I can’t imagine the confusion the disciples experienced when Jesus spoke these words. They had walked with the Lord for 3 years. Almost every moment of each day was spent in His presence. Now, He tells them He is leaving them. The thought of being without His physical presence was probably overwhelming and incomprehensible.

Yet, the Lord had a plan, an eternal plan set in place before they were born. He would not leave them alone. He promised a Helper, a Comforter, a Presence that would never leave them. From scripture we know they didn’t understand what He meant, but on the day of Pentecost they experienced the Holy Spirit and finally understood.

The disciples knew Jesus better than any person knew Him and yet they couldn’t understand much of what He said. After His death they grieved the loss of a friend, a teacher and the Messiah. They knew the promises He made to them were true, but they still grieved. I think the hope of the promised Helper helped them navigate their grief, but they still grieved.

Loss and grief are complicated. Even as believers, who know the promise of eternal life, we mourn the loss of a loved one. Hope doesn’t mean we don’t hurt. It simply means we can move through the pain knowing the Helper is with us through it all. As emotions shift, He never leaves us even when we don’t acknowledge His presence or when we’re angry at Him. We are never alone.

dailyinspiration #comforter #helper #griefandloss