In this account in John’s Gospel one of Jesus’ disciples, Philip, wants Jesus to show him how to get closer to God.
Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.”
This gives Jesus an opportunity to explain his own relationship with God the Father and how Philip can have a similar relationship with God even when Jesus is not there.
In the light of the subsequent events of Easter and Pentecost Jesus’ explanation to Philip takes on a special significance. What he says is confirmed later by the evidence of the promised Holy Spirit working in the disciples and being there in the birth of the church. Jesus’ explanation can help us to understand how God can be in our lives through the work of the “unseen” Holy Spirit whom Jesus offers us.
At the corner of the street next to the church in Beeston Hill, South Leeds, where I worship there is a view down towards the Leeds city centre where we can see the tallest building in Leeds. It is such a large structure that it has prompted much discussion since it dominates the city skyline. How can such a tall building stay standing and how long will it last?
For those of us who have seen its rise and growth in the last year from a shell of steel girders we are well aware of the importance of the steel reinforcement in such a building to enable it to stand the test of time. We cannot now see the steel reinforcement today. It may be out of sight but we do know it is there to provide the essential strength and support for the whole structure.
In this sense the Holy Spirit that Jesus promises us, though hidden from
sight, can provide the strength and reinforcement we need in our lives.
In Jesus’ description of the Holy Spirit in words such as “Counsellor”,
“Advocate”, “Protector”, “Comforter” – see
The Holy Spirit stands with us as spiritual reinforcement to enable us to do those things that need doing now that Jesus is no longer among us in the flesh. In fact there are things that can only happen because Jesus is now with God the Father. By the work of the Holy Spirit Jesus can achieve so much more through us and the church that was not possible when he was confined in time and space in a human body in first century Palestine.
So Jesus can confidently promise Philip and us that all will become clear when we discover the power of the Holy Spirit with us and in us.
“But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.” says Jesus.
We come close to God through Jesus, who invites us to accept the Holy Spirit into our lives. He sends the Holy Spirit to support us in our personal relationship with God and corporately in the church as together we become the living evidence of the risen Lord Jesus.
As the risen Lord Jesus breathed his Spirit into the first disciples
gathered in the Upper Room after Easter, so he also says to us “Peace be
with you” and sends us out in the power of the Holy Spirit to follow his
example with his message of forgiveness of sins (see
Therefore the answer to Philip’s wish to see the Father is found in Jesus. For Jesus reveals the Father. As Jesus is the way to the Father, so the Spirit is the way to Jesus. The Spirit tells us of what Jesus stands for, and then stands with us and encourages and reinforces us in our daily commitment to follow Jesus.
The Holy Spirit brings the church dramatically into life and energises
it to grow and do Jesus’ work throughout the world (see
The “unseen” Holy Spirit is there to remind us constantly of the relationship we each can have with the Father through Jesus. For just as Jesus called God his Father so we can all come to God as his children. Paul reminds us of this in the extract from one of his letters (Romans 8:14-17).
Paul’s description of how the Spirit tells to us that we are God’s children reminds me of the story told by Billie Graham in response to the question about how he could be so certain about who and what God really is.
He tells of a little boy who was out flying a kite. The wind was brisk and large billowing clouds were blowing across the sky. The kite went up and up until it was entirely hidden in the clouds.
“What are you doing?” a man asked the little boy.
“I’m flying my kite,” he replied.
“Flying your kite?” the man said. “How can you be sure? You can’t see the kite.”
“No,” said the little boy, “I can’t see it, but every little while I feel a tug, so I know for sure it’s there!”
May we too feel the tug of the Holy Spirit within us when, to use Paul’s words, God’s “Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.” (Romans 8:16)
My prayer is that we will continue to be reminded and assured that God’s Spirit is with us, and that because of Jesus we can treasure and enjoy our place in God’s family.
As we follow Jesus and know his peace within our hearts, may we also recognise the responsibility that he gives us to share his love and forgiveness in turn with those we know, stand with and care for. Amen.
