John 16:5-11 Pentecost 6.3.17

I like receiving postcards.  Someone thought of me when they visited someplace cool.  Sometimes this makes you happy as you see people going to do good and fun things on their own or as a family.  And you are happy for them.  Seeing a post on Facebook can give you the same feeling.  You share their joy.  But sometimes…– just quit posting.  Like, I’m happy for you, but c’mon…  It is January, February, March in New Ulm and you are posting pics from Mexico or Hawaii.  I can’t feel my face when I walk outside here.  Please post pics from Mexico, but seriously, what good does it do me.  Sometimes I even get a little miffed looking at old pics I posted on Facebook of the fam and me in awesome places having a great time.  While I like looking at those pics, while I like to receive a postcard from some exotic place and please send them, sometimes, sinfully, there is a tinge of “but what about me, today?” It’s dysfunctional, I know, but maybe I’m not alone in this.  It seemed the disciples knew the feeling.

The disciples couldn’t shake this feeling when Jesus told them he was leaving them and was going to the Father.  It had so filled up their thinking and feeling that they were robbing themselves of the joy and peace Jesus was trying to communicate to them as he spoke with them the night before he died.  Jesus wasn’t just telling them he was going to the Father and leaving them in the lurch to suffer alone.  He was trying to tell them that this meant freedom for them, the prayers of God’s people ever since the Fall in the Garden of Eden were being answered.  This meant the sending of the Holy Spirit to work in their hearts to remind them of the victory Christ had won, even in the days when all seemed like defeat.  Jesus was trying to communicate that he was going to go, but he would take them also to be with him, so that they would be where he is.  Jesus knew they didn’t get it now, but later they would understand.  Jesus sometimes sounds like the parent of a group of teenagers.  You don’t get it now, but later you’ll understand.  And they would.  And you teenagers out there will too.  ☺.  Jesus tells them about the Postcard of Pentecost.

“But now I am going to him who sent me.  None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ Rather, you are filled with grief because I have said these things.  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.  When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.”

Jesus knew the plan and he willingly went forth.  Jesus celebrated the Passover with them and instituted the Lord’s Supper on Maundy Thursday in the upper room.  He readied them to go to the Garden of Gethsemane where he was going to be betrayed and enter into a world of hurt.  He speaks these words then and there before they left for the garden so later they’d understand.  But all they could think about was how it affected them in that moment – not what this was achieving for them and for the world for eternity and for every moment of their lives starting in about four days from Thursday.  They couldn’t even think to honestly ask about what it meant and why he was doing it, because they didn’t want to think about that – they were sad and they wanted to be sad.  They couldn’t even ask the question, “Why?”  Sure, Peter had asked it in opposition to Jesus’ prediction of his death because he didn’t want to believe it was true – like when a loved one dies and we call out to God, “Why?” – not necessarily looking for an answer, just angry and sad in the moment. Sure Thomas did it in frustration over Jesus’ persistence to go Jerusalem even though it was dangerous, but he really wasn’t ready to listen to what Jesus would answer.  Jesus is bold enough to tell them it is for their good that he is going.  This is for our good.

“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.”  Jesus stuck to the plan.  He didn’t deviate from it.  He knew the Father’s plan was perfect and would accomplish the salvation of the world.  Jesus would not jeopardize that for the sake of 12 men who really, really, really wanted him to remain with them physically and just set up a little impenetrable earthly visible kingdom in Jerusalem.  Jesus had come to free the world from sin, the devil, death and damnation.  And he would return to the Father, according to plan, and rule and reign over all things for his people.  In doing so, the Father would also send the Holy Spirit, a heaven sent perpetual Pentecost postcard, to remind them of all the things Jesus did and said and explain what they meant for the salvation of souls, to strengthen them to live in a world hostile to Christianity with peace and joy in their hearts, and to focus them on the great things Jesus is doing right now for us and the paradise and room he is preparing for us when he calls us home.  

