Introduction
This passage records Jesus' final instructions to and dialogue with his
disciples. It starts in the upper room, where they celebrated Passover
and Jesus washed their feet. It continues as they walk through the streets
of Jerusalem on their way to Gethsemane. This conversation has two themes:
The first is that Jesus' departure is imminent. Over and over again,
he tells them that he will no longer be with them after this evening.
As the reality of this comes home to them, they are filled with sadness
(read 16:5,6).
The second is that Jesus will send them help (read 16:7). What an amazing
statement! They lament his departure because they think they will be
worse off, but he says it is to their advantage, they will be better
off--because his departure will bring the Helper.
The Helper is the Holy Spirit (16:13; 14:26). The Holy Spirit is not
an impersonal spiritual frequency we tune into, or some spiritual force
we learn to use--the Holy Spirit is a Person (why "he" as opposed
to "it") who thinks, wills, and feels. The Holy Spirit is in
fact God, just as the Father and Jesus are God (why Jesus calls him "another
Helper of the same kind as me").
Broadly speaking, each of these three Persons plays a specific role
in salvation: the Father initiates and oversees it, Jesus actually accomplishes
it through his incarnation, death and resurrection--and the Holy Spirit
applies it to those who receive it.
This is why Jesus' disciples (and Old Testament believers) did not
yet have the Holy Spirit. Before God's Spirit can actually indwell sinful
human beings, our sins must first be paid for by God's chosen sacrifice.
The amazing thing is that if we have the Holy Spirit, we can have it
better than the disciples did when they enjoyed Jesus physical
presence.
This is something you would not guess from many churches. The church
I grew up in seemed like a musty museum that was trying to preserve
the memory of Jesus physical presence. The pictures, the stories of
long ago, the recited creeds and the memorized prayers--all of this
communicated to me (at best) a wistful reverence for a long-dead hero,
(at worst) an irrelevant anachronism. Nothing like the living dynamism
and exciting spiritual reality that I later discovered in others and
experienced in my own life. What is the difference? The difference is
the Holy Spirit!
In this conversation, Jesus explains three ways in which the Holy Spirit
"helps" us to enjoy a spiritual reality superior to that which
the disciples enjoyed during Jesus' physical presence . . .
Greater personal intimacy with God
What would it be like to be with God-incarnate for three years? What
would it be like to have breakfast with him every morning? What would
it be like to have him personally comfort and encourage you? It was a
life-changing experience, according to John: "The Word became flesh
and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory . . . full
of grace and truth" (Jn. 1:14,17). But as wonderful as that
must have been, Jesus told his disciples that they would enjoy even greater
personal intimacy with God when the Holy Spirit came (read 14:16-19).
Notice why it is better:
Whereas they could enjoy his presence for only three years, they would
have the Holy Spirit "forever" (14:16)--free from all limitation
of time and space.
Whereas they were only able to be "with" Jesus when in his
physical presence, the Holy Spirit would be "in" them/us (14:17;
remind of Jn. 7:38 - "innermost being").
Jesus summarizes this intimacy in 14:20,21,23 (read). Through the Holy
Spirit, both the Father and Jesus "make their abode" in us.
They come to live permanently in our hearts so we can enjoy their loving
presence.
This is why there are no holy places or times in New Testament Christianity.
We may choose to gather here on Sunday mornings because it is convenient
for our schedules, but we have intimate access to God at any time
or place.
Through the Holy Spirit's indwelling, we are freed from fear of God
to talk with him as "Papa" (Rom. 8:15,16), we experience
God's love (Rom. 5:5), and God's hope and peace (Rom. 15:13)
that upholds us regardless of our circumstances.
This is a reality so wonderful that if you have experienced it, you know
it is priceless beyond words. The older I get and the more I experience
the pain and brokenness in this fallen world, the more thankful I am for
this work of the Holy Spirit. I don’t know how people handle it without
him. If you realize you don't have this, God invites you to receive his
Holy Spirit today. Not by baptism or confirmation or church membership--but
by personally putting your trust in Jesus as your Savior (read Jn. 7:37-39).
Greater understanding of God's message
Jesus was not surprised by much--he walked through life with measured
step, ready for what life threw at him. But several times, he expressed
surprise and disappointment at the spiritual denseness of his disciples.
You can see both in this passage (read 14:4-9). In spite of three years
with the world's best instructor, they consistently forgot most of what
Jesus taught them and got confused about the part they remembered--especially
the most important part of his message (the Cross).
