June 7, 2025
Today’s Reading: John 14:8-21
Daily Lectionary: Numbers 20:22-21:9; Luke 20:45-21:19
“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever.” (John 14:16)
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
The Holy Spirit is God, as much as the Father is God and the Son is God. We confess this truth every time we speak one of the Creeds. But if the Spirit is God, why don’t we give as much attention to the Holy Spirit as we do to the Father and the Son?
On the one hand, we probably should spend more time thinking about the Holy Spirit and praising Him for all that He does for us. Not only is He God, but we would be lost without the Holy Spirit. Luther reminds us in the Small Catechism that we “cannot by our own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ our Lord or come to Him.” It is the Holy Spirit who grants us saving faith in Jesus.
St. Paul also reminds us that it is only by the Holy Spirit that we can do good works, pleasing in God’s sight. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control,” (Galatians 5:22-23). We literally could not be holy to God without the work of the Holy Spirit.
But on the other hand, Jesus reminds us that in a way, this is what the Holy Spirit wants. Jesus calls the Spirit the “Helper.” The Holy Spirit acts as our helper by pointing us to Jesus. He directs our attention to Christ because it is Jesus alone who takes on our sinful flesh and suffers and dies for us. The Spirit teaches us all these things about Christ and brings them to our remembrance (John 14:26) by inspiring the prophets and apostles to write the Scriptures for us, and by working through the preaching of God’s Word. That is how saving faith is created and sustained in us.
Jesus, in turn, leads us to the Father (John 14:6) and shows us the Father’s face (John 14:9). That is salvation. The faith of a Christian, the faith that is created by the work of the Holy Spirit, is always centered around Jesus Christ, our Lord.
It is certainly good and right to praise God, the Holy Spirit, and acknowledge His work among us. And the best way to do that is to direct our eyes to Jesus and believe in Him.
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
Almighty and ever-living God, You fulfilled Your promise by sending the gift of the Holy Spirit to unite disciples of all nations in the cross and resurrection of Your Son, Jesus Christ. By the preaching of the Gospel spread this gift to the ends of the earth; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. (Collect for Pentecost Eve)
– Rev. Aric Fenske, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church and Trinity Lutheran Church in Bear Creek, WI.
Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.
Andrew R. Jones identifies ten lies Satan uses in attempts to dismantle God’s people and His kingdom. Find encouragement in God’s Word of Truth and remember the final victory we have in our Savior, Jesus Christ.
