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 always, 17 the Spirit of truth, which the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows it. But you know it, because it remains with you, and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. 19 In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me, because I live and you will live. 20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father and you are in me and I in you. 21 Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.” 22 Judas, not the Iscariot, said to him, “Master, [then] what happened that you will reveal yourself to us and not to the world?” 23 Jesus answered and said to him, 24 “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; yet the word you hear is not mine but that of the Father who sent me. 25 “I have told you this while I am with you. 26 The Advocate, the holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name—he will teach you everything and remind you of all that [I] told you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. 28 You heard me tell you, ‘I am going away and I will come back to you.’ If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father; for the Father is greater than I. 29 And now I have told you this before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe. 30 I will no longer speak much with you, for the ruler of the world is coming. He has no power over me, 31 but the world must know that I love the Father and that I do just as the Father has commanded me. Get up, let us go.
Jesus spoke to his disciples about love, obedience, the Father, and the Holy Spirit. He told his disciples that if they kept his Commandments, it would be a demonstration of their love for him which would lead to him petitioning the Father to send another Advocate (Paraclete – Holy Spirit). The world does not know the Spirit of Truth who will be with them always and will remain in them to provide them with every grace needed to sustain them spiritually.
When Jesus physically leaves this world, he will not leave them orphans but will come to them spiritually and will live in them. They will come to a deeper understanding of the unity between the Father, Jesus, and themselves. It is an intimate relationship believers have with God through Christ. Those who keep Jesus’ commandments out of love for him will be loved by both the Father and the Son who will reveal himself to them and they will experience the indwelling of both the Father and the Son. The teachings that he gives the world are from the Father, so those who reject his word reject the Father’s word which prevents them from experiencing the indwelling of the Son or the Father.
The Holy Spirit that God will send in Jesus' name will help them to remember what Jesus told them, and they will then (after the resurrection) understand the true significance and meaning of his words and deeds. Jesus imparts his peace upon them so that they would not be concerned or afraid but, out of love for him, they should rejoice that he will be returning to his Father. Jesus foretold the disciples about his departure so that when it came to pass, they would continue to believe. Jesus warned them that Satan was coming and his time on Earth was almost at an end. Satan has no power over him, but he loves the Father and does as the Father commands.
Almighty God, teach us to love you as Jesus taught the disciples to love him so that we may experience the peace the world cannot give, and help us to keep his commandments so that You and Your Son will come and dwell in us. This we pray through the same Christ our Lord. Amen!
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References
Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.
Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.
Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.
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