TEXT: John 16:4b-15

SUBJECT: Exposition of John #39: Christ's Departure, the Spirit's Arrival.

Today we continue our study of John's Gospel and find further proof that "Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God". I pray God will prove this to you, today, for Christ's sake. Amen.

The Departure predicted, vv.4b-5a.

Our Lord begins by reminding the disciples of something they already knew, but were anxious to forget: "But now I go away to Him who sent Me". The One who sent Christ, of course, is God. To "go to Him" means to leave this world via the cross.

This would be "the beginning of sorrows". As soon as the Lord was gone, evil men would turn their fury on the disciples. Some would be "put out of the synagogue"; others must die for the faith. The Lord hadn't mentioned this before; at least not much. Why not? "Because I was with you", He says. This means that--while He was here--He would bear the world's malice Himself. If you read the Gospels, you'll be struck by how much abuse was heaped upon our Lord and how little upon His disciples. It recalls the Syrian who ordered: "Fight neither will small nor great, but only with The King of Israel".

The honeymoon is over. Real life begins. Now.

The Departure regretted, vv.5b-6.

The disciples hadn't asked, "Where are you going?" That is, they hadn't expressed their displeasure. But they felt it keenly. "Sorrow had filled their heart". He was leaving them; this was bad enough. What's worse is this: He was leaving them when they needed Him the most. Opposition had been simmering for some time; now it was coming to a boil. If they ever needed Christ, it was now. Yet it is just now--when they need Him most--that He must "Go to the Father". It's no wonder they felt like "orphans", cf. 14:18.

The Departure and the world, vv.7-11.

They felt forsaken by Christ, but of course, they were not. His departure was--in fact--"to [their] advantage". It was good for them. How can this be? We mustn't import our theology into the text. Someone might say, "It was good for them because `Tribulation works patience (or character)'". This is true, but not what our Lord is saying here.

What does He say? This: "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 depart, I will send Him to you".

The word "Helper" stands for the Holy Spirit. Other translations have it "Comforter", "Advocate", and "Counselor". All are true; but none is adequate. The word is--as I said a couple of weeks ago, is

"The Alongsider".

The Holy Spirit comes alongside us to give us what we need--comfort, guidance, courage, and so on.

His coming depends on our Lord's departure. Why is this? The old heretic Sabellus, had an easy answer: God the Son had to leave before God the Spirit could come because the Son and the Spirit are one Divine Person who reveals Himself in various ways. In the Old Testament, He showed Himself as Father; in the Gospels, He revealed Himself as the Son; now He comes to us as the Holy Spirit. One God, three roles.

The problem with this view is, it can't explain the baptism of our Lord when--not just two--but all Three Divine Persons showed up at the same time! The Father spoke from heaven; the Son came out of the water; the Spirit descended like a dove.

A better answer comes from John the Apostle. He told us "The Holy Spirit was not yet given because Jesus was not yet glorified", cf. John 7:39. In other words, the outpouring of the Spirit was the result of our Lord's glorification at God's Right Hand. And an infallible proof of it.

What will the Holy Spirit do when He comes? In chapter 14, we find Him "comforting" the Lord's people. Here, however, He is doing something else. He is "convicting the world..." The word "convict" has the sense of exposing, accusing, and condemning.

Who did He come to "convict"? "The world". This is worth thinking about. Some believers think He came to convict God's people. As an ongoing work. They never feel holier than when under the weight of sin and misery. But our Lord says otherwise. It is "the world"--unbelievers--that He came to accuse. What does He accuse them of? Three things:

We mustn't import our theology into these verses. They do not refer to the Spirit's saving work of conviction leading to faith and repentance. This is the Spirit as Prosecutor of the world. Not Savior.

This brought much comfort to the disciples of our Lord. Soon they would stand before human tribunals--Jewish and Roman--to answer for their faith. They would be jailed, flogged, and killed. Yet it was not they who were on trial, but the world. When the sword fell on James, it was not he, but Herod, who was found guilty. It is good to know that--whatever judgment the world passes on us--"there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus". And it is our critics who come under the censure of heaven.

The Departure and the Disciples, vv.12-15.

While "convicting the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment", what will the Spirit be doing for the disciples of Christ? He will be helping them, of course. But how? By "guiding them into all truth". Our Lord had taught the Apostles much; but He had more to say which they--at the moment--were not able to receive. What to do? Postpone His death till His students had learned all their lessons? This cannot be for His "hour had come". Then what? Leave them a book to study? No time for that.

What He did is this: He sent the Holy Spirit who would continue His teaching ministry. He taught the Apostles everything they--and we--needed to know. The Spirit revealed the whole mind of Christ to the Apostles. And the whole mind of Christ was nothing less than the Father's fully revealed will.

We must be careful at this point. Some believers have taken this promise personally, as though the Holy Spirit will give them a complete and infallible knowledge of God's will. This is not true. The promise was made to the Apostles; it was they who had the Spirit's inspiration, not we.

But this doesn't mean the passage is irrelevant to us. For the Apostles wrote down the whole mind of Christ for us in the New Testament. And now, under the Spirit's illuminating work, we can also know the will of God for our lives. Not from a direct revelation of the Spirit but through the Spirit's work in us as we read and meditate upon the Holy Scripture.

We know we've gotten the Bible's message when we find it "declaring" Christ. In John's Gospel, in the Law of Moses, in the Psalms, and in the Revelation. From cover to cover, the Bible is the word of and about Jesus Christ.

Epilogue.

This paragraph, like the rest of John's Gospel, was written to make us believe "Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God". Does it? Yes it does. Here's how, in brief. The Old Testament prophets foresaw a glorious age to come--the Age of the Spirit (see Joel 2, for example). It would be ushered in, of course, by Messiah. But this is what our Lord is doing, isn't it? He's telling us the Spirit's Great Age is awaiting the completion of His work, making the Messianic age dependent on Him. But of course! It must depend on Him for He is Messiah! You needn't take my word for it. The Spirit Himself bears witness to the Lordship of Jesus Christ! The Church knows it through His saving work. The world knows it too, through His work of conviction.

Every knee has not bowed, every tongue has not confessed, but everyone knows--deep down in his heart--"Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God". One day you will confess it--but it won't help you in the least. But today--ah what a sweet word!--Today, you can confess it and find salvation in Christ. I pray you will. Now. Amen.