John 15:26- 16:11 (NEB) January 27, 2001

But when your Advocate has come, whom I will send you from the Father - the Spirit of truth that issues from the Father - he will bear witness to me. And you also are my witnesses, because you have been with me from the first.

I have told you all this to guard you against the breakdown of your faith. They will ban you from the synagogue; indeed, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will suppose that he is performing a religious duty. They will do these things because they do not know either the Father or me. I have told you all this so that when the time comes for it to happen you may remember my warning. I did not tell you this at first, because then I was with you; but now I am going away to him who sent me. None of you asks me "Where are you going?" Yet you are plunged into grief because of what I have told you. Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is for your good that I am leaving you. If I do not go, your Advocate will not come, whereas if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will convict them of wrong, by their refusal to believe in me; he will convince them that right is on my side, by showing that I go to the Father when I pass from your sight; and he will convince them of divine judgement, by showing that the Prince of this world stands condemned. (NEB)

CCI: Jesus offers to prepare us for difficult days.

It was the first new car I had ever owned. It was a Dodge Aires station wagon with a 2.2 liter 4 speed. We drove that vehicle a long time. I changed the oil in it every 3,500 miles, I had the brakes repaired when they were bad, I put tires on it when they wore out. However, after about 120,000 miles, the transmission started to grind at times. I had learned to shift without the clutch most of the time, but suddenly found that I was not able to doe that anymore. It seemed like something may be wrong. Finally, when I could go farther, I took my station wagon into the transmission shop. I told the mechanic what the car was doing and then I told him what was wrong: the clutch plate was bad. He asked if I had taken care of regular maintenance, and I said yes, after all, I changed the oil every 3,500 miles.

That afternoon he called me at home. "Sir," he said, "the clutch plate is bad, but the transmission was completely dry, when was the last time you checked it?"

Now, I believed that when I changed the oil, I had taken care of the transmission, so I told him I had just checked it, less than 3,500 miles ago. That is when I learned the horrible truth, the preventive maintenance I had performed was not complete. The transmission was shot, spider gears fell out of the casing and there was more metal in the pan than oil.

I thought I had prepared well, but I had never asked the right questions, in fact, I had never even read the manual which told me to how to maintain the transmission. By ignoring regular maintenance, I suffered a complete breakdown.

The very same thing can happen in our spiritual life. We don't plan for it, we never expect it. But at times, we are surprised by something that we had not expected, and our faith breaks down. Television programs like touched by an angel focus on times like that, the death of a child, the loss of a job, the betrayal of a friend, the rebellion of a teen, the end of a marriage. Any of these can be the occasion for a spiritual breakdown.

Jesus was well aware of that fact. Let's get a picture of what is happening between Jesus and the disciples. For three years Jesus had ministered in Galilee. He had drawn huge crowds wherever he went. They had witnessed him heal lepers, restore the sight of the blind, calm storms at sea, cast out evil spirits and even raise the dead. Less than a week ago when they came into Jerusalem, the crowds had filled the streets and hailed his coming with the words, "Hosanna, blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!" They had watched him take on the temple authorities with apparent impunity as he cleared out the money changers and merchants. He talked about a change that was coming, but they did not really believe it. He had told them they would be hated, but he had to mistaken. He had said He was going away, but they did not know where.

Now he lays out even more clearly. "They will ban you from the synagogue; indeed, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will suppose that he is performing a religious duty." That's pretty blunt. Why would he say this, even if it was true, why would he tell his disciples this? Some have suggested that this warning is proof that these words of Jesus were written by the early church to explain what was happening, rather than being Jesus words. However, the strange nature of the words, make them all the more understandable. Jesus knew they would be facing difficult days, he knew what lay ahead, and the warning that is here is given so they will be prepared and will carry out preventive maintenance. They are to prepare themselves for the hatred of the religious leaders. It tell you this so you will be prepared. I am warning you.

