Greek root word Jesus used for the “Counselor” (Advocate), which He says is the Holy Spirit, is Parakletos. This little tidbit of Greek carries for me an extraordinary significance. The literal meaning of Parakletos is “one who stands beside you.” While the various translations of the Bible have tried to render the meaning of Who this Parakletos is by using titles like Counselor or Advocate, they have come up short of the fullness of this word. May I suggest another name for the “one who stands beside you” – Friend! I pray as you continue reading this book, you will come to know and accept the Holy Spirit as your Friend, if you haven’t already.