From the Zebra Bag   Musings from a follower of Jesus, husband , father and pastor

The Helper

As we bring this series on the Holy Spirit to a close, we are returning to some of our favourite Scriptures—passages I hope have become at least a little more familiar over the past few weeks. As we have sought to deepen and broaden our understanding of “The Familiar Stranger,” we’ve realised that our most reliable source of insight has, of course, been Jesus himself.

The place where Jesus tells us most about the Holy Spirit is in the remarkable, intimate conversations he shares with his closest friends in John chapters 14–17. These words are spoken as he prepares them for his impending death and eventual return to his Father. The question hanging in the air is obvious: How are they supposed to cope without his physical presence?

Jesus reassures them that God has this fully in hand. He promises that the Father will send the Holy Spirit—someone he refers to as “the Advocate” (John 14:16). Even more astonishing, Jesus insists that this will be better than having him physically present with them, as they had enjoyed for the past three years. If we’re honest, that’s a hard sell—for them, and for us. After all, we never had the privilege of walking with Jesus face to face.

The Helper: Parakletos

In these chapters, Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit directly four times, and each time he uses the Greek word parakletos. English translations render this word in several ways: Advocate, Comforter, Counsellor, and—in the ESV—Helper, which I’ve taken as the title for this message.

A longer definition often used for parakletos is “the one called alongside to help.” Each of the English translations carries its own nuance, but all fit beautifully within that larger meaning.

Let’s take a moment to reflect on those nuances.

• The Comforter is the one who refuses to leave us alone. Jesus says in John 14:18, “I will not leave you as orphans.” The Spirit is present with us in our pain and loss.
• The Advocate is the one who has our back. While the word can suggest legal imagery, it’s far broader than that. Romans 8 gives us a powerful picture of the Spirit actively helping us, interceding for us, and enabling us to resist the lies and deceptions of the evil one.
• The Counsellor helps us see differently. There was a time when seeing a counsellor or therapist was viewed as weakness, even instability. Thankfully, that attitude has largely changed. Good counsellors ask thoughtful questions, help us reframe our experiences, and enable us to understand our own stories more deeply. I know that many times—while listening to a sermon, reading Scripture, or engaging with a book—my thinking has been shifted or expanded. I believe that is often the Holy Spirit at work as our Counsellor.

A Helper from the Beginning

But these ideas are far more than Jesus’ solution to his physical departure. They take us to the very centre of God’s character and what he wants us to know about himself. To see that clearly, we need to go back to Genesis (no surprise there).

In Genesis 2, God creates a beautiful garden and places the man there to work it and care for it (2:15). He provides everything the man needs (2:16), and together they name the animals (2:19). It’s a stunning picture of companionship and shared purpose.

Then we encounter a striking statement in Genesis 2:18: “It is not good for the man to be alone.” That observation is fascinating. The man hasn’t complained. He has God himself for company. And yet God sees something deeper. He declares that aloneness, even in paradise, is not good.

God goes on to say that there is no suitable “helper” among the animals (2:20). I suspect this was not news to God—but perhaps it was something God wanted Adam to discover for himself. God demonstrates that he understands Adam’s needs, even those Adam doesn’t yet fully recognise.

These verses tell us so much about the character of God.

First, God is a God of relationship (the Trinity) and He created humans for relationship. Even in perfection, isolation is not good. Second, the relationship Adam needs must be suitable—a relationship of equality and companionship, not hierarchy. The English word “helper” can mislead us here.

The Hebrew word used is ezer, and in most of the Old Testament, ezer refers to God himself (for example, Psalm 54:4). That tells us something profound: this “helper” is not lesser, but strong, equal, and life-giving—reflecting God’s own character.

The Ultimate Coming Alongside

From the very beginning, we see that our God is a relational God, and that his creation is designed for relationship—with him and with one another. When that relationship was broken, God continually took steps to remain present with his people: the tabernacle, the temple, and ultimately, his Son.

Now comes what may be the final and most intimate step of all. God sends the Holy Spirit—not just to be with us, but to live in us and work through us. This is a whole new level of “coming alongside.” Perhaps we should even call it “coming inside.”

This is the ultimate Helper.

A Familiar Friend

So I wonder—what have you learned about the Holy Spirit during this series? Has “The Familiar Stranger,” someone you knew existed but found mysterious, begun to feel more like a familiar friend?

One who wants to come alongside and help you.
A partner. A companion.
One who has desired a relationship with humanity since the beginning of time.

The Holy Spirit is relentlessly committed to helping you fulfil God’s call and purpose in your life—reminding you how deeply you are loved, supplying power and gifts, and enabling you to take risks and do things that, on your own, would be utterly impossible.

That is the Helper…and He is closer than you think!