Our Royal Helper John 15 26ff
May 17, 2026
Rev. Nathan J. Rusert
Exaudi, Seventh Sunday of Easter 17-May-2026 Sermon Text: John 15:26-16:4 Sermon Theme: “Our Royal Helper” I. He Proceeds From the Father and The Son! (Vs.26a). II. He Testifies of Jesus! (Vs.26b-27) III. He Preserves Christ’s Church (16:1-3) IV. He Keeps Us In Jesus’ Word!(vs4) by Rev. Nathan J. Rusert
Episode Notes
Exaudi, Seventh Sunday of Easter 17-May-2026
Sermon Text: John 15:26-16:4
Sermon Theme: “Our Royal Helper” I. He Proceeds From the Father and The Son! (Vs.26a). II. He Testifies of Jesus! (Vs.26b-27) III. He Preserves Christ’s Church (16:1-3) IV. He Keeps Us In Jesus’ Word!(vs4) by Rev. Nathan J. Rusert
I.N.R.I. Alleluia! Christ is Risen! Alleluia! Jesus is Ascended! How should we respond? “He is ascended indeed! Alleluia!” Or do we sing with David in the 68th Psalm, Psa 68:18-19 You have ascended on high, You have led captivity captive; You have received gifts among men, Even from the rebellious, That the LORD God might dwell there. (19) Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loads us with benefits, The God of our salvation! Selah.
What does the ascension of the God/Man Jesus to the highest heaven mean? He now rules over all things - visible and invisible. Not only as God as He has from eternity, but now also as True Man. He now fills all things. Not only as God as He has from all eternity, but now also as True Man. He has led captivity captive - Satan is defeated by the Second Adam - Jesus. The fallen angel, the murderous liar, the devil who took mankind captive by a tree and a lie is defeated by a tree and the Truth. The God/Man Jesus - The Truth crushes Satan’s serpentine head and forever closes his accusing hissing by sacrificing Himself for us sinners on the Tree of the Cross. We overcome the devil accusations that we are damned sinners by the blood of the Lamb cleansing us new, forgiven, children of God our Father every morning. Death is lead captive by the God/Man Jesus. He swallowed up Jesus’ lifeless body in the grave, but three days latter - Jesus shatter his ugly maw forever breaking death’s teeth and sting. Death is led captive by Jesus - The Life - ruling over all creation at the Father’s right hand. Death has lost its claim on creation. The God/Man has led uncertainty captive. The Way to the Father is through the flesh and blood of Jesus - conceived by the Holy Spirit, crucified, risen, ascended, filling all things with His gracious rule, and coming again visibly in glory to judge the faithful and the unbelieving.
God the Holy Spirit teaches us through David that Jesus ascension gifts us with cross won - empty tomb certified forgiveness; with rescue from the devil and death by the resurrection; with sure and certain salvation by the ascension and enthronement of our Brother and Savior - our God has done all to save us - we are reconciled to God our Father. Jesus’ Kingdom in heaven and here on earth blesses us with His righteousness, innocence, and blessedness. He proclaims that you are His own within His Church. His Life is yours - your sins are His - you are forgiven for God now dwells among men in His Church through His Word spoken and daily loading us with His benefits in baptism, absolution, Gospel preaching, and His Supper.
Rejoice for daily He loads you with the greatest benefit with His Church. He calls you again today through the Gospel to believe in Jesus! Rejoice in “Our Royal Helper” I. He Proceeds From the Father and The Son! (Vs.26a). II. He Testifies of Jesus! (Vs.26b-27) III. He Preserves Christ’s Church (16:1-3) IV. He Keeps Us In Jesus’ Word!(vs4)
I. “The end of all things is at hand” our Royal Helper testifies through the pen of St. Peter in today’s appointed epistle reading. Who is this Royal Helper? The Truth testifies (vs.15) The Helper, Paraclete in Greek, sometimes translated “Comforter.” Literally a “Paraclete” is a person summoned to your side for your aid. He is your Advocate pleading your case before the judgment seat of God. He is the Third Person of the Holy Trinity.
