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Ministry and Majestyby The Rev. Stephen E. Stults Our Gospel selection for the day continues Christ’s farewell discussion with his disciples and highlights one major theme for us to consider: ministry. As you have no doubt noticed, all of the Gospel readings for the Sundays after Easter come from the Gospel of John and focus on Christ’s post-resurrection and pre-ascension activity. This activity is very much concerned with the Disciples’ mission after Jesus returns to heaven. We see this again in today’s reading, as Jesus is discussing his upcoming departure from this world with them. He is preparing them for life without His bodily presence on earth and tells them about the coming of a spiritual Helper; or, as the King James Version so beautifully puts it, the Comforter. By doing this, Christ is preparing them for their own apostolic ministry. This theme of ministry is also very much tinged with an overarching sense of majesty as Christ speaks of sharing “all things” with the Father, thus declaring his own Divine Majesty. Let us consider this theme of Ministry and see how it applied to the Disciples then and how it applies to us today. First, Christ tells his disciples in John 16:5: “But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, 'Where are You going?” Jesus is informing his disciples of his upcoming “homecoming” and is preparing them for his imminent departure. He continues, "But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. "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 depart, I will send Him to you.” I imagine that if we were to backtrack through time and sit with the Apostles during this discussion, we would find them experiencing two emotions simultaneously: sadness and puzzlement. As Christ, He told them, "But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.” All they know, now, is that their Teacher and Leader are leaving. They probably felt a little lost, maybe even a little disoriented. After all, it would be devastating indeed to hear that the One in whom you trusted would deliver Israel and the One who performed miracles in front of your very eyes was leaving you. Then, in addition, Christ adds a puzzling, or perhaps curious element to the discussion when he says that it is actually to the disciples “advantage” that He go away. Alternatively, in the wonderful language of KJV, it is “expedient” that He leave. Why is that? Not to be simplistic, but here is the simple, yet profound promise of this Gospel selection: when Christ goes up, the Holy Spirit will come down. We are fast approaching the two great feasts that attest to this fact. First is the Feast of the Ascension, where Christ ascends to his Father in glory. Then, about ten days after that comes Whitsunday, or the Feast of Pentecost. It is then that the Disciples have their questions answered in this current discussion with Jesus, as the Holy Spirit comes upon them with power. Under the power of the Holy Ghost, the Disciples will become new men, preparing them to be Apostles of Jesus Christ. Yet Pentecost has not happened yet. Thus, there is still a great question in the disciples’ minds. John Calvin tells us that Christ is patiently teaching and preparing His Chosen Ones to execute the Great Commission of Matthew 28:19, which says,
This is a daunting task and well our Lord knows it. That is why Jesus tells them that they will receive a Helper from on high if He departs. When Christ departs, He will “send Him to you.” Christ goes on to say in John 16:8-11: "And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 "of sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 "of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; 11 "of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. This is a bold statement, but we know that our Lord Jesus Christ always spoke the truth boldly and with clarity. John Calvin tells us, and Matthew Henry echoes this, that not to believe in Christ is sin. The Church calls it the sin of unbelief. With all the evidence of Christ in the world, in Creation, in the testimony of the Word Written and the continued witness of the Church, if one chooses not to believe, it is a sin. This concept may be difficult for us 21st century Americans to accept, with our pluralistic point of view and our “multiple choice” approach to life. Yet, this is a fact. If one has been called to grace, has actually heard the Gospel and then rejects it, it is sin. We Christians know that spurning God’s gracious offer of salvation and rest has eternal consequences. God calls all men to Him, yet, not all men respond to God’s Gracious call. This is indeed a great mystery. Christ also speaks of the Spirit convicting the world of righteousness, because He is returning to the Father and the world will see Him no more. The Holy Spirit does this in several ways. First, the testimony of the Spirit in the inspired Word of God indicates to the world Christ’s righteousness. No one debates this aspect of Christ, not even the humanist or the pagan. Even the godless philosophe Voltaire admitted to Christ’s human righteousness, as did all the great minds of the Enlightenment. Our own Thomas Jefferson, himself a brilliant humanist, produced an expurgated version of the Bible that removed all references to the miracles of Jesus and focused instead on His attributes as a Teacher and Lawgiver. This “Bible” is very much an 18th century Enlightenment piece of work. The Spirit also convicts the world of righteousness because of Christ’s Ascension to the Father, which, in the opinion of many Biblical commentators, is the ultimate proof of Christ’s Righteousness. That is, he came from Heaven, the Dayspring from on high, into the womb of the Virgin Mary, immaculately conceived. Some thirty -three years later, after accomplishing His earthly mission, He returns to glory. Only a truly righteous being could so do. In addition, the fact that the disciples would see Him no more is the greatest indication that His work on earth was complete. We believe that Christ sits on the right hand of God, glorified, having taken our humanity to heaven with him. Thus, we can be sure that we are justified through Him. Finally, the Spirit will convict the world of judgment “because the prince of this world is judged.” We Christians know that Christ was victorious over death and the devil after Calvary. His resurrection proved that most certainly. His victory over the worst the World could do is a resounding judgment of evil and its ultimate futility in the face of Absolute Good. Thus, while God, in His mysterious sovereignty allows Satan to meddle with the affairs of men for a season, in the end he is judged and he is dispatched to an eternity without God, as are “all the obstinate enemies of Christ’s Gospel.”1 As the risk of grossly oversimplifying a great and profound truth, the greatest aspect of the Christian worldview is that, in the end, Good Wins. It is to this simple, yet profound truth that we Christians cling. There is indeed a happy ending to the World as God sets aright his Creation so long marred and distorted by sin and rebellion. This will happen when Christ returns to judge the world in truth and equity. The question remains, how are the disciples to accomplish this great mission of Good News? How will this happen? It will happen because they will be equipped by and with the Truth. Christ tells them that when the Holy Spirit comes He will guide them into all truth “for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.” How did the disciples know that this was the authoritative Truth? As if the words of Christ Himself were not enough, how would they know that this saying came from on High? Jesus goes on to say, ”He (the Holy Spirit) will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.” So far we might not be convinced, until Christ says, “All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.” Here again is Christ declaring a bold statement: he is equating Himself totally with God the Father, declaring that whatever the Father has so does the Son. In fact, the Spirit will take what is Christ’s and show it to the disciples. If what is Christ’s is also the Father’s, it is the logical step that what the Spirit reveals to the disciples (and to us) is truly of God. Christ is readying His disciples to receive the greatest preparation of all for ministry: the Truth. With the Truth, they would become fearless ambassadors of the Gospel. So it is with us. As we receive the Truth of God in the Gospel, as we receive the Body of Christ in the Sacrament, and as we experience the joy of salvation in our souls, we too will become fearless ambassadors of Christ. Thus, we must let our joy overflow. Let it be visible to men so that they, too, want what we have. When this happens and you begin to share the joy that is within you, both you and one that hears you will grow in joy, peace and love. Remember that the joy of Christ is like an overflowing, never-ending bucket; the more one gives away, the more one receives. This is a great and wonderful mystery. Yet, most of all this is the ministry of the Spirit in your heart. This is the ministry of Christ to the World. “Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all.” I Chon. xxix, 14 [1] Henry, Matthew, Commentary on the Gospel of John |
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