The Spirit Abides

John 14:15-21

In the movie The Big Lebowski, the main character Jeffery Lebowski is lazy, chill, middle aged guy from LA nicknamed “The Dude.” Unfortunately for him, there is another person with the same name who happens to be a wealthy criminal and businessman. That Jeffery Lebowski is nicknamed “The Big Lebowski.” The drama of the movie is about all the crazy things that happen to The Dude because he gets mistaken by rival criminals as the other Lebowski, which lands him in all kinds of trouble and wild circumstances. As the movie concludes, The Dude is asked how’s he’s doing. After all he’s been through, he shrugs and says “The Dude abides.” He’s made it, he’s preserved, he abides.

When I shared earlier this week that this passage always reminds me of that movie, our office admin Paul Martin told me that there’s a lot of people who’ve written about the religious and philosophical symbolism of this seemingly meaningless comedy. I looked into it and found online discussion threads exploring the movie’s connections with Christianity, Buddhism, Taoism, and nihilism. I learned there’s books, podcasts, and even a website Dudeism.com that presents The Dude’s laid back philosophy as a spiritual way of life. So the movie’s closing statement The Dude abides isn’t just a fun coincidence like I thought, it’s an intentional reference to the Bible passage we read this morning. One where Jesus tells his disciples that, despite all the chaos and confusion of this world, the Spirit abides with them.

Because in a much more serious way than that movie, Jesus’ disciples would encounter all kinds of trouble and hardship too. After Jesus’ death and resurrection they would follow the Spirit’s lead to the ends of the earth proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God. This would lead to persecution and martyrdom for many. They would soon suffer a lot, and Jesus knew it might feel like he had abandoned them to face their troubles alone. So Jesus is warning them that soon he will no longer be with them in the flesh. He tells them what to expect and promises that he will not leave them orphaned, because a divine Advocate will come and abide with them.

Jesus later says that this Advocate will reveal to them everything they need to know. Everything about what to do, where to go, what to say, and as we’ll see in two weeks the Holy Spirit gives them ability to speak to anyone in any language about Jesus. So, even though Jesus’ presence won’t be as obvious as it had been, God will still be with them and guide them through this Holy Spirit, their Divine Advocate. They will not be abandoned or orphaned or alone. Because the Spirit will abide.

And this isn’t just about those first disciples who were present 2000 years ago that Jesus promised the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit to. It’s clear that this section of John isn’t just for Jesus’ disciples that were listening to him then; it’s a promise for all those who come after them and who believe through their word, as Jesus says in verses that follow. So this promise was not just for 1st century disciples, it’s a promise for 21st century disciples too! The Spirit abides with us and lives in us too. Jesus says this here and it’s a promise that was repeated to all of us when we were baptized. The Holy Spirit abides with us, lives in us. Calls us to discipleship. Guides us through life.

This same Holy Spirit inspired Paul in first reading we heard this morning from the books of Acts. In that passage we see a wonderful example of the work of the Spirit in action through Paul. Paul was on a missionary journey in Athens, Greece, the intellectual center of the ancient world. Paul begins by praising the Athenians for their religious devotion. He didn’t criticize them for their statues of other gods in the city; he didn’t criticize them for what he disagreed with. Instead he complimented them for the good he saw in their religion. He quoted Greek philosophers who said of God “in him we live and move and have our being.” And complimented their humility of creating an altar “to an unknown god” which used as a segue to tell them about Jesus. Paul first found what was good and true and beautiful about their religious worldview, told them what he’d learned from them, and then added his own wisdom about Jesus. Paul spoke to Stoics and Epicureans and didn’t dismiss their spiritual wisdom, he honored it. And only after showing how he appreciated their wisdom, did he add his own thoughts and share Christianity’s spiritual wisdom.

The same Spirit that guided Paul to share the gospel across the ancient world is the Spirit that abides with us. The same Spirit that empowered the rest of the apostles to bring the gospel to the ends of the earth is the Spirit that abides with us. The same Spirit that Jesus promised as a Divine Advocate and that descended on Pentecost is the same Spirit that abides with us. The same Holy Spirit that’s present with us today, that guides our lives, that lives in us.

And we know this Holy Spirit will not abandon us either. This Spirit will guide us in life. This Spirit will encourage us when we feel orphaned, abandoned, alone, or afraid. When we are in trouble, when we experience the darkness and storms of this life. When we feel so overwhelmed by life’s burdens. When loved ones share with us news of a terminal diagnosis. When we watch helplessly as family or friends fall into addiction, depression, trauma, or despair. When we feel suffocated by stress, anxiety, or grief. When we feel tremendous sadness and anger at all the war and violence in the world. When we fear for our neighbors’ safety as they experience injustice and poverty and prejudice of all kinds. When political realities leave us enraged and resentful at anybody who supports them. When it feels like we’re losing hope in humanity. When it feels like God must have abandoned this broken world. It’s then that Jesus reminds us that he has sent the Divine Advocate, the Holy Spirit, to abide with us, to walk with us, to live in us, to guide us through life.

Even when it feels like all hope is lost. Even when it seems like ignorance and evil are calling the shots. Even when we experience the worst moments of our personal life, or it seems like the whole world’s crashing down around us. Even then, especially then, we need to remember the words Jesus spoke in the Gospel reading today. The promise that the Spirit abides with you and is in you.

That doesn’t mean God’s going to magically make everything better. It doesn’t mean we’re not going to experience suffering or chaos or hardship. Just like those first disciples had to, we also will have our challenges to face. What the Spirit abiding with us does mean is that God has not abandoned us. That God is always with us. That God will see us through whatever we’re facing.

And so when we’re feeling frustrated with our lives or what’s happening in the world. When we’re feeling hopeless or depressed or angry. When we’re feeling lost or have no sense of direction or we wonder if God has forgotten about us. Remember Jesus’ promise that the Holy Spirit abides with you, lives in you. Trust that God is there even and especially when you don’t feel it. The promise of the Holy Spirit to abide with us, to be with us, to live in us, to guide us through life—even amidst all the challenges and hardships—is what Jesus promises to all his disciples. It’s a promise he made the night before he died. It’s a promise he fulfilled in the lives of his first disciples. And it’s a promise he will continue to fulfill in our lives too. That is good news for us this Easter season and always. Thanks be to God for the incredible gift of Divine Advocate abiding with us.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. +

Pastor Brian | May 10, 2026 | Sixth Sunday of Easter