Eternally God the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. During the forty days after His resurrection Jesus taught His disciples the promise of the Holy Spirit’s coming in full measure. Even before He ascended He told them to wait in Jerusalem for their Royal Helper. Upon His ascension and enthronement Jesus the God/Man will send the Holy Spirit from the Father. Here we glimpse the mystery of the Godhead. From eternity the Son of God is eternally begotten of the Father, and the Holy Spirit eternally proceeds from the Father and the Son - yet they are all coequal, coeternal, councreated.
Contrary to false teachers. The Holy Spirit isn’t a feeling, or a vibration from God. He isn’t a separate God. There is only one true God - He is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God the Holy Spirit is a person within the Godhead.
II. What does our Royal Helper do? (26b) He testifies of Jesus. Where God the Holy Spirit is truly present the conversation is always about Christ Jesus. As one Lutheran put it, “All theology is Christology.” Or as our synod stated in 2017 as we celebrated the 500th anniversary of the Reformation - “It’s still all about Jesus!”
Charismatic movements and pentecostal churches chatter and babble about the Holy Spirit, but they don’t know Him. He isn’t found in their hyper emotional worship music and feelings. He is only found in the Word of God testifying about Jesus. This isn’t my opinion - it is Jesus’ Word - Our Royal Helper - God the Holy Spirit - Jesus says, ‘He will testify of Me!”
How does the Holy Spirit testify of Jesus? Is it through a vague feeling, perhaps a dream, or a vision we have? Never. It is through His Son - Jesus - The Truth. Where do we find Jesus? In the apostolic Word (Vs.27) On that same night Jesus instructed His apostles, Joh 14:26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. The Holy Spirit gave the apostles total recall. He brought to the apostle’s remembrance all things that Jesus did and testified during His three years of public ministry. As you study Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John you hear the voice of Jesus, you see His works among men - the Gospels are historically accurate documents carefully preserved and passed down through eons. They are verified by Roman and Jewish historical records. They are verified by archeological evidence. Only lazy ignorant scholars scoff at Jesus’ Word recorded by the apostles.
After Jesus’ ascended into heaven. The Church gathered in the large upper room at John Mark’s parents house in Jerusalem. Peter and the other apostles minds were opened to understand that all the Old Testament testifies of Christ Jesus. Peter calls the disciples to find a replacement for Iscariot. History records Peter’s speech, Act 1:20-23 "For it is written in the Book of Psalms: 'LET HIS DWELLING PLACE BE DESOLATE, AND LET NO ONE LIVE IN IT'; and, 'LET ANOTHER TAKE HIS OFFICE.' (21) "Therefore, of these men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, (22) beginning from the baptism of John to that day when He was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection." (23) And they proposed two: Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. After prayer the lot fell to Matthias. Note well an apostle had to be an eyewitness hearer and follower of Jesus from the beginning of His public ministry - His baptism by John on the banks of the Jordan River - to His ascension into heaven.
God the Holy Spirit works only through the Word of God. The written Word of God recorded by Moses, the prophets, the evangelists, and the apostles. The visible Word of God in the sacraments. A sacrament is where Jesus attaches His Word of Promise to something we can see, feel, touch, or taste. Baptism is water and Christ’s Word. The Sacrament of the Altar is Christ’s Word blessing bread and wine. Anything that is peddled as the work of the Holy Spirit apart from the Word of God and the Sacraments is from the devil himself. Beware, many false spirits infest the world in these last days of world history. They deny Jesus has come in the flesh. They deny the Holy Spirit works through the spoken Gospel Word, baptism, absolution, and the Lord’s Supper.
III. Our Royal Helper is by our side preserving Christ’s Church. (Vs.1-3) Where the Gospel is preached, confessed, and lived before the world - the cross will come. On the way to Gethsemane Jesus tells His Church, Joh 15:20-21 Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. (21) But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.
From the beginning the false church has persecuted the True Church that clung to God’s promise of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus alone. Cain couldn’t tolerated Abel’s Christ centered cross focused faith - so he murdered his own brother. The prophets in the Old Testament were persecuted by the compromising priests. John the Baptist is beheaded because the priests compromised with the times. Instead of upholding marriage as God’s sacred act for life, they wanted the favor of King Herod, unwilling to call him to repent. Jesus was arrested by the temple guard, excommunicated from the Temple, then handed over to Pilate to be executed as a treasonous traitor to Rome.
