Who is our teacher

Imagine if you were given a chance to go back in time for a week, to the time when Jesus physically walked and talked on the earth. How great would that be? If that happened then I know where I would be and what I would do. Wherever Jesus was that's where you would find me - following him around like a bad smell. Wherever he turned, I would be there. Whenever he stopped, I would stop too. I would do whatever was necessary to ensure I was close to him at all times. I would hang on his every word, listening to everything he said.
We know that Jesus was the greatest teacher ever. Even non-christians will usually agree with that. And if I ever did get the chance to go back in time then for that week the greatest teacher on earth, Jesus, would have the greatest student ever. I'm sure you would feel the same way.
But going back in time is not going to happen now is it. Which leaves us with a sticky question.

If Jesus is not here, then who is our teacher?

We know that if Jesus was here then he would be our teacher. He would know exactly what we need before we ask him. He could take the most difficult concepts in Christianity and explain them in a way that we would understand, wouldn't he? If we were having a problem, or needed some correction in our lives then he could sure do that. He might make up one of his famous parables, tell us a story, suck us in, and then deliver the punch line which would leave us speechless in repentance.

So if Jesus was such a great teacher, then what did he do about replacing himself? What alternative did he give us? Did he abandon us and leave us to our own devices? Who do we turn to now?

Please stop and have a think about that for a moment. When you're stuck and need advice who do you turn to? Do you go to your church leaders? I know that Jesus gave us ministers and preachers to teach us, but is that who we're supposed to turn to? Do we have any other options?

I can almost here some say confidently, in a pious voice:

Yes, God gave us preachers (or priests, or pastors). God gave us the "clergy" so that normal christians "laity" would not be burdened with these type of questions. All christians need to do is go to church and listen to the anointed man or woman of God deliver the message of the hour, and they will be taught. They should put their full trust in their leader on earth.

But I do wonder if that what was Jesus had in mind. Did he leave heaven, put aside his divinity, come down to earth as a mere man, live here for 3.5 years, give all this really amazing teaching, start a new movement (the church) and leave it's future to a bunch of men? How could he be confident that the chosen church leaders would stay on track and not corrupt the message? We've all seen many church leaders fall from grace. I doubt that's new to our time only. So why would he have such great faith in the leaders of his day? And even if he could trust the apostles he'd personally hand picked, then what about when each of them died. Would they choose their successors well? Would the message of Christianity eventually dilute so much that there would be no difference between the church and the world?

Maybe, just maybe, Jesus knew something that we don't know. Wouldn't you like to know what it is? Let's look at some statements that Jesus made:

John 17:4 I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.

By this statement Jesus showed that he'd done enough and finished his part. But if he's finished his part, then maybe there's someone else who needs to do their part. Did Jesus pass over responsibility for us to anyone else?

John 13:33 “My children, I will be with you only a little longer.  You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.
36 Simon Peter asked him, “Lord, where are you going?”
Jesus replied, “Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.”

Here Jesus is saying clearly that he's leaving. If I was his disciple, I wouldn't be too happy with that. Peter certainly wasn't. And he was ready with this bold macho response.

John 13:37 Peter asked, “Lord, why can't I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.”

We all know what happened to Peter, denying Jesus 3 times. I'm not sure that I would have done any better. So far we cannot find any evidence of Jesus passing the baton to someone else to teach us. But let's keep looking. (skipping ahead a bit)

John 14.15 “If you love me, you will obey what I command. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—

whoa! What did Jesus just say here? He will give us "another" Counselor. Is this the replacement that we've been looking for. The words "another" Counselor, means there must have been a first counselor. And Jesus would sure fit that picture nicely now wouldn't he. Let's look a little further. Who is this new counselor?

John 14:17 ... the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

This just might be the missing puzzle piece. Jesus clearly said that he wasn't going to leave them as orphans. An orphan is a child without a parent to teach them, feed them, look after them or care for them. An orphan is basically helpless - left to their own devices.

Although I shouldn't feel ever like an orphan, I have to be honest and say that until a few years ago, that was exactly what I felt like; lost, helpless, some good days, lots of bad days. I always thought I can't be tried hard enough, and if only I tried harder, asked more questions, went to church more, then maybe I could grow as a christian and overcome life's problems. Maybe if I knew more, read another book, went to another conference - something - anything - then surely that would make the difference and my problems would be over. I could finally be victorious as a Christian?

And that's when I first found the truth of this promise from Jesus. He boldly said that HE WOULD NOT LEAVE US AS ORPHANS. He would not leave us on our own. Although Jesus was leaving and would no longer be on earth himself, he had planned ahead and was sending a replacement, another counselor - one who could comfort us and counsel us in the same manner that Jesus did when he was here.

The simple truth is that Jesus didn't forget us. He didn't leave the future to chance. He deliberately and specifically passed responsibility for us from one member of the Godhead to another. God the son (Jesus) passed the baton to God the spirit (Holy Spirit). The spirit of truth was commissioned to be our new teacher.
Jesus didn't pass us off onto an angel or a spirit guide. He didn't pass us off onto an apostle, or a preacher. He didn't pass us off onto a bishop, elder or deacon. He passed us over into the care and responsibility of his equal - the divine Holy Spirit.

Did Jesus say any more about this?

