Jesus' death and resurrection throw down sin and death and give new life. But the death and resurrection of Jesus don't do you any good unless their benefits are delivered to you, given to you, and bestowed upon you. We are shifting away now in our Easter Season readings from just focusing upon Christ's resurrection to how that resurrection benefits us. On the cross and from the empty tomb, Jesus has accomplished salvation. But it is by the coming of the Holy Spirit that salvation is delivered, that is, given to you. Jesus says that He must go away so that the Helper or Comforter can come. Jesus has come and accomplished His work: He has suffered and died for your sins. Now He returns to the Father and sends the Holy Spirit whose job is to deliver that salvation to you. This is the Holy Spirit's job: to make sure you receive what Christ has done for you. The Holy Spirit's single purpose and work is to receive what is Christ's—the forgiveness of sins—and deliver it to you, so that you can always be certain that your sins are forgiven. So it is that Jesus teaches His disciples about the Holy Spirit even before His death so that they will be prepared for the time when He ascends into heaven and the Holy Spirit comes to deliver His salvation.
Let's understand something clearly today, as we learn about the Holy Spirit from Jesus' Word. The Holy Spirit is NOT a trump card so that we can do whatever we want or whatever is against the Scriptures and then just say, “The Spirit led me.” The world is full of churches who teach that you do things based on your feelings and yet call it the “Holy Spirit.” People trust in themselves, and their feelings. They think that if they feel good about themselves, that's the “Holy Spirit” guiding them. Many have even wandered off into perversions and wickedness saying such things as “The Bible may say this or that, but the Holy Spirit is leading me and telling me that what I'm doing is OK.” But the worst sin we can get tangled up in is to think that we can go on sinning as long as we “feel” forgiven and think the Spirit is somehow telling us that what we do is OK. Here we are to learn from Jesus' words that the Holy Spirit does not ever come to us apart from His Word. That means the Scriptures. Repent of any idea you might have that somehow anything against the plain words of the Bible can be the Holy Spirit! Every thought and idea and notion that we have must be tested by the Scriptures because it is by God's Word that the Holy Spirit works in us and by no other means. Don't go looking for God somewhere apart from His Word and Sacraments because you will not find Him. Likewise, don't neglect and cut yourself off from the water, word, body and blood because there will be no forgiveness and grace for you then for those are the only places where the Spirit is delivering Jesus.
Jesus tells us exactly what this Comforter's job will be: “He will lead you into all truth for He will receive what is mine and announce it to you.” The Holy Spirit's job is to receive what is Christ's and deliver it to you. The Spirit doesn't come to contradict or deny Christ but to receive what is Christ's and give it to you. What is that? In short, the forgiveness of sins. Christ suffered and died on the cross in order to take away your sins. On the cross, the Lamb of God was offered and sacrificed to pay the price of your sins. By His resurrection, Jesus shows that our sins have been buried forever. Now you need to know that. You need to receive it so that you can be certain of it. That's where the Holy Spirit comes in. He delivers that forgiveness of sins through the Word and the Sacraments. We call them, as the catechumens learned, the Holy B.A.G.S. Baptism. Absolution. Gospel. Supper. By those ways, the Holy Spirit delivers what Jesus won for us, that forgiveness of sins. If it's not in and with those gifts, of Baptism, Absolution, Gospel and Supper, then it's not the Holy Spirit, no matter how good it may make a person feel. If it's not in the BAGS, it's not the Spirit whom Jesus has sent. And if it's not the Holy Spirit, Christ's forgiveness is not delivered to us. Jesus sends the Holy Spirit with the Gospel and Sacraments so that against your sinful flesh and the world and the devil, you'll never have to wonder whether your sins are forgiven or that you're a child of God.
What does the Holy Spirit deliver? Forgiveness of sins, yes. But Jesus also lays out for us how He does that. First, he will convict the world of sin because it doesn't believe in Christ. The Holy Spirit is the one who, through the Word and Sacraments, gives you faith which trusts in Jesus. To say that you believe in Jesus is not some accomplishment of your own, some decision you made. It is the work of the Spirit who brings you not a shaky and uncertain faith but one which clings to Christ. Second, He will convict the world of righteousness because Jesus goes to the Father. Your righteousness is Christ. His life. His death. His resurrection. The Spirit teaches you, by the Word and Sacraments, that His righteousness is YOUR righteousness. Jesus' life, death and resurrection are yours. Third, the Spirit will convict the world of judgment because the ruler of this world is judged. This is also the Spirit's work: to teach you that the ruler of this world is judged, that the Devil has no power. That he has been defeated and thrown down and cannot rule over you, accuse you, or harm you. Because the Holy Spirit has brought you to faith, because your righteousness is with Christ at the right hand of the Father, and because the Devil has been judged, you are saved. Your sins are forgiven. Everything the Holy Spirit is about is delivering that salvation to you and by the Word teaching and reminding you of what Christ has done for you and what that means.
Jesus calls the Holy Spirit the “Helper” or the “Comforter.” And here is the most important thing to know about the Holy Spirit. His job isn't to come and condemn you for your sins. It's to deliver Christ's forgiveness. When you are troubled by your sins, worn down by the world, tempted and tortured by the devil, the Holy Spirit's work is to deliver more Christ. More Jesus. More living in your Baptism. More absolution for the sins that trouble you. More preaching of Christ's cross and victory over sin and death. More body and blood to eat and drink to keep you in the faith. Need more Jesus? That means more Holy Spirit working by the water, word, body and blood. His job is to COMFORT you. Most people want a Holy Spirit who is the excuse for whatever they do that makes them feel good, even if it's against God's Word. But the true comfort of the Spirit is that God is not your enemy. He is not against you. He doesn't hate you. He's not going to punish you. The Spirit's comfort is to receive what is Christ's and give it to you. That means forgiveness, life and salvation against every enemy of body and soul.
James reminds us in his epistle that we have received the “implanted Word.” That's the Spirit's job: to implant the Word in you. He implants it by pouring water on you, preaching into your ears and filling your mouth with Christ's body and blood. And it's not just some generic “Word,” it's the Gospel, the Good News, the forgiveness of sins won for you by Jesus on the cross. It is good that Jesus goes to the Father. That way the Helper, the Comforter, the Holy Spirit will come. And that way all that good things that Jesus has accomplished and won for you are now yours. For the Spirit receives what is Christ's and announces it to you. That's what He does. And that's how you are saved. In the Name of Jesus. Amen.
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