Gospel Notes – “Receive the Holy Spirit”

Sunday we celebrated the Feast of Pentecost. Our Gospel reading was John 20:19-23.

Several times Jesus referred to the coming of the Spirit in his Last Discourse in John’s Gospel (chapters 13 – 17). I will include some of them below, but first I want to mention something Jesus said earlier in John 10:30 “The Father and I are one.” Thomas Keating considered this the foundational text of Christian practice.

So, in the Last Discourse Jesus said:

“I will ask the Father and another Comforter (Greek parakletos) he will give you, in order that he may be with you forever, the Spirit of truth” (14:16-17).

“On that day (the day of the resurrection when I will give you the Holy Spirit) you will know that I am in my Father and you are in me and I am in you (14:20).

“The Comforter (parakletos), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father shall send in my name, will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you” (14:26).

“I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I am going away. For if I do not go away the Comforter (parakletos) will not come to you, but if I go, I will send him to you” (16:7).

“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. For he will not speak on his own authority, but will speak whatever he hears, and will tell you what is to come. He will glorify me, because he will receive from me what is mine and will tell it to you” (16:13-15).

Then in John 17 Jesus prayed … “That they all may be one, just as you Father are in me and I am in you, may they be in us … may they be one just as we are one; I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one.” (17:22-23).

Jesus ends his prayer “In order that the love with which you have loved me may be in them and I in them” (17:26).

Everything in our story leads to the coming of the Spirit … “It is better for you that I go away.” In, with, through, and by the Spirit, we are brought into union with God and one another. I encourage you to ruminate with these passages – talk with God, journal your thoughts, listen for the vibrations of the Spirit, and see how the Spirit works in your heart and mind.

You remain in my prayers,

Jim