Saul of Tarsus was zealous for the Temple and the Law. He was certain that the followers of The Way were blaspheming God. He rejoiced to see the confessing followers of Jesus silenced by stones, arrested, thrown into prison, and executed. The false church always persecuted the True Church.
Wycliffe, Hus, Savonarola, Luther didn’t seek to split the Christian Church, but to return it to the Word of Christ. They were excommunicated for speaking the Truth. The Truth of the Apostolic witness - that sinners are saved by God’s grace through Holy Spirit Gospel given and sustained faith in Jesus Christ as the only Lord and Savior. The Redeemer who through His flesh and blood alone has reconciled us to our God and Father.
To this day the false church persecutes the Truth of God’s Word. Seeking the favor of the world, churches compromised the truth of the first 11 chapters of Genesis. Our world is created, not a cosmic accident. Human beings are created male or female - written upon their biology. Marriage is defined by our Creator - the union of a male and female - husband and wife - for life - for the procreation of children. Children are a blessing from God, not a problem to be aborted. Compromising the truth - false churches empower the state to persecute the True Church.
For example the Lutheran Church in Finland compromised the truth of the Holy Bible. Now its supreme court has convicted a confessional Lutheran pastor and a government official who two decades ago wrote a pamphlet -“Male and Female, He Created Them.” - They are spreading hate. Sadly we see the same in Canada, and England. The Church must boldly confess the truth - it sets the culture - compromising the Truth only leads the culture to self-destruction - for the false church and nations.
IV. Our Royal Helper preserves Christ’s Church. 70 years the heresy of communism sought to wipe Christianity from the Soviet Union. After it fell - the Church was still present. Mao Zedong’s progressive communist revolution in China sought to destroy Christ’s Church. Today though severely persecuted the Christian Church is booming as the Holy Spirit calls, gathers, enlightens, and keeps Christians in the one True Faith in hidden house churches.
Jesus promises (vs.4) The Church is preserved as The Holy Spirit brings to our remembrance all that Jesus has spoken. His Word alone sustains and strengthens us.
Jesus has not left us as orphans - He now floods our ears with His Royal Helper to fill our hearts with hope! Joh 14:18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. How does Jesus come to you: Joh 14:23 , "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.”
Cling to His Word by the Holy Spirit! “I baptize you!” The promise He made through Ezekiel is fulfilled: “I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. (27) And I will put my Spirit within you..”“I am with you always - even to the end of the world!” Alleluia Christ is risen! Alleluia Christ is Ascended! Amen.
Sermon Text: John 15:26-16:4
Sermon Theme: “Our Royal Helper” I. He Proceeds From the Father and The Son! (Vs.26a). II. He Testifies of Jesus! (Vs.26b-27) III. He Preserves Christ’s Church (16:1-3) IV. He Keeps Us In Jesus’ Word!(vs4) by Rev. Nathan J. Rusert
I.N.R.I. Alleluia! Christ is Risen! Alleluia! Jesus is Ascended! How should we respond? “He is ascended indeed! Alleluia!” Or do we sing with David in the 68th Psalm, Psa 68:18-19 You have ascended on high, You have led captivity captive; You have received gifts among men, Even from the rebellious, That the LORD God might dwell there. (19) Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loads us with benefits, The God of our salvation! Selah.
What does the ascension of the God/Man Jesus to the highest heaven mean? He now rules over all things - visible and invisible. Not only as God as He has from eternity, but now also as True Man. He now fills all things. Not only as God as He has from all eternity, but now also as True Man. He has led captivity captive - Satan is defeated by the Second Adam - Jesus. The fallen angel, the murderous liar, the devil who took mankind captive by a tree and a lie is defeated by a tree and the Truth. The God/Man Jesus - The Truth crushes Satan’s serpentine head and forever closes his accusing hissing by sacrificing Himself for us sinners on the Tree of the Cross. We overcome the devil accusations that we are damned sinners by the blood of the Lamb cleansing us new, forgiven, children of God our Father every morning. Death is lead captive by the God/Man Jesus. He swallowed up Jesus’ lifeless body in the grave, but three days latter - Jesus shatter his ugly maw forever breaking death’s teeth and sting. Death is led captive by Jesus - The Life - ruling over all creation at the Father’s right hand. Death has lost its claim on creation. The God/Man has led uncertainty captive. The Way to the Father is through the flesh and blood of Jesus - conceived by the Holy Spirit, crucified, risen, ascended, filling all things with His gracious rule, and coming again visibly in glory to judge the faithful and the unbelieving.
