AN ADVOCATE OF CHRIST FOR CHRISTIANS
1914 was a busy year. It was the year that ushered in the beginning of World War I, the year the arch duke of Austria, Francis Ferdinand, was assassinated, and the year the Panama Canal was opened for the very first time. Some significant things happened 96 years ago. But in the middle of all the rest of these important world events that happened to occur in that same calendar year, 1914 was also the year in which President Woodrow Wilson made Mother’s Day into a national holiday of the United States. Since then, of course, this celebration on the second Sunday in May has gained popularity and gifts and cards and flowers are sent to mothers all over the country. In fact, more people eat out on Mother’s Day than any other day of the year. And there are more phone calls made on Mother’s Day than on any other day of the year as well. It’s become a very big event. And for good reason.
Mothers do a lot for the children - without asking for anything in return. They are natural advocates of the ones they raise, which means they stand up for and speak out for and promote the best interests of their children. They are caring and concerned about the welfare of the ones they give birth to and, for the most part, mothers would do anything for those they call their own. And because mothers would do anything for their children, because they are their children’s strongest advocates, they are also advocates of other people for the sake of the children as well. A mother is usually an advocate of her husband: “What did your father tell you to do?” a mother might say to her child. “Then you better do it or you are going to get in trouble!” She is being an advocate of her husband for the sake of her child. A mother is also an advocate of the teacher for the sake of her child: “What did the teacher ask you to get done for this assignment? Then you should probably follow the directions if you want a good grade.” A mother is an advocate of the doctor for the sake of her child: “Take your medicine that the doctor gave us and you’ll get better.” A mother is an advocate of the laws of the government as well as the words of the Bible for the sake of her child: “Buckle up; it’s the law so that you stay safe… Don’t hit; that’s not nice… Fold your hands so that we can pray to Jesus…” A mother will speak for or speak against, advise, suggest, lead, guide, promote, encourage… in short, she will be an advocate of anything for the good of her children and their best interests. She wants her children to succeed. She wants her children to be happy and healthy. And it is on Mother’s Day when children of every age have a specific opportunity to thank their mothers for everything they have done for them for so many years.
The sermon text that we have in John 14 today fits well with the holiday on which it falls this month. And although John 14 doesn’t talk about mothers per se, it does talk about an Advocate that acts on behalf of God’s children. And that Advocate is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit really treats us in the same that mothers treat their children. The Holy Spirit helps, speaks for or speak against, advises, suggests, leads, guides, promotes, and encourages anything for the good of God’s children and their best interests. And so just like mothers, the Holy Spirit is not only our advocate, he is also and mainly an advocate of someone else for our sake. Jesus said it this way to his disciples: “All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counselor [or probably more accurately: “the Advocate”], the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” The Holy Spirit is the Advocate of Christ for our sake because he teaches us what Christ says. He explains to us what Christ has done. He guides us and leads us and encourages us with Christ’s words. And he assures us of what Christ promises. The Holy Spirit helps us see Christ; he helps us hear Christ; he helps us know Christ. And the Holy Spirit helps us out in all of these different ways not so that he can get anything in return, but purely for the benefit of God’s children.
Of course, children don’t always want help. They don’t always think they need help. They don’t like to be told that they could use some help because they like to think that they can do things on their own. And just to use a biblical example of this childish attitude, take a look at Samson - the judge of Israel with supernatural strength. One day he saw a Philistine woman whom he instantly wanted to marry. And so he demanded that his parents get this girl for him as a wife. But his mother and his father said to him, “Why don’t you find a wife among our own Israelite people instead of taking one from the ungodly Philistines.” They were really advocating the words of the Lord that said no Israelite should marry anyone belonging to a foreign nation. But Samson wouldn’t listen. He wanted to marry this Philistine girl anyway and so he ignored the advice of his parents. And because he didn’t heed the words of the Lord that they promoted, Samson ran into many difficult problems that snowballed out of control. Samson had some growing up to do. And unfortunately, it took him quite a few years and many more mistakes before he did finally grow up and learn to trust in the words of the Lord that his parents had asked him to follow.
It probably should go without saying: but there are times that we have some growing up to do as well - no matter how old we are. Sometimes we are the children who do not want any help, who don’t think we need help, who don’t like to be told what we could use some help because we think that we can do things by ourselves. And we have been immature children not just with our earthly maternal advocates, but especially with Christ’s Advocate, the Holy Spirit himself. We don’t always want his help. We don’t always see the need to listen to him. We don’t always think it necessary to pay attention to his teachings of Scripture or take to heart his words of encouragement from the gospel or put into practice his spiritual advice. We like to try things out ourselves. We like to think we are big enough and old enough and experienced enough and smart enough and talented enough to handle life on our own. But the more we try that approach, the more we ignore what the Advocate of Christ has to say in the Word of God, the more trouble we inevitably get into. Because then we stop listening to what the Holy Spirit teaches us about in the Bible. And that’s a dangerous game to play: to think you’re just fine. To think that you’re a spiritual adult now and you have no need of the childish training and the basic instruction of the past.
