The promise of the comforter - The Spirit of Truth
25th Sermon
of Jesus… The Promise of the Comforter (March 20, 1872)
John 15:26 “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.”
John 16:7
“Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for
if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will
send him unto you.”
These verses
are found in two chapters of the Gospel of John; in the first instance as a
promise that I shall send My deserted disciples the Comforter, the Spirit of
Truth, that will show them that everything I taught was true and correct, and
in the second instance as an indication that My decease was necessary as a
corroboration of what I had told them about Myself and My divine mission. For,
in the second chapter it says: “If I go not away, the Comforter will not come
unto you!” By this I proved to them that My going to the “Father” -as I
expressed it – was partly the conclusion of My mission and partly unavoidably
necessary as the starting point of theirs according to My plan for the
salvation of mankind.
If a master
leaves his pupils before they are quite mature, yet still wants to enable them
to continue their studies, he usually nominates a substitute who carries out
what is needed for the completion of the course. This is what I did, too.
My mission
upon earth, or My sojourn among My disciples, was of value only as long as they
were not yet wholly initiated into My teaching. First, I had to conclude My
presence on your earth with the greatest act of humiliation and love, which was
the practical part of My teaching. I had to actually demonstrate to My
disciples what sacrifices My teaching and its preservation required and show
them as an eternal example what My true disciples must be able to bear, that
is, to give even their lives for their belief, which later became the fate of
many of them. By My resurrection I also had to demonstrate to them that death
had no power over Me. But in the meantime – until My ascension or My return
into My Kingdom – to help them get over the hard blow the absence of My visible
person would deal them, it was My sacred duty as their master and teacher to
hold out to them the prospect of a substitute for their loss. Hence I promised
them a Comforter which, however, they imagined rather as a personality than a
power.
When I told
them this and many other things, they were still too worldly and could not
comprehend the spiritual meaning of My words, yes indeed, of My final, greatest
and most profound words of farewell. Wherefore I also said: “I have yet many
things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now”, or in other words: “I
cannot transform spiritual things into worldly concepts. Although you have
faith, you are still minor children and you have yet to submit to the last
consercration which will mature you from children to men and enable you to
comprehend what you have heard from Me and pass it on to others as you received
it.”
This
overshadowing by My Spirit made them reborn; for My Spirit transacted the
separation of the spiritual from the worldly. The rational life ceased and the
life of the spirit or heart began. Thus My disciples were endowed with
spiritual willpower to speak and act as required by My teaching, thereby
assuring everlasting permanency to the work of salvation which I had begun.
What in
those times happened with My disciples has happened anew in each century with
individuals I had chosen for this purpose. There was never a lack of those who,
completely devoted to Me, gave their lives for their convictions. There have
always been admonishers and revivers of My so dearly-paid-for teaching. It was
their mission, in the midst of gross misuse of religion, to make sure that the
teaching of a genuine and true faith did not fall into oblivion.
Also in your
century there is no lack of such inspired people and now, as mankind is
straying more and more into worldly interests, now – with the end of this trial
period for mankind approaching – the number of those keeps increasing who
follow My true teaching and who are destined to furnish the first building
stones for the establishment of My Kingdom, so that I may already find faithful
hearts on My advent. For I am not going to preach a second time to deaf ears!
The morning must already be dawning and the spiritual eyes of My adorers must
be prepared, so that they are able to bear the full light of My love and My
appearance unharmed....
25. THE
PROMISE OF THE COMFORTER... THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH ❤️ THE LORD elucidates John 15:26 & 16:7
