Daily Devotion for Saturday 12th July 2025

St John 16: 1 – 15

Jesus said: ‘I have said these things to you to keep you from stumbling. They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, an hour is coming when those who kill you will think that by doing so they are offering worship to God.  And they will do this because they have not known the Father or me.  But I have said these things to you so that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you about them.

‘I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. But now I am going to him who sent me; yet none of you asks me, “Where are you going?”  But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts.  Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.  And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgement:  about sin, because they do not believe in me;  about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer;  about judgement, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.

‘I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.  When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.  He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you.  All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

Reflection

This final teaching by Jesus to his disciples takes on a particular resonance for the times we find ourselves in, a warning for us to be on guard even in a place of worship.

In her sermon for the presidential inauguration, Bishop Budde preached the message of the Gospel as she felt called to do. For this she has been ridiculed, trolled, and threatened. In what way does this illustrate the commands not to judge or to love others as ourselves? What witness does this give to the world as Christians themselves cannot agree? Undoubtedly, over many centuries, people have debated and dissected scripture but we need to be aware of how we express these different opinions and think about who benefits when we tear ourselves apart.

Jesus says, shocking though it may be, people will hate you and the gospel you preach and you’ll remember that I told you it would happen. While in the UK, we currently do not face what Christian martyrs (past and present) endure, it seems inevitable that preaching the Gospel is going to be an increasingly lonely and hostile place. Are you ready for that?

And for the disciples there’s more “bad” news, Jesus tells them he will no longer be alongside to support them but this will be a good thing! That must have been hard to hear. But we know God’s ways are not our ways and in sending the Holy Spirit, instead of a small group of disciples being helped by one man, now everyone can now have the encouragement and wisdom they need.

Gradually, the disciples were transformed into the emboldened people God needs to carry out the work of bringing people back into relationship with the One who created them. Although Jesus’ teaching on earth concluded, he still has more to say. What are the new ways in which the Holy Spirit is guiding you to listen today?
 
Prayer

Holy Spirit guide us this day 
to speak the words of wisdom the world needs to hear.
Encourage us when this gets difficult.
Embolden us when we feel this is impossible.
Enthuse us when we lose hope,
and gladden our hearts as we step forward in faith
Amen