The good bye
In the chapter John 14-16 the farewell to Jesus is central. But HE does not leave his disciples behind alone, but HE tells them that HE will ask his father that the spirit of truth (holy spirit or comforter) will be sent to them. Who will support the disciples in his stead. Just as Jesus was by their side, after HIS "homecoming" the Holy Spirit will be by their side. Through the Holy Spirit, who lives in the disciples and thus in all believers, we have God's counselor constantly at our side. He supports us whenever we need support and draws our attention to the sin that is almost always in our lives. But not in the form of paternalism or a guilty conscience, but as a helper and advisor. In the Bible we read again and again that we are precious and wonderfully made, but in reality and in normal life we have our fears and shortcomings to struggle with. But I personally believe that knowing about the Holy Spirit that lives in us gives us support in many situations.
Nevertheless, the farewell that the disciples experience is almost a traumatic event for them. And I'm sure that each of us can relate to that in one way or another. As human beings, we too often find ourselves in the situation where we have to say goodbye to loved ones. In most cases it is a temporary farewell and we then have the certainty of seeing the other person again. But there are goodbyes that are final. Loved ones who die or who take a step out of our lives. And very often you absolutely cannot imagine what it will be like to continue living without the other.
It was the same for the disciples. Her rabbi, her beloved teacher, would leave their. What a shock this message may have caused in them. And I'm not sure if the announcement of the Holy Spirit was any comfort to them.
Taking leave! For me it's not just about the real farewell to other people, but also about the fact that we have to break free from habits, commitments and life strategies when we come to faith. In my opinion, this is also a form of farewell. Then when we come to faith and thus automatically enter into discipleship, our life changes. We will be changed. The Bible says we are renewed. And because our senses and thoughts, our values and our moral concepts change, our environment also changes. There is also a farewell here and there.
But we can have the certainty that the Holy Spirit supports us in mastering this change.
Farewell and change are things that often scare us as humans, but with God on our side we don't have to be afraid. If we invite HIM into our lives, then HE stays. And HE is patient with us and does not overwhelm us.
I would like to recommend that you read the chapters John 14-16 yourself, as I have only dealt with one of the aspects mentioned there.
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