Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. – John 16:7
Have you ever thanked God that Jesus isn’t here? Likely not, because that sounds crazy. But consider Jesus’s own words in John 16: “It is to your advantage that I go away. . .” It is better for you if I leave! How could this be true? It’s true because Jesus, as a member of the Triune God, had something better in store for us: the Helper. That is the Holy Spirit.
When Jesus ascended to heaven after his resurrection, he did not abandon us. He sent the third member of the trinity to dwell with and in us. When Jesus ascended, he blew the doors off the limits that his humanity inherently placed on his ministry. When he walked the earth he ministered to dozens personally and thousands through his preaching. When the Helper arrived, the saving power of the gospel exploded across the whole world. Billions of people have been saved through work of the Holy Spirit as Christ’s Helper, including you and me.
The presence and power of the Holy Spirit is our great advantage. Sometimes we wish we could see Jesus face to face, and that is a good wish. One day we will! In the meantime, we are not accompanied by a lesser option. We are awakened by, indwelt by, empowered by, helped by Christ himself through the Holy Spirit.
I originally wrote this post for my church, Immanuel Nashville, in our Daily Pulse email. If you want encouragement from God’s word delivered Monday thru Friday to your inbox, I encourage you to subscribe.
