Another Paraclete

The text of a sermon preached at St Melor’s Church, Linkinhorne on the Sixth Sunday of Easter, 10th May 2026.

The readings were, Acts 17^22-31 1 Peter 3^13-end John 14^15-21

During these weeks of Easter at Morning Prayer we have been invited to read the story of the Exodus – that great formative experience for the people of Israel as they journey from slavery in Egypt towards their settling in the Promised Land.

During that whole journey God has travelled with them – a cloud leading them by day and a fire by night. Moses has spoken often with the Lord and has received the Law by which the Israelites will live for generations.

Their story is a story of a pilgrimage on which they embark, not only to find God but with him. He walks alongside all the way through the forty years during which they become more fully God’s people.

God has walked alongside them and will remain with them always.

Words from today’s gospel,

I shall ask the Father, and he will give you another Paraclete to be with you for ever,

Our attention begins to turn now towards the sending of the Holy Spirit as we approach Ascension Day and Pentecost, or Whit Sunday.

Here in today’s gospel reading, at his last supper, Jesus promises his disciples that God the Father will send another Paraclete (or in the translation we heard read this morning the Advocate or in the Authorised Version the Comforter).

The word paraclete comes from the Greek παρακλητος and means something like called to be alongside. In a legal context it had a sense of an advocate or someone who represents you in a court. It also carries a sense of one who comforts or consoles.

Jesus is preparing his disciples for what they should expect after his death and resurrection. It is inevitable that he must return to the Father, and so will no longer be with them as he has been for the three years of his ministry around first Galilee and later Judaea.

But he reassures them that they will not be left alone. Jesus promises his disciples four times that he will send the Holy Spirit – all of them in John’s gospel – and he uses the word Paraclete of the Spirit when he does so.

Jesus is not silent on the Holy Spirit in the other gospels. In all of them he tells his disciples that the Holy Spirit will be with them and that by the Holy Spirit they will be given the words to speak when they are persecuted and put on trial for their faith. They need not worry about what to say because the Spirit will speak in them.

Let’s think for a moment about the ways in which Jesus has been with his disciples, rather than with the crowds, or the scribes and Pharisees – both through his ministry and after the resurrection.

Jesus’ ministry was an itinerant one. He travelled from town to town. There he spoke in the synagogues, to crowds on the mountain, or on the lake.

But with his disciples he walks and talks with them. It is both companionship and dialogue; but it is also a time for him to teach them about who he is and what he is called to achieve. Together they walk the roads between places and discuss who Jesus is – and who they are in relation to him; how God is using Jesus to change the world and what their role will be in that mission.

When he calls them to follow him he walks up to them and invites them to follow him – to walk with him. They are criticised by the Pharisees for plucking the wheat as they walk and eating it without washing. Jesus takes Peter, James and John aside and leads them up the mountain where he is transfigured. Jesus comes alongside them in the boat when he walks on the water.

There are many events and moments that take place when they walk together, when they rest together – when Jesus is alongside them, away from the crowds.

And following his resurrection Jesus always comes up to his disciples and comes alongside them – Mary at the empty tomb; the disciples in the upper room; Thomas in the upper room; the disciples on the road to Emmaus; the disciples at the sea of Galilee.

Much of the experience of being one of Jesus’ disciples, and all of the most significant moments, happen when Jesus is alongside them. For them Jesus has been the one who comes alongside them – a Paraclete – the one who is beside them.

And now, here, at his last supper with his disciples he is alongside them again and he promises them another Paraclete.

Jesus has been the Paraclete for them for three years, now the Paraclete, fulfilling the same purpose for them will be the Holy Spirit – teaching, guiding, strengthening, comforting, counselling, leading, inspiring – just as Jesus has been doing with them for the last three years.

All the things that Jesus has done for his disciples during these three years will now be done by the Holy Spirit. In a sense nothing is changing – except that Jesus will not be physically with them.

There is a real sense of continuity in all of this.

God is a God who walks with his people and accompanies them on their journey giving them the Law.

Jesus walks alongside his disciples and reveals what he will achieve for them on the cross and in his resurrection.

The Holy Spirit is alongside us to guide, strengthen and renew us as we journey though our journey of faith always walking alongside us – making it for us a lifelong pilgrimage in which we deepen our relationship with the God who walks with us every step of the Way.