The Spirit Of Truth

𝐌𝐀𝐘 𝟐𝟖, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓: 𝐒𝐈𝐗𝐓𝐇 𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐊 𝐎𝐅 𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑

𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐀𝐜 𝟏𝟕:𝟏𝟓-𝟐𝟐 – 𝟏𝟖:𝟏

𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐦: 𝐏𝐬𝐚 𝟏𝟒𝟖:𝟏-𝟐, 𝟏𝟏-𝟏𝟒 “𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐠𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐲.”

𝐆𝐎𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐋: 𝐉𝐍 𝟏𝟔:𝟏𝟐-𝟏𝟓

𝑲𝒆𝒚 𝑽𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆: “𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒅𝒆𝒄𝒍𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆.” (𝒗.13)

        Truth is defined in the dictionary as fact or reality and truth is something that we do not create nor is it something that came out of what we discovered. Truth is something that has been there all along and we can’t change the circumstance of what the truth is. In other words, truth is something we can’t change. It’s either we accept truth as it is or we ignore it.

         As man was created by God to possess all the faculties that would provide him with the opportunity to live life to its fullest potential, man is also in possession with the gift to discern the truths that he needs to know for himself the purpose and meaning of life and it should not surprise us to see man expending all his energies to know the truth.

         In the spiritual realm we are in, the transmission of truth is usually referred to as “revelation” and this Gospel passage today shows us how we can grasp the truths concerning our faith and the role of the Holy Spirit whom Jesus Christ pointed to not only as the harbinger of truth but someone who will move in us and give us the power to know and accept the Words of Jesus as truth.

         This passage should also end all arguments about the Third Person of the Trinity because it is as clear as day that Jesus referred to the Holy Spirit as a person when he said: “𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒑𝒊𝒓𝒊𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒕𝒉 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒔, 𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒈𝒖𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒕𝒉; 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒌 𝒐𝒏 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒚, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔 𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒌, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒅𝒆𝒄𝒍𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆.” (𝒗.13)       

         Many including those who call themselves Christians find themselves living a roller-coaster life and the only plausible explanation is because they may have taken the Holy Spirit for granted and we can’t fault them for that because it is difficult at times to regard the Holy Spirit who is a Spirit as a person and it would take tons of faith to look at the Holy Spirit as a person.

         However, if Jesus Christ defers to the Holy Spirit as a person, need we do otherwise. This is the first truth or revelation that we see and which we must accept from this Gospel passage – that the Holy Spirit is the one who will guide us to all the truths we need to know that we may know the purpose for why we were created and the meaning of life.

         There is also something very important that we all need to come to grips with in today’s Gospel and this is when Jesus said: “𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒅𝒆𝒄𝒍𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆.” (𝒗.13) in reference to what the Holy Spirit can do among other things. This is relatively important because if the Holy Spirit is going to reveal to us things and events that are yet to come, it means that there is no end to what God is going to reveal to us in our lifetime.

         The most common mistake that people make is to equate revelation to what the Scriptures say (𝘚𝘰𝘭𝘢 𝘚𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘱𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢) but what we should not forget is that when Jesus said the Holy Spirit will declare the things that are to come it means that the truths about God will be revealed to us based on our capacity to understand and comprehend these truths.

         And the reason why some people fear or would not care to listen to the truths about God is because of their apprehensions it would inhibit their freedom to think and act. But Jesus Himself said “𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒕𝒉 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒔𝒆𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆” (𝑱𝒏 8:32) and so we must look at these truths objectively because these revelations do not come from the Holy Spirit but which the Spirit only takes from Jesus Christ and declare it to us (𝐯.𝟏𝟒).

         These truths are what will free us from doubts, anxiety, unbelief and fears and when we accept these truths the more predisposed we will be to listen to His Word and our obedience is what brings us to a deeper knowledge of God and it is when we come to know Him more that we will also come to know the plan of God for us.

         When Jesus told his disciples the Holy Spirit will reveal the things that are yet to come, it also means it will be the Holy Spirit who will guide them in their mission and, comfort them when they are faced with persecution as they testify in his behalf.

         In like manner, it is the Holy Spirit in whom we can rely on for help as we also set out in our own mission as witnesses. It is through the gift of the Holy Spirit that is poured out in our community of faith, and it is this gift that equips and empowers us to proclaim the truths about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

         By the same token, it is also by the power of the Holy Spirit that enables us to speak boldly about what Christ has done for us and how we too have been crucified with Him on the cross and how we also have been resurrected and given new life (𝟐 𝐂𝐨𝐫 𝟓:𝟏𝟒).        

        Though it may also be a gift from God, faith will not grow without any effort on our part. This means that for faith to grow in us we must work on it which means we have to truly believe the truths that have been revealed to us and are being revealed to us each day.

         If at all, it will serve us well to know that not only do we have the same faith given to the Apostles, but we also have the same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead. (𝘌𝘥 𝘔𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘺 – 𝘔𝘢𝘺 28, 2025)