In this work The Spirit would do much more though too – he would lay it all out for the world – no excuses.  “When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.”  The world does not have the same views as God’s Word about sin, righteousness and about judgment.  And the Holy Spirit makes that very clear, so much so that when the Word is preached people fall into just two categories.  And there is no getting around it.  Words matter.  “Even if the Holy Ghost does not always convince the world, He invariably and infallibly convicts it, so that the world never has an excuse for remaining in unbelief” (Wenzel p.691).  

About sin – There is an excuse or was an excuse in the back of our minds for every evil thing we’ve done – why it was ok for us.  We find excuses for not doing the things we know we ought to do as well.  We salve our consciences about how easy it is for us to speak poorly of someone and judge their motives.  We are generous to ourselves, but don’t apply that always to others, or to God and his Church.  We lack contentment in our single life, dating life, married life, always wanting more of one thing and less of the other, and not waiting for God’s timetable or trusting his ways – we follow our wise and permissible conclusions instead of letting God’s clear words stand.  And if this happens among the people of God, it is no wonder why the world reserves the word “sin” only for the most heinous of crimes and offensive of people.  But the truth is sin lurks in every human heart every moment of every day.  Even now some of you have zoned out, some of you are thinking about other “more important” things, some are thinking – “well this doesn’t apply to me,” and I’ve only been speaking for ten minutes.  Jesus says the Spirit will convict the world about sin “because people do not believe in me.”  The fact that Jesus is the Savior of the world shows the glaring need we have, but so many do not want to admit.  And so as you look at Jesus the Spirit works repentance in your heart to realize that God became man because you needed complete rescue and someone to pay the price, and punishment of your sin.  The empty cross and tomb mean everything to you, but if anyone rejects Jesus – they are still in their sins.  

About righteousness – John uses this word once in his Gospel.  Paul uses it to show us the righteousness Jesus has earned and won for us and that the Father freely credits to us through faith.  Jesus says the Holy Spirit convicts people “about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer.”  The world knows of only one righteousness – works.  Either you do more good than others or less evil than some scum bags and therefore you feel better about yourself.  I, myself, do this in my judgy and arrogant moments.  Or the world says that if you do more good than bad, you should be good.  Or the world says that if you try hard and do your best, you should be fine. And the kicker is that the world and our own sinful hearts think they must be the judges and God should agree.  However, the Spirit shows us that the only Righteous One is Jesus Christ.  Our righteous acts, though gleaming in the world’s view, are but filthy rags only fit for the garbage can.  Jesus completed his righteous life and after the cross, the resurrection and his ascension – up to heaven for the crown.  If you will ever be righteous in God’s sight, it must be the righteousness Jesus earned for you and credits to your account.  Your own righteousness will fail you. God is the judge, not us.  

About judgment – “because the prince of this world no stands condemned already.”  Whoever rejects Jesus is only left with one option – being under the devil.  And if the devil was served his subpoena at Jesus’ resurrection to appear before God’s royal throne on judgment day for his final sentencing, then all who are with him fall under the same judgment.  If you are under Christ though, you have forgiveness, life and purpose in this life and an eternal home in the next.  

Pentecost is the perpetual postcard of the Holy Spirit delivered to you – making everything clear for you and for all – about revealing Jesus for you and for all people.  We celebrate Pentecost because the Holy Spirit lives in our hearts through the faith he created there through the Word about Jesus.  We have Jesus.  We know him.  We know his love.  He went away to his Father and our Father, but he can never be taken away from us.  He is coming back and the through the Postcard of Pentecost the Holy Spirit is given to us to remind us of all that Jesus has done and what it means – our sin is forgiven and we truly live, to strengthen us through the Word of God to fight our sinful flesh and live for God, and to focus us on the great blessings we have in Jesus and the great eternal home in heaven to come.  And the postcard of Pentecost simply says on the front: This is for our good.  And it is.  Amen.