Welcome to this week’s episode, a special rerun from our Speaking of Life archive. We hope you find its timeless message as meaningful today as it was when it was first shared.
Watch video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Up1Y9dS3eKA
Program Transcript
Speaking Of Life 5025 │ Not An Orphan
Michelle Fleming
When I was growing up, I remember reading several books that had an orphan as the main character. Maybe you did, too. Remember Cinderella, Anne of Green Gables, and even Harry Potter? The children in these stories were left without parents, and their plots revolved around how well they fit into another family’s dynamic. Often, they felt like outsiders – unwanted and alone.
At the Last Supper, Jesus tried to prepare his disciples for what was coming: his betrayal, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. He reassured them that while things would be different without him present, they would not be alone. Let’s look at John 14:
If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him because he abides with you, and he will be in you.
I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.
John 14:15-20 (NRSVUE)
Notice that Jesus refers to “another Advocate,” the “Spirit of Truth,” who would always be with the disciples. Jesus was their first Advocate; now the Holy Spirit would be another companion who would always be with them. The Spirit’s goal is not to replace Jesus, but to share the presence of the Father and the risen Son to those who trusted them.
Since the Bible often refers to people as the “children of God,” it makes sense that Jesus would use the word “orphaned.” We’ll have the constant companionship of the Holy Spirit, and because of the triune relationship of Father, Son, and Spirit, we’re brought into their fellowship. We’re not like Cinderella who was mistreated and forced to become a servant. Instead, we’re welcomed into the family of God as cherished members, never to be left on our own again.
By sharing with the disciples about the Spirit of Truth, Jesus is telling them that life will go on after the heartbreak of the crucifixion. He says, “You will see me; because I live, you also will live.”
The resurrection was not the end of the story but the very beginning, thanks to the Spirit of Truth who will never leave us as orphans. May you know how completely you’re loved and accepted by the Father, Son, and Spirit, and may you trust that you’re never alone.
I’m Michelle Fleming, Speaking of Life.
Program Transcript
Speaking Of Life 5025 │ Not An Orphan
Michelle Fleming
When I was growing up, I remember reading several books that had an orphan as the main character. Maybe you did, too. Remember Cinderella, Anne of Green Gables, and even Harry Potter? The children in these stories were left without parents, and their plots revolved around how well they fit into another family’s dynamic. Often, they felt like outsiders – unwanted and alone.
At the Last Supper, Jesus tried to prepare his disciples for what was coming: his betrayal, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. He reassured them that while things would be different without him present, they would not be alone. Let’s look at John 14:
If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him because he abides with you, and he will be in you.
I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.
John 14:15-20 (NRSVUE)
Notice that Jesus refers to “another Advocate,” the “Spirit of Truth,” who would always be with the disciples. Jesus was their first Advocate; now the Holy Spirit would be another companion who would always be with them. The Spirit’s goal is not to replace Jesus, but to share the presence of the Father and the risen Son to those who trusted them.
Since the Bible often refers to people as the “children of God,” it makes sense that Jesus would use the word “orphaned.” We’ll have the constant companionship of the Holy Spirit, and because of the triune relationship of Father, Son, and Spirit, we’re brought into their fellowship. We’re not like Cinderella who was mistreated and forced to become a servant. Instead, we’re welcomed into the family of God as cherished members, never to be left on our own again.
By sharing with the disciples about the Spirit of Truth, Jesus is telling them that life will go on after the heartbreak of the crucifixion. He says, “You will see me; because I live, you also will live.”
The resurrection was not the end of the story but the very beginning, thanks to the Spirit of Truth who will never leave us as orphans. May you know how completely you’re loved and accepted by the Father, Son, and Spirit, and may you trust that you’re never alone.
I’m Michelle Fleming, Speaking of Life.
Psalm 66:8–20 • Acts 17:22–31 • 1 Peter 3:13–22 • John 14:15–21
This week’s theme is the Jesus asks the Father to send us the Spirit. In our call to worship passage, the psalmist finds words of thanksgiving and praise, even in the face of persecution and trials. In the Acts passage, Paul climbs the steps of the Areopagus, and amidst the gods of the Athenians, reveals the one true God who is calling them to repentance. In 1 Peter, the writer makes the connection between Christ’s sacrifice and the epic of Noah, which foreshadowed the sacrament of baptism. And in our Gospel passage for today, Jesus assures us that even in his physical absence for the earth, we are anything but alone.
Reminder: This introductory paragraph is intended to show how the four RCL selections for this week are connected and to assist the preacher prepare the sermon. It is not intended to be included in the sermon.
How to use this sermon resource.
Jesus Asks the Father to Send us the Spirit
John 14:15–21 NRSVUE
In 1976 a Seattle juvenile court judge named David Soukup was struggling with an abuse case involving a 3-year-old child. Judge Soukup realized he did not have enough information to make a decision about custody. And the child involved was too young to know what is best and speak up for themselves. In other words, the child was too young to advocate on their own behalf. It occurred to him that if only there was someone, approved by the court, who could come alongside children as an advocate, judges could make a more accurate and fair ruling.