How is it that these same men authored the New Testament, which provides
such an accurate record of Jesus' life and teachings, and which has
such profound insight into the meaning of his death on the cross? This
is a work that has changed the world for good far more than any other!
The explanation is not that they went to seminary in Jerusalem or an
ashram in Tibet, or that they generated it from themselves through a regimen
of spiritual disciplines. The explanation is that the Holy Spirit became
their personal instructor/counselor who gave them greater understanding
of God's message.
Read 14:25,26. "All things" does not refer to advanced calculus,
nuclear physics, the mating habits of orangutans, etc. It refers to
"all things" pertaining to Jesus and his mission. He would
also supernaturally enable them to recall what he taught.
Read 16:12-14. What they were unable to understand under Jesus' tutelage,
the Holy Spirit would make clear--especially meaning of Jesus' death
("what is to come").
This is what we mean when we say that the New Testament is inspired--not
that they were so emotionally moved that they wrote beautiful religious
speculation, but that the Holy Spirit supernaturally instructed them
(and one chosen later--Paul) and enabled them to accurately record his
instruction.
We (Christians) don't receive the inspiration of the Holy Spirit today;
that's why we don't write scripture. But we do receive supernatural illumination
from the Holy Spirit who tutors us to understand what they wrote. Let's
look at another passage that speaks of both of these (read 1 Cor. 2:12,13).
The "we" in vs 13 refers to the apostles. The Holy Spirit
enabled them to communicate God's thoughts about Jesus through Words
that he ultimately selected. This is inspiration.
But the "we" in vs 12 refers to all Christians. The Holy
Spirit enables us to understand the meaning and significance and application
of his message through the apostles. This is illumination. This
is what makes the Bible "come alive" (Heb. 4:12) after
you receive Christ.
This is what changes it from an old, dead book that bores us into
God's love letter that stimulates a hunger in us to learn it.
This is what enables us to gain a growing grasp of its message instead
of remaining like a disjointed, confusing collection (WATCHING AN
IMPRESSIONISTIC PAINTER).
This is what causes passages to penetrate deeply into hearts to expose,
convict, comfort, etc. (ALONE READING; TEACHINGS; ANOTHER CHRISTIAN).
This is what explains why certain passages that we have read leap
into our consciousness in critical situations to provide insight and
guidance.
I don't want to imply that this is instantaneous or without effort
on our part (2 Tim. 2:7,15)--but when you have the Holy
Spirit, you have a personal Tutor who delights in teaching you God's
Word.
Greater effectiveness as Christ's witnesses
Jesus called his disciples to be his witnesses--to testify to others
that he was Messiah who was offering salvation to all who believed in
him. During their time with him, their effectiveness in this was spotty
at best. They didn't want to witness to people of different ethnic backgrounds
(Jn. 4), they were embarrassed and confused about the Cross (Matt. 16),
they misrepresented his attitude toward those who snubbed him (Lk. 9),
they caved in under pressure and denied him (Peter).
Yet after he departed, they led a movement that within 50 years spread
to over 1 million people all over the Roman empire and beyond. How did
they do this?
Did they discover a Dale Carnegie course on self-confidence and public
speaking? No, they never received any additional training.
Did they gain political or military power through governmental involvement?
No, they were persecuted by most governments.
Did they create a poll-sensitive, market-driven message that became
popular because it flattered human goodness and potential? No, their
message was regarded by most as a "stumbling block" and
"foolishness."
This may explain the advance of many historical religious movements,
but the disciples neither had nor used any of these means.
Their secret was the Holy Spirit (read Acts 1:8 and trace Acts "fillings").
Jesus tells them that the Holy Spirit will enable them to have greater
effectiveness in God's mission because he will be the witness who aids
their witness. He does this (for us also) in two ways:
Read 15:26,27. He will testify through our witness. He will transform
our lives so that others become curious for an explanation. And when
we share Christ with others, it won’t be us alone. The Holy Spirit
will provide courage, insight, articulation, etc. so that our witness
will have far greater impact. Some times we experience this very dramatically;
sometimes more subtly--but it is a fantastic experience to step out
in faith to share Christ with others, and experience his empowering!
(Urge them to do this more.)
But there is another way the Holy Spirit helps us witness. Read 16:8-11.
He will convict non-Christians' hearts of their need for God's forgiveness
and of the truthfulness of the gospel.
Every Christian in this room has experienced this, or you would not
be a Christian today. I remember this vividly (1968; 1970).
Some of you are experiencing this right now. If you are, you
need to respond to the Holy Spirit by receiving Christ . . .
Next: How to appropriate the Holy Spirit