On Thursday, I was listening to AM radio and Rush Limbaugh, as he was going to a break said, "I'm warning you, what they will try next will make you want to throw up." He wanted to warn his listeners and prepare them. The President has been doing the same thing as he has spoken to the American people. On September 20, he said, "Now, this war will not be like the war against Iraq a decade ago, with a decisive liberation of territory and a swift conclusion. It will not look like the air war above Kosovo two years ago, where no ground troops were used and not a single American was lost in combat.

"Our response involves far more than instant retaliation and isolated strikes. Americans should not expect one battle, but a lengthy campaign unlike any other we have ever seen. It may include dramatic strikes visible on TV and covert operations secret even in success."

In other words, get ready, don't let your will breakdown when things get difficult. And then on October 7, the day bombing began, he addressed the American people with these words, "In the months ahead, our patience will be one of our strengths -- patience with the long waits that will result from tighter security, patience and understanding that it will take time to achieve our goals, patience in all the sacrifices that may come." Beware! Don't let the unexpected overthrow your faith!

And the warning provided strength to the disciples and to their followers. But Jesus makes an interesting statement just after this, it is a statement we need to hear today. Jesus said, "None of you asks me 'Where are you going?' Yet you are plunged into grief because of what I have told you." Do you hear what Jesus is saying? Because you would not ask the questions that are eating away at you, you are sad. In fact, because you will not ask the questions that are on your heart, you are in grief.

Jesus had told them he was going away, every one of them wondered "Where?" But none of them asked. Thomas almost did in chapter 14. But he stopped short. They did not understand his answer, but they did not ask for explanation. And so their unasked questions swept over their hearts and they grieved.

So often we are afraid to ask the questions that come to us. I have heard numerous stories of people who when they were children asked puzzling questions about the Bible and the Christian faith. Questions like "How did Jonah stay alive in a whale's stomach, didn't he get digested?" Or, "Why didn't Jesus just make the bad people go away?" And most of these people tell me they were told, "Don't ask things like that, it's just true and we believe it." They have told me that they stopped asking questions after a while. And I understand why. Maybe that is what the disciples had done. Perhaps they were afraid to ask the question. And so instead there was grief in their hearts.

If I could encourage you to do just one thing that will strengthen you faith more than anything else, it would be something that would probably sound strange to you. It's this, "Don't be afraid to ask questions about your faith!" If you don't understand, or something does not make sense. If there is something in the Bible that is confusing, whatever it is, ask the question. There is no question that God will reject. He will never get angry if you ask a question honestly and in faith.

In fact, dealing with our questions is a primary role of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, "If I go, I will send the Holy Spirit." The name he gave the spirit in this passage is "Paraclete" the word means, "One who is called alongside." It has been variously translated, "Advocate," "counselor", "comforter", and "helper." The role of the Spirit is to walk with us and teach us.

He is the one who brings conviction, he is the one who reveals Jesus' character, he is the one who will pass judgement. But as your comforter and your helper, you can be sure he will do it gently and with love.

Jesus provided us with a warning so we would be prepared for difficult times that will come. We can help in the preparation by being honest with God about the questions and the fears we face. Preventive maintenance, that is, the work that will keep us strong when we are attacked, is a task that is best suited to the Holy Spirit. He is the one who will prepare us, equip us, teach us, convict us and empower us. However, there is something we can do. We can become acquainted with God's revelation. We can come to know Jesus in a personal, intimate way by encountering him the Bible and by spending time in prayer and meditation. We can hear the call of the Comforter as we study the scriptures and let the Holy Spirit use them in our lives.

A sailboat is only stable if the keel underneath is the right size. No matter how pretty the boat is, unless the keel is appropriate, the boat will not stay upright. It is the stuff below the surface, it is the soul work that makes a difference when we encounter storms. And it is the preventive maintenance of the Spirit that will prepare our souls for the storms.

Today, Jesus has opened his arms wide and invites you to come to him and find rest. He will prepare you for whatever lies ahead. He will hear your questions and lead you to answers. If you have been trying to maintain your life yourself, then stop and let Jesus have the job. His maintenance plan will prepare you better than anything you have ever tried.