As a result of Judge Soukup’s efforts to remedy situations like this, the organization CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) was born. CASA is now a nationwide organization training volunteers to come alongside children in the foster care system. These volunteer advocates have helped more than a quarter million children. Additionally, courts may provide a Gaurdian ad Litem to advocate for children.
It might seem like Judge Soukup created something brand new in 1976. But long before that courtroom idea, God had already shown his heart. Jesus once promised that no one who belongs to him would ever be left alone.
So, Jesus asks the Father to send us the Spirit. And God himself comes close as our Advocate — our helper — so we would never have to feel abandoned.
Last Sunday, we learned about Jesus’ conversation with his followers the night of his arrest. Jesus tells his followers not to be afraid because he is going to prepare a place for them with the Father, and he promises to come back for them. He explains that he is the way to the Father, and that anyone who has seen him has seen what God is like.
Let’s jump back into the story in verse 15 of the same chapter in John as last week.
15 If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. 17 This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him because he abides with you, and he will be in you.
18 “I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. 19 In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me, and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them. John 14:15–21 NRSVUE
Jesus begins with, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.“ It could sound like, “Prove your love.” But Jesus is not threatening them here. A threat would go against his nature, which is love. And neither does it say, “I won’t love you unless you keep my commands.” God loves us while we are still sinners (Romans 5:8). We don’t keep Jesus’ commands as payment or a transaction to get God to love us.
Jesus is describing what love looks like when it has already been received. Jesus’ commands are a way of life. It’s a way of living with God’s love flowing into you and love flowing out to others.
God loves you. And as you receive that love and love God, you are being formed to look like Jesus and love like Jesus.
And to empower us to be able to love like Jesus, he asks the Father to send us the Spirit.
John, the writer of this Gospel, has gone out of his way to make God’s love the central theme of the book. The word “love” shows up more than 50 times. John records Jesus saying this:
“I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34–35 NRSVUE
God’s love for us is displayed in the sending of his Son, Jesus Christ, to save us and give us new life. Jesus’ love is not just words. He lays down his life for his friends. In the same way, we love others by putting their good before our own, even when it costs us something. Love is our witness. Love is how people will know that we follow Jesus.
Let’s hear what else Jesus says to his friends and followers about the Holy Spirit.
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him because he abides with you, and he will be in you. John 14:16–17 NRSVUE
Jesus uses a word for Advocate that means “someone called in to help.” In those days, advocate could describe a person who stood beside you in court and spoke on your behalf. That is what Jesus says the Holy Spirit will be like — someone who comes close, stands with you, is for you, and does not leave.
Jesus asks the Father to send us the Spirit.
And Jesus says the Father will send “another” Advocate. Jesus is already our Advocate. John confirms this understanding of Jesus, writing:
My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 1 John 2:1 NRSVUE
On the cross, Jesus stepped into our place. As our advocate, he carried our sin and suffering on our behalf so nothing would stand between us and the Father. When he said, “It is finished,” he meant the work was done. Because of Jesus’ finished work, we are not orphans. We are welcomed home.
Jesus asks the Father to send us the Spirit. And the Spirit is the Spirit of truth.
Last Sunday, we heard how Jesus reveals himself as the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). Jesus is the truth. Later in his final conversation with his friends, Jesus continues to speak of the coming of the Holy Spirit after his departure. And Jesus promises, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth” (John 16:13 NRSVUE).
Jesus asks the Father to send us the Spirit. And the Spirit of truth will guide us to truth — to THE truth, the way, and the life — to Jesus. Don’t you long for truth? In a world full of noise, opinions, and half-answers, it can be hard to know what is real. Truth matters because it gives us something solid to stand on. Without truth, we drift. The Spirit comes to lead us to Jesus, who is the truth we can trust.
Let’s go on.
18 I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. 19 In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. John 14:18–20 NRSVUE
Jesus has already told his followers that he is leaving, going to the Father. So why does he say, “I am coming to you and even though the world will no longer see me, you will?” This question also gets at the heart of why do we need another Advocate?
Jesus is returning to the Father, but that does not mean he is stepping away from us. When he ascends, he takes his place as our risen Lord, reigning and praying for us. And because he is no longer standing beside us in the flesh, by the Father he sends another Advocate — the Spirit — so that God’s presence is not limited to one place but lives in every believer. After the Ascension, when Jesus is lifted up to his Father, Jesus is with us by his Spirit.
He does not abandon us. Jesus asks the Father to send us the Spirit. And he comes to us through his Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is our true friend, our comforter, our helper, our advocate. The Spirit will give us wisdom, lead us to truth, empower us to love like Jesus — to keep Jesus’ commands. When we forgive, when we welcome the stranger, when we are generous, when we tell the story of Jesus, we are loving like Jesus. And when we love like Jesus, we are simply joining what the Father is always doing through the Son by the power of the Spirit.
