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.” vs. 7
John 15:26-27, 4b-7
This text is from a part of John’s gospel known as the final discourses. Set in the context of the last supper, after the departure of Judas, they are a summary of what Jesus wanted his disciples to remember as his death approached. In these verses he speaks of the Advocate, or Spirit of truth, who he will send to them after his departure. He wants them to know that, even though they will miss him, in the long run they’ll be better off. To this point his influence has been limited–he can only be with them when he is physically present. But after his death he will be with them through the Advocate in every place that they are. In other words, they will have unlimited access to him, and will even learn things that he hasn’t had the time to teach them. Presumably this wasn’t much comfort to them–it’s hard to hear that we’ll be better off if the one we love isn’t with us. But it is the truth, and some of us know exactly what Jesus meant. We’ve experienced the death of a loved one and have discovered that life gets better in their absence! It seems like an unloving thought, but it’s really the way it is!
Thought for the Day: How has the death of a loved one been a benefit for me?
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