John 15:26-27 "But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: (27) And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning."
Just this week, I was driving down a road where a walking trail crossed the
road. The crosswalk is raised and I knew it was there, but I was distracted in
my thoughts and hit the raised crosswalk much faster than I should. I was
within the speed limit by the way. The bump created quite a jar upon the car
and myself. Again, I knew the crosswalk was there, but at that moment, I
was unprepared to drive over the speed bump. It caught me off guard and could
have caused damage, but thank the Lord it did not.
It's amazing how Jesus is able to prepare His people for life's situations. He
had just told these men the world hated Him without a cause and they would be
hated as well. He was preparing them for the bumps in the road that would
appear before them from time to time. He also had told them about the Comforter
Who would be sent by the Father after Jesus had returned back to the Father's
House. During these last hours with the disciples, He constantly weaved this
important knowledge concerning the Comforter into the conversation. I'm
leaving you, but I won't leave you alone. The Father will send the Comforter,
He will bring all things to your remembrance. He is the Spirit of truth
and will always speak truth to you. "He shall testify of me."
Why is it important for the Holy Spirit to always testify to us of Jesus?
That might seem like an odd question, but it is an important one. Remember the
Comforter was sent after the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of
Jesus. For these disciples, those three days and nights were the darkest times
of their lives. Their faith was tested on a level that went beyond the top of
the measuring chart. Remember the two men who walked on the road to
Emmaus? "But we trusted that it had been he which should have
redeemed Israel." (Luke 24:21) They were disappointed because the
events of the past three days had not played out as they had thought they
would. Who was it that came to them to let them know everything was okay,
even when it didn't fit their plan of life? Yes, it was Jesus!
Have you ever been disappointed? We all can say, yes, to
that question. To some degree or another, we have all suffered disappointment
in life. As we relate this to our text today, we can see that Jesus was
preparing His disciples for those "speed bumps" in the road that
would catch them, and us, off guard. The Comforter, the Holy Spirit is the One
Who testifies of the truth of Jesus Christ. To every dark time, there is a new
dawning of light. "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning."
(Psalm 30:5) Those three days of darkness were overcome with the greatest
joy of all: He's Alive!
This same Comforter lives within us today. For every speed bump, every hour of darkness, there is a time of light and joy that is to follow. When our plans fail, the Master Planner is working within us to bring us to His designed purpose for our lives. Let us bear witness of that Witness which is testified into our hearts by the Holy Spirit: Jesus reigns!