Whenever we take that path, we will fall. Just like Samson. We will trip and we will stumble and we will land right on our faces. When God’s Word is not our guide, when the Advocate is not our Counselor, we will fail. Every time. Without a doubt. And when that time comes when everything comes crashing down and you and you are on all fours panting for breath, not knowing what to do with yourself and not understanding how you even ended up in that position, Christ’s Advocate, the Holy Spirit will call to you once again from the Word. And when you hear his voice in the pages of Scripture, look up. Because the Advocate will be standing right where you left him. His arms will be outstretched with the body and blood of the Lord’s Supper in his hands; over his arm will be draped that robe of Christ’s righteousness that you received at your baptism, but that you decided not to wear for a couple days or a couple weeks, or a couple months; and his words will be sweet and inviting because they will be pure gospel. And so with scraped knees and bruised elbows and wounded pride crawl back to the one who warned you and tried to help you - the one you ignored and shoved away. And know that he won’t scold you or hold a grudge; he will gladly welcome you back. Like a mother with her wayward child, he will simply be happy that your home. And he will proceed to do what he has never stopped doing: telling you about the gospel of Christ - and convincing you that it’s true.
It’s not pleasant to fall. It’s not admirable to stray away and lose your close connection with the Word. But it’s going to happen. It’s happened to you before and you know it will probably happen again - at least on some level! You may not completely fall away from Christ but your faith will slip at certain points in your life. It happened to David when he committed adultery and murder. It happened to Peter in the courtyard, Jacob with his birthright, and Adam and Eve in the Garden. It happened to the Israelite people dozens of times even though they were surrounded by God’s power and visible glory on a regular basis. And it still happens today. Even life-long Christians stop listening to the Word at times. Even born and raised believers from infant baptism tune out the voice of Christ’s own Advocate for any number of reasons. You are not immune to that. And neither am I. But we are not immune to the Advocate’s love either. And the Advocate shows his love to us in this: by showing us the love of Christ.
That’s what the Holy Spirit does! The Holy Spirit reminds us about what Jesus did: about the life he lived and the forgiveness he won. The Holy Spirit teaches us about the love the Lord has always had for us and the guilt that he has wiped away in his blood. The Holy Spirit reassures us that our status before the Almighty God is still in good standing - regardless of what we have done in the past or may do in the future. The Holy Spirit through the Word speaks for Christ for the sake of Christians. He promotes what Christ has accomplished. He proclaims what Christ promise. He appeals to our hearts. And he is relentless in his mission to secure the faith of believers in the Savior that died for their sins. The Holy Spirit is motherly. He cares about the children of God and is not concerned about anything he may receive in return. The Holy Spirit is essential to our salvation. He is certainly worthy of extended and heartfelt praise.
But how often does the Holy Spirit really cross your mind? I realize that you know of him and you are aware of what he does. But outside of a Bible study or hearing the Triune God mentioned in a worship service, does the Holy Spirit ever make his way into your thoughts? Do you ever pray to him specifically? Do you ever thank him at night as you send up your requests to the Lord? Do you ever ask the Holy Spirit personally for guidance as you read the Word that he himself inspired? Do you ever boldly plead for the Holy Spirit to give you more and stronger spiritual gifts? Do you ever sit and ponder the incredible power of the Holy Spirit working on your heart as you do with Christ and his cross or the Father and creation? I wonder if we really and fully appreciate what the Holy Spirit does for us on a daily basis.
I’m not sure if I do. I probably don’t think about him or pray to him or express my gratitude to him as often as I should. Maybe we need a “Holy Spirit Day” just like we have a Mother’s Day so that we can have at least one day on which we focus on this third person of the Trinity. Ah, but we do. We do have a Holy Spirit Day. And we’re going to celebrate it in just two weeks. It’s called Pentecost. That’s the one day out of the Christian Church year in which the Holy Spirit and his power and his gifts take center stage. The one Sunday you can count on when the Holy Spirit is the main focus of our attention for the entire worship service. Get ready for that! Look forward to that! It’s a great annual celebration! And the best part about this holiday is that you don’t have to bring him flowers. You don’t have to send him a card or buy him a gift. All he wants is for you to listen. Because all he wants to do is to tell you about Christ. He wants to teach you about the gospel. He wants to remind you about the cross. He wants to be the Advocate of your Savior for the sake of your faith. And when you listen to his words, when you believe his words, when you live his words, there is nothing that makes him happier. Because the Holy Spirit’s goal is to see you through this life so that he can see you in heaven. And you can be sure that the Holy Spirit will achieve that goal because he is motherly: he will continue to remind you and encourage you and guide you and lead you and nag you - in a loving way - until he brings you back home. And Christ’s Advocate will not stop until you make it there.
Amen.
“May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” - 2 Cor. 13:14
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