2024/05/19 SCRIPTURE REFLECTION

Pentecost Sunday

- Christina Oropeza, Director of New Member Engagement

John 15:26-27 

Jesus said to his disciples: 
"When the Advocate comes whom I will send you from the Father, 
the Spirit of truth that proceeds from the Father, 
he will testify to me. 
And you also testify, 
because you have been with me from the beginning. 

I recently read Tim Keller’s book, Encounters with Jesus, and he speaks directly to the notion of Advocates, referenced in John. In his book, Keller explains Jesus as our first Advocate and the Holy Spirit as the second. He writes, “The first Advocate is speaking to God for you, but the second Advocate is speaking to you for you. Through the Farewell Discourse, Jesus keeps saying that the job of the Spirit is to take all the things Jesus has done on our behalf – all the things that the apostles had still not yet grasped – and to ‘teach you’ and ‘remind you’ and enable the apostles to finally understand all that Jesus had taught them about his saving work (John 14:26).” 

Pentecost is a reminder that the Holy Spirit is always living within us, advocating God’s truth to us when we need it most. I find this extremely comforting in my faith walk. Even though we don’t have Jesus walking amongst us now, we have an Advocate to speak words of wisdom, truth and love.  

I’m grateful for the moments where the Spirit has been a lifeline – spending time in prayer and Scriptures has aided in that closeness. I find that the nearer I am to the Holy Spirit, a transformative peace becomes more present in my life. I encourage you to spend time asking for the awareness of the Holy Spirit’s presence in your life and the beautiful reminders you receive through that closeness.