Towards the Ascension

John 16:8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

This verse has three words that describe the work of the coming Spirit to reprove, bring righteousness and judgement.

Let’s take them one at a time.  We can consider the action of reproving as to bring into the light that which is wrong, much like how we would talk of shedding light on a situation that until know has been hidden. 

The storming of the Bastille was a key event in the French Revolution. This prison fortress held many French prisoners, and when revolutionaries took the prison they began freeing prisoners.

One man, who had been held in the Bastille for many years, begged to be taken back to his cell. It had been so long since he had seen the sunlight that he could not stand the brightness. He preferred to return to his dungeon cell to die. However with reproval comes righteousness and can be understood as God's approval or being considered right in his eyes.  Think of it in this fashion: When God sees us he approves of us because we are a bearer of his righteousness.

And along with reproval and righteousness comes judgement. The New Testament proclaims that at some unforeseeable time in the future, God will  bring down the final curtain on history, and there will come a day on which all our days and all the judgments upon us and  each other will be judged. The judge will be Christ. In other words, the one who judges us most finally will be the one who loves us most fully.

Is it any wonder that Jesus promised a comforter and advocate who will lead us into all truth as we shall explore tomorrow. 

Father in heaven,

our minds were prepared

for the coming of your kingdom

when you took Christ beyond our sight

so that we might seek him in glory.

May we follow where he has led

and find our hope in his glory,

for he is Lord forever. 

Amen.