God the Holy Spirit teaches us through David that Jesus ascension gifts us with cross won - empty tomb certified forgiveness; with rescue from the devil and death by the resurrection; with sure and certain salvation by the ascension and enthronement of our Brother and Savior - our God has done all to save us - we are reconciled to God our Father. Jesus’ Kingdom in heaven and here on earth blesses us with His righteousness, innocence, and blessedness. He proclaims that you are His own within His Church. His Life is yours - your sins are His - you are forgiven for God now dwells among men in His Church through His Word spoken and daily loading us with His benefits in baptism, absolution, Gospel preaching, and His Supper.
Rejoice for daily He loads you with the greatest benefit with His Church. He calls you again today through the Gospel to believe in Jesus! Rejoice in “Our Royal Helper” I. He Proceeds From the Father and The Son! (Vs.26a). II. He Testifies of Jesus! (Vs.26b-27) III. He Preserves Christ’s Church (16:1-3) IV. He Keeps Us In Jesus’ Word!(vs4)
I. “The end of all things is at hand” our Royal Helper testifies through the pen of St. Peter in today’s appointed epistle reading. Who is this Royal Helper? The Truth testifies (vs.15) The Helper, Paraclete in Greek, sometimes translated “Comforter.” Literally a “Paraclete” is a person summoned to your side for your aid. He is your Advocate pleading your case before the judgment seat of God. He is the Third Person of the Holy Trinity.
Eternally God the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. During the forty days after His resurrection Jesus taught His disciples the promise of the Holy Spirit’s coming in full measure. Even before He ascended He told them to wait in Jerusalem for their Royal Helper. Upon His ascension and enthronement Jesus the God/Man will send the Holy Spirit from the Father. Here we glimpse the mystery of the Godhead. From eternity the Son of God is eternally begotten of the Father, and the Holy Spirit eternally proceeds from the Father and the Son - yet they are all coequal, coeternal, councreated.
Contrary to false teachers. The Holy Spirit isn’t a feeling, or a vibration from God. He isn’t a separate God. There is only one true God - He is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God the Holy Spirit is a person within the Godhead.
II. What does our Royal Helper do? (26b) He testifies of Jesus. Where God the Holy Spirit is truly present the conversation is always about Christ Jesus. As one Lutheran put it, “All theology is Christology.” Or as our synod stated in 2017 as we celebrated the 500th anniversary of the Reformation - “It’s still all about Jesus!”
Charismatic movements and pentecostal churches chatter and babble about the Holy Spirit, but they don’t know Him. He isn’t found in their hyper emotional worship music and feelings. He is only found in the Word of God testifying about Jesus. This isn’t my opinion - it is Jesus’ Word - Our Royal Helper - God the Holy Spirit - Jesus says, ‘He will testify of Me!”
How does the Holy Spirit testify of Jesus? Is it through a vague feeling, perhaps a dream, or a vision we have? Never. It is through His Son - Jesus - The Truth. Where do we find Jesus? In the apostolic Word (Vs.27) On that same night Jesus instructed His apostles, Joh 14:26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. The Holy Spirit gave the apostles total recall. He brought to the apostle’s remembrance all things that Jesus did and testified during His three years of public ministry. As you study Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John you hear the voice of Jesus, you see His works among men - the Gospels are historically accurate documents carefully preserved and passed down through eons. They are verified by Roman and Jewish historical records. They are verified by archeological evidence. Only lazy ignorant scholars scoff at Jesus’ Word recorded by the apostles.
After Jesus’ ascended into heaven. The Church gathered in the large upper room at John Mark’s parents house in Jerusalem. Peter and the other apostles minds were opened to understand that all the Old Testament testifies of Christ Jesus. Peter calls the disciples to find a replacement for Iscariot. History records Peter’s speech, Act 1:20-23 "For it is written in the Book of Psalms: 'LET HIS DWELLING PLACE BE DESOLATE, AND LET NO ONE LIVE IN IT'; and, 'LET ANOTHER TAKE HIS OFFICE.' (21) "Therefore, of these men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, (22) beginning from the baptism of John to that day when He was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection." (23) And they proposed two: Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. After prayer the lot fell to Matthias. Note well an apostle had to be an eyewitness hearer and follower of Jesus from the beginning of His public ministry - His baptism by John on the banks of the Jordan River - to His ascension into heaven.
God the Holy Spirit works only through the Word of God. The written Word of God recorded by Moses, the prophets, the evangelists, and the apostles. The visible Word of God in the sacraments. A sacrament is where Jesus attaches His Word of Promise to something we can see, feel, touch, or taste. Baptism is water and Christ’s Word. The Sacrament of the Altar is Christ’s Word blessing bread and wine. Anything that is peddled as the work of the Holy Spirit apart from the Word of God and the Sacraments is from the devil himself. Beware, many false spirits infest the world in these last days of world history. They deny Jesus has come in the flesh. They deny the Holy Spirit works through the spoken Gospel Word, baptism, absolution, and the Lord’s Supper.
III. Our Royal Helper is by our side preserving Christ’s Church. (Vs.1-3) Where the Gospel is preached, confessed, and lived before the world - the cross will come. On the way to Gethsemane Jesus tells His Church, Joh 15:20-21 Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. (21) But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.
From the beginning the false church has persecuted the True Church that clung to God’s promise of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus alone. Cain couldn’t tolerated Abel’s Christ centered cross focused faith - so he murdered his own brother. The prophets in the Old Testament were persecuted by the compromising priests. John the Baptist is beheaded because the priests compromised with the times. Instead of upholding marriage as God’s sacred act for life, they wanted the favor of King Herod, unwilling to call him to repent. Jesus was arrested by the temple guard, excommunicated from the Temple, then handed over to Pilate to be executed as a treasonous traitor to Rome.
Saul of Tarsus was zealous for the Temple and the Law. He was certain that the followers of The Way were blaspheming God. He rejoiced to see the confessing followers of Jesus silenced by stones, arrested, thrown into prison, and executed. The false church always persecuted the True Church.
Wycliffe, Hus, Savonarola, Luther didn’t seek to split the Christian Church, but to return it to the Word of Christ. They were excommunicated for speaking the Truth. The Truth of the Apostolic witness - that sinners are saved by God’s grace through Holy Spirit Gospel given and sustained faith in Jesus Christ as the only Lord and Savior. The Redeemer who through His flesh and blood alone has reconciled us to our God and Father.
To this day the false church persecutes the Truth of God’s Word. Seeking the favor of the world, churches compromised the truth of the first 11 chapters of Genesis. Our world is created, not a cosmic accident. Human beings are created male or female - written upon their biology. Marriage is defined by our Creator - the union of a male and female - husband and wife - for life - for the procreation of children. Children are a blessing from God, not a problem to be aborted. Compromising the truth - false churches empower the state to persecute the True Church.
For example the Lutheran Church in Finland compromised the truth of the Holy Bible. Now its supreme court has convicted a confessional Lutheran pastor and a government official who two decades ago wrote a pamphlet -“Male and Female, He Created Them.” - They are spreading hate. Sadly we see the same in Canada, and England. The Church must boldly confess the truth - it sets the culture - compromising the Truth only leads the culture to self-destruction - for the false church and nations.
IV. Our Royal Helper preserves Christ’s Church. 70 years the heresy of communism sought to wipe Christianity from the Soviet Union. After it fell - the Church was still present. Mao Zedong’s progressive communist revolution in China sought to destroy Christ’s Church. Today though severely persecuted the Christian Church is booming as the Holy Spirit calls, gathers, enlightens, and keeps Christians in the one True Faith in hidden house churches.
Jesus promises (vs.4) The Church is preserved as The Holy Spirit brings to our remembrance all that Jesus has spoken. His Word alone sustains and strengthens us.
Jesus has not left us as orphans - He now floods our ears with His Royal Helper to fill our hearts with hope! Joh 14:18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. How does Jesus come to you: Joh 14:23 , "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.”
Cling to His Word by the Holy Spirit! “I baptize you!” The promise He made through Ezekiel is fulfilled: “I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. (27) And I will put my Spirit within you..”“I am with you always - even to the end of the world!” Alleluia Christ is risen! Alleluia Christ is Ascended! Amen.
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