Day 9: Famous Goodbyes

Casablanca, The Breakfast Club, Titanic – a famous goodbye scene is what turns a movie into a classic.  The final farewell is where all the emotion of the main characters’ journey together comes to a climax and us, the audience, are left in tears.

I imagine many tears were shed during Jesus’s final night with his disciples before his crucifixion on a cross.  In John 14, we read about this climax of emotion between Jesus and his traveling companions of 3 years, his disciples.  Like many great endings, Jesus tells his friends that they will be better off when he goes, that they will do great things, and that he loves them very much.  The difference here is in leaving, Jesus actually is able to make things better for his disciples.  He plans to ask God for whatever they ask him for.  He plans to send them the Holy Spirit who will give them wisdom and understanding.  And he is going to prepare a place for their eternal destiny.  Unlike movie characters who are simply saying nice things to make the other feel better, Jesus will actually be working to make the future better for his disciples.

And the same is still true for us 2000 years later.  While we wait for Jesus, he still takes our prayers to his Father, God Almighty.  He still gives us his Holy Spirit to lead and guide us in all we do.  He is still preparing a place for when our bodies give out on this earth.  

And it is in those promises that we should find comfort in this amazing farewell scene.  This farewell, afterall, is part of the most famous story ever told.

Questions to Consider:

1. How do you see the role of the Holy Spirit in your life?  Given that role, does it make sense for Jesus to say it is better for you to have the Spirit than Jesus himself?  If not, is your view of the Holy Spirit perhaps too limited?
2. Jesus promises peace to his followers in this chapter.  Not a guarantee a conflict-free life, but a peace within the conflict.  How much of that peace do you experience?  If you lack peace, why?
3. Who does Jesus imply is the prince of this world?  How can you combat the very real spiritual battle against him?

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