14 day plan

The Purpose of Pentecost

Day 1 of 14

CSB

John 16:7-13

7Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth. It is for your benefit that I go away, because if I don’t go away the Counselor will not come to you. If I go, I will send him to you. 8When he comes, he will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment: 9About sin, because they do not believe in me; 10about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see me; 11and about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.

12“I still have many things to tell you, but you can’t bear them now. 13When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth. For he will not speak on his own, but he will speak whatever he hears. He will also declare to you what is to come.

Reflection:  The promise of the Holy Spirit

Can you imagine walking with Christ on the earth? What an experience that would have been, to witness first-hand the glory and wonder of Christ in the flesh. To hear his voice, to see his face, to feel his touch. It’s this thought that makes what Jesus said in these passages even more remarkable, “it is for your good that I am going away…” What could be better than Christ with us? There’s only one thing better, and that’s Christ within us through the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ. The fact is, Jesus never intended for us to try and do our Christian journey alone or in our own strength. Yet many of us live our lives struggling and striving, often with the best intent, to follow God by the flesh, when this whole time Jesus has provided a new way to live by his Spirit. Over the next two weeks, my prayer is that you would begin to see, understand and experience the tangible power of the Holy Spirit working in your life.

Question: What can you start doing every day to become more aware of the Holy Spirit in your life?

Prayer:  Father, today we still ourselves before you and ask that you would open our eyes and our hearts in a new and deeper way to your Holy Spirit. We thank you that you haven’t left us alone but are with us always. Amen.

© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers

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John 16:1-33

1“I have told you these things to keep you from stumbling. 2They will ban you from the synagogues. In fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering service to God. 3They will do these things because they haven’t known the Father or me. 4But I have told you these things so that when their time comes you will remember I told them to you. I didn’t tell you these things from the beginning, because I was with you. 5But now I am going away to him who sent me, and not one of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6Yet, because I have spoken these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 7Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth. It is for your benefit that I go away, because if I don’t go away the Counselor will not come to you. If I go, I will send him to you. 8When he comes, he will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment: 9About sin, because they do not believe in me; 10about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see me; 11and about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.

12“I still have many things to tell you, but you can’t bear them now. 13When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth. For he will not speak on his own, but he will speak whatever he hears. He will also declare to you what is to come. 14He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. 15Everything the Father has is mine. This is why I told you that he takes from what is mine and will declare it to you.

Sorrow Turned to Joy

16“In a little while, you will no longer see me; again in a little while, you will see me.”

17Then some of his disciples said to one another, “What is this he’s telling us: ‘In a little while, you will not see me; again in a little while, you will see me,’ and, ‘Because I am going to the Father’?” 18They said, “What is this he is saying, ‘In a little while’? We don’t know what he’s talking about.”

19Jesus knew they wanted to ask him, and so he said to them, “Are you asking one another about what I said, ‘In a little while, you will not see me; again in a little while, you will see me’? 20Truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn, but the world will rejoice. You will become sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn to joy. 21When a woman is in labor, she has pain because her time has come. But when she has given birth to a child, she no longer remembers the suffering because of the joy that a person has been born into the world. 22So you also have sorrow now. But I will see you again. Your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy from you.

23“In that day you will not ask me anything. Truly I tell you, anything you ask the Father in my name, he will give you. 24Until now you have asked for nothing in my name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.

Jesus the Victor

25“I have spoken these things to you in figures of speech. A time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures, but I will tell you plainly about the Father. 26On that day you will ask in my name, and I am not telling you that I will ask the Father on your behalf. 27For the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. 28I came from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I am leaving the world and going to the Father.”

29His disciples said, “Look, now you’re speaking plainly and not using any figurative language. 30Now we know that you know everything and don’t need anyone to question you. By this we believe that you came from God.”

31Jesus responded to them, “Do you now believe? 32Indeed, an hour is coming, and has come, when each of you will be scattered to his own home, and you will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. 33I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.”

© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers