Pastor Sullivan's Blog

Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed. Alleluia! In today’s gospel lesson Jesus promises to send the Holy Spirit, the Helper and Comforter, to His disciples. Forty days after His resurrection He will ascend into heaven and go to His Father. Ten days after that He will fulfill today’s promise by sending the Holy Spirit. Jesus tells them this to console them and teach them what the Helper, the Comforter, will do. Jesus says, “ W hen He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. ” But before the Comforter can comfort, He must convict and rebuke. First He will convict the world of sin. This is necessary because the world cannot recognize its own sinful state. Everyone is born having original sin. All men have this defect in their nature so that they don’t truly fear, love, and tr...

Grace and Peace be unto you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Jesus tells His disciples that He goes away to God the Father. He speaks this on Maundy Thursday, the night in which He was betrayed. Sorrow fills the disciple’s hearts, and understandably so. But Jesus consoles their troubled hearts, “ Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. ” Jesus promises the Helper, who is God the Holy Spirit, whose coming we will celebrate in three weeks on Pentecost. In some translations the word is translated “Comforter,” while others transliterate it: “Paraclete.” As Christ says this to His disciples, He approaches His suffering and death for the sins of the world. He will accomplish the atonement and declare from the cross “ It is finished ” (John 19:30). Christ runs His course. He atones for the sins of the entire world. But then He must go ...