Towards the end of chapter 15, Jesus warned His followers that they would face persecution from unbelievers because they as disciples followed One whom the world could not understand. The world had persecuted Jesus and soon they would persecute His followers, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 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 also keep yours. 21 But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.” John 15:18-21.
However, Jesus went on to predict the coming of the Holy Spirit whom He would send to take His place. He would be a “helper” to them in ways expressed in the later verses in chapter 15 and in chapter 16.
1]. RECEIVING THE HOLY SPIRIT WHOM JESUS WAS TO SEND. 15:26-27
John 15:26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. 27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.”
The word “helper” is from [paraklētos; παράκλητος] meaning one called to the side of, an advocate or a comforter. John writes that Jesus would “send” [pempo; πέμπω] Him and that He “proceeds” [ekporeuomai; ἐκπορεύομαι] from the Father. Both the Father and the Son were involved in the coming of the Holy Spirit to the disciples. St Peter later expressed it like this on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the infant church, “Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.” Act 2:33. The Father “supplied“ the Spirit to Jesus and Jesus poured Him out on the disciples.
2]. JESUS LEAVING HIS DISCIPLES WOULD BE AN ADVANTAGE TO THEM. 16:4-7
John 16:4 “But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you. “I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you.” Jesus was about to enter the last phase of His life on earth leading to His death and burial in the tomb. He needed to prepare them for what was about to happen.
He knew they would be sorrowful when He was taken from them but He assured them that it would be to their advantage that He went away, “But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.” John 16:5-6. Jesus after His death and resurrection would be returning to His Father in heaven. Only then would He be able to send the Holy Spirit to the disciples and that would be to their advantage. It would mean that instead of having the presence of Jesus with them physically one place at a time, the Holy Spirit would indwell every believer throughout the world, forever. St Paul expressed it like this, Eph 1:13 “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,” AND Eph 4:30 “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”
3]. THE MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN JESUS’ FOLLOWERS. 16:8-15
John 16:8 “And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:
a]. 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me. It is the sin of unbelief that keeps unbelievers from being accepted by God and under condemnation, “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. “ John 3:18.
b]. 10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer.
The fact that Jesus was to return to the Father showed that His life and ministry as a human had been accepted by God and that He was righteous in the sight of God for fulfilling the Father’s will.
By raising Jesus from the dead the Father showed His approval upon his life and work, “and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 1:4.
c]. 11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. Jesus’ victory over sin and death was also a triumphant victory over Satan as the ruler of the world. St Paul wrote, “He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.” Colossians 2:15. “Put to open shame” is [parrēsia; παρρησία = open] and [deigmatizō; δειγματίζω = to make a show or spectacle of. ] Christ’s death on the cross was the public placarding of the victory of Christ over all the powers of darkness. It was a judgment of and the defeat of Satan.
John 16:12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.” It was going to be a troubling and disturbing time for the followers of Jesus when He would be arrested and later tried, crucified and buried. But Jesus was preparing them for the coming of the Holy Spirit Who would help them to understand God’s purpose in sending His Son into the world.
13 When the Spirit of truth comes,
a]. he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.
Jesus referred to the Holy Spirit as a person, “He.” He would guide them into all the truth for He would reveal the Father’s will in the death of His Son and would speak words from the Father. His words would have the authority of God and would even clarify the future for them.
B]. 14 “He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”
The Holy Spirit would glorify Jesus by declaring to the disciples the truths about Jesus. “Declare” is from [anaggellō; ἀναγγέλλω meaning to announce, disclose, make known.] The Spirit would teach them about the intimate relationship between the Father and His Son and disclose how Jesus shared everything with His Heavenly Father.
How wonderful it is that believers throughout history from the Day of Pentecost have had access to the truths of God through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. As St Paul wrote, in 1Corinthians 2:9 ‘But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”— 10 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.”
Blog No.546 posted on Friday 19 April 2024.
holbeck 
546. Sermon Notes On John 15:26-27, 16:4b-15 for Sunday 19 May 2024. [“The Advantage Of The Coming Of The Holy Spirit.”]
Towards the end of chapter 15, Jesus warned His followers that they would face persecution from unbelievers because they as disciples followed One whom the world could not understand. The world had persecuted Jesus and soon they would persecute His followers, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 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 also keep yours. 21 But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.” John 15:18-21.
