I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you. (John 14:25-26)

Read: Isaiah 66:1-24, Philippians 3:4-21, Psalm 74:1-23, Proverbs 24:15-16

Relate: I was sitting with a group not too long ago that was talking about Jesus’ discussion with His disciples when they went to Caesarea Philippi. It was at this city where Jesus asked His disciples who they said He was. Peter answered, “You are the Christ. The Son of the living God.” After complementing Peter and telling him that on this confession Jesus would build His church, Jesus then said he would have to suffer and then die. Peter, probably with a bit of a big head at this point, turned and rebuked Jesus for saying this. Just moments after being commended by Christ, Peter now hears the words, “Get behind me Satan.”

I wonder how well Peter recalled those back to back conversations after the cross. Did that rebuke, “Get behind me Satan” start ringing again in his ears after hearing that rooster crowing when he fled in shame? Some things tend to be easy to remember and I can guess that this moment was one of them. There are specific moments in my own life from decades back that I can still recall with perfect clarity. Unfortunately, I couldn’t tell you the three points from the last sermon I heard just a few days back. At least… I’m pretty sure there were three points. Four maybe? It was out of Ephesians 1… I do remember that much.

React: The gospel of Mark was written about three decades after the events of Jesus life had played themselves out. While Mark wrote his gospel as more of a biography, Matthew focused on the teachings of Jesus and his was written at about the same time. Luke was written in the early to mid sixties and used both Matthew and Mark as source material. John was written much later, it has a much stronger theological bent, and he writes it in part to include happenings in the life of Christ that were not included in the earlier gospels.

He wrote roughly six decades after Christ’s resurrection. The Holy Spirit truly did bring back to memory so much to John of what he was saturated in when he lived and walked and talked with his God. That same Holy Spirit is promised to give us reminders of what we have learned when the need arises in our lives. That just brings up two questions: 1) How much and how diligently are we about the task of learning and 2) how often are we intentionally placing ourselves in positions where we need the Holy Spirit to bring forth such reminders? If we are not saturating ourselves in the Word, we are failing to do our part. On the flip side, if we are secluding ourselves from the lost that Jesus is so passionate in pursuing we are also failing to do our part. He brings reminders to those that need them. Do we need them?

Respond: 

God, You have promised that You would give me the words to speak on those occasions that I would need them. Help me to never let my fear or apathy keep me from those moments. Give me the diligence to saturate myself in Your Word. Give me the confidence to trust that You will be there when I need Your help to remember. Most of all, give me the passion to speak You to my world.