“I Am Not Alone, Father is With Me”
(John 16:32)Yeshua never speaks to or prays to the Spirit. He never worships the Spirit, only his Father. His focus is alone on "the One who sent" him (John 8:16), the One who "is with me" (John 8:29).
Yeshua's silence about the Spirit echoes through Scripture.
Yeshua talks about the Spirit. He says the Spirit "proceeds from the Father," as does he himself (John 15:26; 8:42). He says, "It is the Spirit who gives life" (John 6:63). He also says, "The Son gives life to whom he wishes" (John 5:21).
Yeshua says "the Spirit of truth" will come and guide his disciples (John 14–16). He also promises them: "I am the truth...I will come...and I will disclose myself to you" (John 14:6, 18, 21).
Even though the Father anointed him with the Spirit (Matt 12:18; Luke 4:18), at no time does Yeshua say the Spirit is with him. Not even when he is in Gethsemane. There, he calls out only to his Father.
Again and again, Yeshua tells his people: "I will come to you" (John 14:28). "Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in their midst" (Matt 18:20). He is emphatic: "I myself am with you all, even to the end of the age" (Matt 28:20).
The Book of Acts records repeated fulfillments of his promise to be Shepherd of his own after his departure.
Putting it all together, we see that Yeshua describes the Spirit as both the Father's presence and his own presence. That is, when Yeshua comes as "the Advocate," it will be as his own post-resurrection, invisible, abiding, presence (1 John 2:1, Acts 16:7, Phil 1:19).
Yeshua also extends the borders of his promises to be an abiding presence by mentioning the Father's presence in the work (John 14:23).
"If anyone loves me, he will keep my word,
and my Father will love him, and We will come to him and make our abode with him."Decades later, the seasoned disciple affirmed: "Indeed, our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Yeshua Messiah" (1 John 1:3). He does not mention three.
Should we in our days ever feel absolutely alone, believing we are bereft of any evidence of the holy Presence, let's remember the two words Yeshua gave us: "I am not alone. I and my Father will come to you."
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