However, Jesus went on to predict the coming of the Holy Spirit whom He would send to take His place. He would be a “helper” to them in ways expressed in the later verses in chapter 15 and in chapter 16.
1]. RECEIVING THE HOLY SPIRIT WHOM JESUS WAS TO SEND. 15:26-27
John 15:26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. 27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.”
The word “helper” is from [paraklētos; παράκλητος] meaning one called to the side of, an advocate or a comforter. John writes that Jesus would “send” [pempo; πέμπω] Him and that He “proceeds” [ekporeuomai; ἐκπορεύομαι] from the Father. Both the Father and the Son were involved in the coming of the Holy Spirit to the disciples. St Peter later expressed it like this on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the infant church, “Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.” Act 2:33. The Father “supplied“ the Spirit to Jesus and Jesus poured Him out on the disciples.
2]. JESUS LEAVING HIS DISCIPLES WOULD BE AN ADVANTAGE TO THEM. 16:4-7
John 16:4 “But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you. “I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you.” Jesus was about to enter the last phase of His life on earth leading to His death and burial in the tomb. He needed to prepare them for what was about to happen.
He knew they would be sorrowful when He was taken from them but He assured them that it would be to their advantage that He went away, “But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.” John 16:5-6. Jesus after His death and resurrection would be returning to His Father in heaven. Only then would He be able to send the Holy Spirit to the disciples and that would be to their advantage. It would mean that instead of having the presence of Jesus with them physically one place at a time, the Holy Spirit would indwell every believer throughout the world, forever. St Paul expressed it like this, Eph 1:13 “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,” AND Eph 4:30 “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”
3]. THE MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN JESUS’ FOLLOWERS. 16:8-15
John 16:8 “And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:
a]. 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me. It is the sin of unbelief that keeps unbelievers from being accepted by God and under condemnation, “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. “ John 3:18.
b]. 10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer.
The fact that Jesus was to return to the Father showed that His life and ministry as a human had been accepted by God and that He was righteous in the sight of God for fulfilling the Father’s will.
By raising Jesus from the dead the Father showed His approval upon his life and work, “and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 1:4.
c]. 11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. Jesus’ victory over sin and death was also a triumphant victory over Satan as the ruler of the world. St Paul wrote, “He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.” Colossians 2:15. “Put to open shame” is [parrēsia; παρρησία = open] and [deigmatizō; δειγματίζω = to make a show or spectacle of. ] Christ’s death on the cross was the public placarding of the victory of Christ over all the powers of darkness. It was a judgment of and the defeat of Satan.
John 16:12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.” It was going to be a troubling and disturbing time for the followers of Jesus when He would be arrested and later tried, crucified and buried. But Jesus was preparing them for the coming of the Holy Spirit Who would help them to understand God’s purpose in sending His Son into the world.
13 When the Spirit of truth comes,
a]. he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.
Jesus referred to the Holy Spirit as a person, “He.” He would guide them into all the truth for He would reveal the Father’s will in the death of His Son and would speak words from the Father. His words would have the authority of God and would even clarify the future for them.
B]. 14 “He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”
The Holy Spirit would glorify Jesus by declaring to the disciples the truths about Jesus. “Declare” is from [anaggellō; ἀναγγέλλω meaning to announce, disclose, make known.] The Spirit would teach them about the intimate relationship between the Father and His Son and disclose how Jesus shared everything with His Heavenly Father.
How wonderful it is that believers throughout history from the Day of Pentecost have had access to the truths of God through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. As St Paul wrote, in 1Corinthians 2:9 ‘But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”— 10 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.”
Blog No.546 posted on Friday 19 April 2024.
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About Jim Holbeck
Once an Industrial Chemist working for the Queensland Government but later an Anglican minister in Brisbane, Armidale and Sydney. Last position for eighteen years before retirement in 2006 was as the Leader of the Healing Ministry at St Andrew's Cathedral Sydney.