John 16:1-33
Jesus Says "It is good that He goes away"
1 “All this I have told you so that you will not fall away. 2 They will put you out of the synagogue;in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God.3 They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. 4 I have told you this, so that when their time comes you will remember that I warned you about them. I did not tell you this from the beginning because I was with you, 5 but now I am going to him who sent me. None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 Rather, you are filled with grief because I have said these things.7 But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 about sin, because people do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11 and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.
12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth,comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”
16 Jesus went on to say, “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.”
17 At this, some of his disciples said to one another, “What does he mean by saying, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me,’ and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?” 18 They kept asking, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand what he is saying.”
19 Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about this, so he said to them, “Are you asking one another what I meant when I said, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me’? 20 Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. 21 A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. 22 So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. 23 In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.
25 “Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father. 26 In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. 27 No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. 28 I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”
29 Then Jesus’ disciples said, “Now you are speaking clearly and without figures of speech. 30 Now we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God.”
31 “Do you now believe?” Jesus replied. 32 “A time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.
33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Acts 2:1-47
1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren't all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”
13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”
14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15 These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! 16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
17 “‘In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
18 Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy.
19 I will show wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below,
blood and fire and billows of smoke.
20 The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
21 And everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved.’
22 “Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. 23 This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. 24 But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.25 David said about him:
“‘I saw the Lord always before me.
Because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.
26 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest in hope,
27 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
you will not let your holy one see decay.
28 You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence.’
29 “Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. 30 But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. 31 Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay. 32 God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. 33 Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. 34 For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said,
“‘The Lord said to my Lord:
“Sit at my right hand
35 until I make your enemies
a footstool for your feet.”’
36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”
37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
John 20:29
Blessed Are Those Who Have Not Seen
29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
St. John gives us the most information on the Holy Spirit...In these verses He tells us it is for the disciple's good that He is going away...Unless He goes away, the Advocate will not come to us; but if He leaves and goes to heaven, then He will send the Holy Spirit to us...So Jesus tells us that is good that He physically leaves us, because then we can receive the Holy Spirit...I often question this statement of Jesus (why it is good that He goes), but I do know that He is always right, and it is my own personal selfishness wanting to see Him and to get to know Him personally as a Man that makes me say that...I think the Disciples might have questioned why Him leaving was better than Him staying also...But I think they much better understood why it was good that He ascend to heaven, after they received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost...And with Jesus now gone, they knew they were the chosen ones, the handpicked disciples of His to continue His work...The Disciples would see that they were the ones now in the position Jesus was three years ago...He started His ministry trying to teach and preach about God, and proving that He is the Son of God to others...Now it became the disciples job...They disciples were now the teachers of Christ and the gospels...And I think on this Pentecostal Day, when they received the Holy Spirit, the Disciple's grief would turn to joy -and they would feel His Presence again...They knew on that day, they could continue His work around the world...
Jesus needed to go to the Father, and His ascension back to heaven, glorifies His Father...For universal harmony to take place and Jesus be with His Father, Jesus needed to return to heaven and be with His Father...Jesus' place in the universe is in heaven with His Father...
Why would it be good that He leaves us?...He immediately tells us that the Holy Spirit and Advocate can come to us...Maybe as an individual Man He cannot visit everyone personally (Man to man) in the world, and He sees that the Holy Spirit is the much better chosen instrument to carry His name and teachings to the ends of the earth...The Holy Spirit, although we sometimes do not understand Him, the Holy Spirit seems to have carried His word to many, many places around the globe...The Holy Spirit, the Advocate, the Counselor, the Helper is doing His job and has continued to spread the word, and His Truth...On the day of Pentecost the disciples received the Holy Spirit, then His words would now make sense (about the Holy Spirit), and they would be re-energized to spread His word...The Holy Spirit was sent to His Disciples on the Pentecost, so that they could better spread His word...On the day with all the different and diverse people listening on the day of the Pentecost would be a new beginning...It was the day the world begin thinking about a new Teaching of Truth, about a Man who was hung from a cross and died, and then after three days returned to life...Peter and the other disciples and those listening that day would start to spread the good news of Jesus...The LORD added to their numbers daily, after that Pentecost, to those who believed...Those new believers would also start spreading the word, through their Holy Spirits throughout the region and world...
It seems Jesus wanted the Bible to have a finite number of pages...If Jesus had stayed on earth, His words and what He spoke ongoing would be sacred and holy words...The Bible would be constantly need updated and amended...His new teachings and parables would continue...The Good Book would continue and continue to expand and be amended, if He were still on earth...And we can debate if this would be good or not be good, but this is what He chose...The Bible is a finished book that we can read, and Revelation is the final book...
It was good that Jesus left, it seems, because God wants us to have faith in Him without us seeing Him or His Son...By Jesus leaving, we are to believe in His Father by faith, and not the physical body and our sight, which we could always see...We are told that people are blessed who have not seen Him, and yet believe...
Jesus had to leave and die for our sins on the cross...This is why He came to earth, to die for mankind's sins...There was a righteousness brought by the sacrificial death of our LORD and Savior, Jesus Christ...