He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears…
Jesus is giving last-minute instructions to his disciples. There is more that he wants to share with them than he has time for or they can bear. Instead, he will send them a helper he calls the Spirit of truth.
This Spirit of truth is not a random spirit or a rogue spirit but is a very special spirit. Jesus describes how this spirit works by saying “he will not speak on his own.” This spirit does not invent things to say or speak off the cuff. So what does he say?
Jesus gives us the answer to that question in the next verse. For today’s meditation, we look at how this Spirit of truth is obedient to the truth. He will speak only what he hears.
Would Jesus send a spirit that misleads? Would a spirit sent by Jesus have to guess at what should be said? No, this spirit is given a message for you. Especially for you. You can be sure that it does not have to guess at what to say. From God’s lips to your ears, the Spirit of truth speaks only what it hears.
Food for thought: What good is having the Spirit of truth in your life?