Now why did Jesus say, “Because I live, you also will live”? He is speaking of his resurrection. He defeats sin and death in our place, and his new life becomes our new life. His victory becomes our victory.
Verse 20 shows us the unity, the oneness of the Trinity. The Father is in the Son, the Son is in the Father, and through the Spirit we are brought into that relationship. In Jesus, God and humanity are united, and now we are welcomed into that shared life. There is one God, the Trinity, who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
The Father sends the Son to us.
The Son reveals the Father to us.
The Father sends the Spirit to us.
The Spirit brings the life of the Father and Son into us.
This is how God works — not distant but ever-present, moving toward us in love.
The Father, Son, and Spirit have always coexisted in a relationship of mutual love. Through the Incarnation — which simply means God came close to us in Jesus — we see who God truly is. In Jesus, God took on real human flesh. He lived our life, died our death, and rose again so we could share his life. And because he is fully God and fully human, only Jesus could do it, could be our substitute.
The intimate relationship that exists between Father, Son, and Spirit also includes us. As followers of Jesus, we do not simply stand close by and admire the beauty of the Trinity. We are called to join in that eternal dance of love. God is not currently holding out on us in any way. Life, abundant life, is available to us.
Sometimes when we hear a sermon about the Holy Spirit, it can feel distant or mysterious. We might think of dramatic moments or emotional experiences. But what Jesus promises here is something steady and personal.
The Spirit is not a force. The Spirit is God with you.
Think about the moments when you feel unsure — when you have to make a hard decision, when you lie awake at night replaying a conversation, when fear creeps in about your future or your family. Jesus says you are not facing those moments by yourself. The Spirit stands beside you as your Advocate — your helper — gently guiding, reminding, strengthening.
Maybe for you the word “orphan” hits close to home. Not because you lost parents, but because you have felt alone. Alone in your marriage. Alone in being single. Alone in your grief. Alone in your doubts. Alone in your faith at work or school. Jesus knew his disciples would feel that way after he left. That is why he made this promise before going to the cross.
Jesus wanted them to know that even when they could not see him, they would not lose him. And the same is true for us.
Because Jesus finished the work on the cross, nothing separates you from God. Not your past. Not your present struggles. Not your questions. The Spirit does not come and go based on your performance.
The Spirit is given because of Jesus’ faithfulness. Not yours.
And the Spirit does something beautiful. He makes the love of the Father real to you. He reminds you that you belong. He helps you cry out to God as “Father.” That word “Father” is not meant to be formal or distant. It is the language of trust. The Spirit draws you into that kind of closeness.
But the Spirit also sends us outward.
When you choose patience instead of anger, that is the Spirit at work.
When you listen instead of rushing to speak, that is the Spirit at work.
When you take a step toward someone who is hurting, that is the Spirit at work.
You may not see flames or feel dramatic power. But quiet faithfulness is often how the Spirit moves.
God is restoring the world one life at a time. And that includes your life. As the Spirit shapes you to look more like Jesus, you become a living sign that God has not abandoned this world.
So do not look for God far away. Do not wait for a future moment to experience his presence. The Father has sent the Son. The Son has finished the work. The Father has sent the Spirit through the Son. .
And the Spirit is with you now.
So, what does all this mean for us? For our shared life in this community of believers? It means the Spirit is among us, unifying us. And the Spirit is guiding us together toward truth.
The Spirit stands beside us giving us the strength to not turn away from one another’s weakness. The Spirit reminds us of what is true when we root out lies that may divide us. The Spirit helps us love when loving feels costly.
We are not orphans. We are included together in the very life of God. And that changes how we show up for each other.
We forgive because we have been forgiven.
We welcome because we have been welcomed.
We move toward what is broken because God has moved toward us.
God is already at work in this world — restoring, healing, drawing people home. And through the Spirit, he invites us to join him by living as a body of people who know they belong to God, they are deeply loved and never alone.
So, when we leave here today, remember this:
The Father is for us.
The Son is with us.
The Spirit is in us.
Jesus asks the Father to send the Spirit.
And that is more than enough.
Amen.
Carlos Padilla—Year A Easter 6
Listen to audio: https://cloud.gci.org/dl/GReverb/GR075-Padilla-YearA-Easter6.mp3
Sunday, May 10, 2026 — Sixth Sunday of Easter
John 14:15–21 NRSVUE
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Program Transcript
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Program Transcript
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Small Group Discussion Questions
- Jesus says he will not leave us as orphans. Where in your life do you most need to hear that you are not alone?
- How does seeing God as Father, Son, and Spirit change the way you think about your relationship with him?
- What difference would it make in your daily life if you truly believed God was that near as the Spirit who is Advocate, true friend?
- God is on a mission to restore what is broken in the world. Where do you see signs of brokenness around you — and how might God be inviting you to participate in his healing work there?
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