John 14:26 (ESV) … “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”
Advocate The Greek term used here, paraklētos, refers to a legal assistant in a court who pleads someone’s case before the judge (compare 1 John 2:1). The judge is God, and people are judged based on whether they follow Jesus’ command to believe that eternal life comes through His death and resurrection (John 12:48–50). When on earth, Jesus was the means for believers to interact with God the Father since their sin prevented them from doing so directly. The Spirit is sent to do the same work. This is one of His many tasks. Paraklētos[1]
One of the most encouraging facts of Christianity is that the Comforter not only comes alongside but comes inside of us. One of the most devastating thoughts anyone can entertain when he is going through trouble is, “I am alone.” After that comes self-pity, and then the thought that “no one cares.” These are common feelings but unnecessary for the believer. When caring for a sick child the believing parent is never alone. He is not alone in the hospital facing death, or standing over a fresh grave, or at work, or on a missionary compound. Even when we do not feel Christ’s presence, he is within us.
Much of the indwelling comfort comes by virtue of the fact that the Holy Spirit in us is, as verse 17 says, “the Spirit of truth.” The Spirit of truth indwelling us allows us to begin to understand our inner self and to see and understand something about the course of the world about us. Because of that, we are comforted. He also brings comfort to troubled hearts by reminding us of the Word of God.
Hughes, R. K. (1999). John: that you may believe (pp. 345–346). Crossway Books.
In Christ & Friends Always,
Bro. Chris.
[1] Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., Whitehead, M. M., Grigoni, M. R., & Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (Jn 14:26). Lexham Press.