In John 14:15-31, we see Jesus continue to encourage his disciples in the face of what's to come: the cross, his death and resurrection. Jesus elaborates on a major advantage of his "going to the Father," which is the giving of the Holy Spirit. God's promises in scripture that he will always be with us take on a new dimension. Believers will experience the continuing presence of the Father and the Son through the Holy Spirit.

This text becomes especially powerful and encouraging for us in a 21st-century Canadian context in a culture gripped by a loneliness epidemic. Feelings of isolation and loneliness are high in many Western countries, including Canada. People are lonely, isolated, disconnected, busy, burnt out, and burdened. That might be you. Jesus' offer of new life, resurrection life, and Holy Spirit-empowered life is for you.

John 14:15-31 communicates that Jesus loves us and that when we choose to surrender our lives to him, he sends us the Holy Spirit, God indwelling within us. We are never apart from God. His presence is always with us, and this changes everything in our lives!