John 14:25 “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

This certainly seems to confirm what Jesus said. He repeats his earlier statements. Later in John 15 he shows the partnership between the God-head, how the Father is the gardener who is training the grape vine and ensuring it is fruitful. To do that he has to cut off all dead wood. It's easy to understand how he removes the problems in our lives, but he also cuts back the good wood so it will be even more fruitful. In verse 3 Jesus reveals the tools that the Father uses to prune us:

John 15:3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.

First Jesus spoke the word. Then the Holy Spirit comes to live inside us to remind us of everthing that Jesus said (John 14:25). And in both cases it's the Father's word that Jesus is speaking, and the Holy Spirit is reminding us of. As we receive that word it teaches us, cuts off bad wood, prunes back good wood, and brings new growth into our lives.

John 15:7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8 This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

The Father wants us to bear much fruit, so the Holy Spirit has a busy job to do.

John 16:5 “Now I am going to him who sent me, yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 Because I have said these things, you are filled with grief. 7 But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.
  12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.

Once again Jesus reminds his disciples that he is sending a replacement. The Spirit will do such a good job, that he will lead them into "all" truth. The Spirit is not bringing a new message to the disciples. He's not speaking on his own. He's hearing the same message that Jesus got from the Father and relaying that to us. How far does this ministry go?

  John 16:14 He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.

Bottom line. There is only one person qualified to replace Jesus as our teacher. And that person is God the Holy Spirit. Only God himself in the person of the Holy Spirit can be trusted to not usurp God the Son. Only He will not be corrupted by the world, get a few degrees off, wander from the path, and build their own little kingdom. Only He will not dilute the truth, not even a little bit. The Holy Spirit will be just as effective as Jesus was because He's not bringing a new message with changes, improvements, modifications. He is simply repeating the original message that Jesus shared. And He will do that faithfully for every new generation of people born on earth until that day when Jesus himself will return in the sky and every eye will see him.

I'm not denying the work of the ministry, or of pastors, teachers and priests. All these are given by God to help us. I'm simply re-emphasising the replacement that Jesus himself authorised. The last message that Jesus gave to his disciples while eating the last supper was to get ready because He's sending the Holy Spirit. He could have chosen to teach about church leadership, or church structure. He could have chosen to talk about spiritual gifts. But in this final hour the message Jesus chose to emphasise was about his replacement; another counselor; from the same place Heaven; of equal power and authority; and with the SAME ORIGINAL message.

Did the disciples catch on? Did they acknowledge the importance of the Holy Spirit, or did they emphasise their own importance and function? Let's check on the apostle John.

1 John 2:20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. 21 I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth.

The "anointing" i.e. the HOly Spirit is our teacher. And the apostle Paul also said:

1 Cor 2:9 ... “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him”
10 but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.

God reveals truths to us by his "Spirit". Verses 10-16 continue Paul's theme and there's lots to feed on there.

Let me finish with a modern parable about teaching my daughter how to ride her bicycle. When she turned 5 we didn't have any flat ground where we were living so I didn't teach her for a long time. Finally when she was nearly 6 years old I decided no more excuses. For the next couple of months I put her bike in the car boot, drove up to the local primary school, and practised on the nice flat concrete netball courts. Once she was confident riding with the trainer wheels on, then it was time to take them off. That's when it got a little scarey and a little tiring. Scarey - because she could fall and hurt herself badly; tiring - because I was running after her all the time incase I needed to be close enough to catch her when she fell. And then came the time I dreaded - when I had to let go and let her do it on her own. Actually it came sooner than I expected. In that certain way that only a nearly 6 year old can do, my girl stuck her hand on her hip, looked me square in the eye, drilled me with her gaze, stomped her foot and said in a voice so firm you didn't dare question it "Dad. Let go NOW! I do it MYSELF!"

And that's the thought I want to leave you with. Growth will only come when you let go. I had to let go as the father and trust that she would make it. She had to let go of her security and launch out on her own. And yes it's scarey. Church leaders have to let go of their people. And us church members have to let go of the our leaders. We must stop treating them like a security blanket and let go of the fear of getting it wrong when we try ourselves. We need to develop that same attitude that my daughter did. We need to grow up, stomp our feet, and begin to say "I do it myself". As long as we depend first on others to feed us then we are helpless and remain as babies still on the bottle.
Church leaders and ministers will help us grow, but they are not our primary teacher. Jesus never entrusted us to a church leader sucn that we would depend on everything they said. He entrusted us to His Holy Spirit.

So how do we enroll in the class of the Holy Spirit and let Him become our teacher? More on that next time.

Disclaimer (I need to say this so you don't run off with the wrong idea).
Q. Are you saying we don't need church leaders? Aren't you just denying the leaders that God has given us?
A. I'm happy for church leaders to get 2nd place, but they should never usurp 1st place. The gold medal should always go to the Holy Spirit. I'm not anti church leaders. I'm pro Holy Spirit. I'm jealous for you to have a relationship directly with the Holy Spirit yourself. (2 Cor. 11:2)

Q. So that does mean we should stop going to church, as we don't need them?
A. We were born again into a family. And all families should spend time together. But it is a family, not a club, or an organisation that requires a formal structure or chain of command. One member of the family does not have the ultimate say. We all need each other in the family (so keep going to church). But most of all we all need the Holy Spirit.

Q. So how do I start in the classroom?
A. More on this next time. But I suggest you read Acts 2, 1 Corinthians 2 and 1 Corinthians 14.