The Comforter I

‘And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you’ John 14:16

For the next few days we are going to be learning about the person of the Holy Spirit. Many times, people refer to the Holy Spirit as ‘something’ or refer to the Holy Spirit as ‘it’. The Holy Spirit is a real person. ‘But I will send you the Advocate—the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me’ John 15:26. Jesus referred to the Holy Spirit as ‘The Comforter’. It is amazing that Jesus is saying I am going and I am sending ‘the’ Comforter. Note Jesus did not say He will send ‘a’ Comforter. The Word Comforter is interpreted as ‘parakletos’ [Greek origin]. It means Comforter, Advocate, Encourager, Counselor, and Helper. When Jesus said that the Comforter will come, He is saying the Helper will come. ‘For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace’ Isa.9:6. Here Jesus, the wonderful counselor is saying the counselor is coming. ‘And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive Him, because it isn’t looking for Him and doesn’t recognize Him. But you know Him, because He lives with you now and later will be in you’ John 14:16-17. Follow the train of thought, I know it may appear contradictory but really it isn’t. It actually is exciting. Jesus is saying I will send another comforter; the root word for another is a Greek word, ‘allos’. It is not the Greek word ‘heteros’. ‘Heteros’ means another of a different quality. Allos on the other hand means another of the same quality. Jesus is saying ‘I will send you another comforter’, not of a different quality [heteros] but another of the same quality, kind or content [allos]. And He will be with you forever.  ‘No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you’ John 14:18. Jesus provides the connection when He says ‘I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you’. The Holy Spirit is the spirit of Christ.

Prayer: Precious Spirit of God, come and make Your dwelling with me and in my heart, in Jesus Name.