In today’s Gospel Jesus continues his Last Supper Farewell Discourse. Jesus begins this chapter by describing himself as the vine:
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower…Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.” (John 15:1, 4-5)
As throughout John’s Gospel we hear once again of our need for Jesus since he is the source of our life and vitality. Jesus is the Bread of Life, the Water of Life, the Resurrection and the Life, and Jesus is the Vine. We need to remain attached to the vine, to Jesus, to have life and bear fruit.
This Last Supper Discourse is also Jesus’ Farewell Discourse because he is going away. Yet Jesus promises that he will not leave us alone: “I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.” (John 14:18). In the meantime, Jesus will still be with us in the person of the holy Spirit as we hear in today’s Gospel:
“When the Advocate comes whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, he will testify to me. And you also testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.”
The Spirit is the presence of Jesus or the “vine” while Jesus is absent: “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth” (John 14:16-17). The Spirit will be the presence of God in the community to guide and to teach:
“The Advocate, the holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name—he will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.” (John 14:26).
Not only is the Spirit our Advocate but Jesus himself is our Advocate both during his earthly life and now in heaven:
“My children, I am writing this to you so that you may not commit sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous one.” (1 John 2:1)
Jesus and the Spirit are both our Advocates leading us, pleading for us, guiding us and exhorting us each day. May we be encouraged and guided by our Advocates today and always.
Image: “Bernini, Holy Spirit, Cornaro Chapel, Santa Maria della Vittoria” by profzucker is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.