John 16:5-15 The
Ministry of the Helper WC McCarter
Introduction
I would like
to pose a question here at the beginning and then lead you through the answer
as we go through today’s text. When is it that Jesus gives the Great
Commission? It is given after the crucifixion and resurrection as He leaves
this world to return to the Father. Now, is that before or after the discussion
in the Upper Room? Obviously, it is afterward. So, here is the tough question,
why is it that Jesus says the world will hate you on this night, but later He
commands the disciples to go into all the world to make disciples? Why does
Jesus pose to them a mission impossible? How is it that they will make any
leeway in the world if the world is going to hate and persecute them? How did
the Gospel message ever survive the first century and even until now? How is it
that we have come to know the Gospel of Jesus Christ?
Jesus told
the disciples, as we saw last week, that He was sending the Holy Spirit to
testify alongside His disciples. Believers are told to bear witness to Christ,
but they are not alone because the Holy Spirit will also bear witness. In
today’s text, Jesus promises even more from the ministry of the Helper. He says
that the Spirit will convict the world. This is how Gospel progress is made in
the world. This is a message that has really spoken to me. I have been thinking
recently of the future of the church in America, and I have wondered if we will
be able to make any kind of progress for the Gospel.
***This is what I have found
to be promised: there will always be progress made for the cause of Christ
because the Holy Spirit has been sent into the world to testify of Christ and
convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment.***
Take a look
with me at today’s passage, John 16:5-15. Let’s claim our promises and, as Deut
31:6 says, “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them;
for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you
nor forsake you.”
READ Scripture- This is the Word of God
Now I Go Away (5-6)
The language
of the first phrase in verse five is that of an ambassador returning to his
commissioner after completing his charge. It is “now” that Jesus will return to
the One who sent Him. We know who He is talking about. He speaks of the Father
in heaven. There is a particular destination to which He will return. Jesus
will not complete His task and then ride off into the sunset. He will go to the
cross and say “It is finished,” rise from the dead three days later, and
afterward ascend back to the right hand of the Father. In John 20:17, after the
resurrection, Jesus says to Mary, “Go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am
ascending to My Father….”
The
disciples are so sorrowful after hearing this news that they cannot even ask
the right questions. Jesus is fully aware of their grief and even says so. Yet,
the disciples were so worried about their own well-being that they had not
truly inquired about Jesus’ destination. They may have asked this question
before, but for only selfish reasons. They had not honestly asked about Jesus’
departure and destination. The last time they even attempted to ask about
Jesus’ leaving was back in 14:22. “There was little concern about his future;
they were interested mainly in their own future” (Tenney, 156).
It Is to Your Advantage (7-11)
Jesus now
turns to the help the disciples will have in this world. Here is the truth: it
is to their advantage that Jesus leaves. First, it would mean that the mission
was accomplished. Second, it would mean that the Spirit was coming.
The Spirit
will specifically convict the world of three things: sin, righteousness, and
judgment. He does this through Christ’s faithful disciples. Just like we bear
witness to Christ and so does the Spirit, so, too, the Spirit convicts the
world through our ministries. Jesus has already determined the meaning of the
word “world” in the discourse when He contrasted the world with the disciples.
The “world” must be unbelievers who by nature hate the Christ and His people as
we saw in the previous text. Thus, the Spirit’s ministry of conviction is
spoken of here as being carried out in the world of unbelievers. It is no
mystery what Jesus describes the Spirit as doing. He explains for us the
details of each part of the ministry throughout verses nine through eleven.
#1 Convict
the world of sin . . . they do not believe in Me (9).
First, notice
that the word “sin” is singular. The Spirit is not said to convict unbelievers
of all their sins, but of one sin in particular; the sin of unbelief. This is a
serious and significant ministry because “blasphemy against the Spirit will not
be forgiven” (Matt 12:31). The Spirit declares the world “guilty” and applies
that to the individual; otherwise we would never come to the realization that
we are sinners.
#2 Convict
the world of righteousness . . . I go to My Father and you see Me no more (10).
Second, it
is the Spirit’s task to convince people that their own righteousness is not
sufficient in the eyes of God. The Spirit assures individuals that the
righteousness of Christ is all that they need to be justified before God. This
is righteousness: “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might
become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
#3 Convict
the world of judgment . . . the ruler of this world is judged (11).
Third, by
laying down His life on the cross, Jesus would condemn once and for all the
satanic rebellion. Satan has been judged and condemned permanently. Jesus did
this by demonstrating perfect and complete obedience/faithfulness to the
Father, even to the point of death.
“Sin,
righteousness, and judgment are all to be understood because of the way they
relate to the Christ” (Morris, 620). This is one of the major works of the Holy
Spirit in the unbelieving world. He convicts the world because of the
revelation of Christ Jesus. This is how the Gospel gets any traction at all.
This is how we have all come to the faith. We have been convicted by the Holy
Spirit, and there are some of you here who have not been convicted by the Holy
Spirit. I pray that He would work in your life today.
He Will Tell You Things (12-13)
Many things
are left unsaid because they can’t bear them at that point in time. Only so
much can be said when someone is operating only by their emotions and these men
were full of sorrow. During the Upper Room Discourse Jesus has focused on
preparing His disciples for the more immediate future which would involve
betrayal, denial, scattering, fear, false accusations, beatings, and murder.
The disciples could only hear so many things that night and though many more
details would be shared with them, now was not the place or time.
What they
are promised is that the Spirit will say those necessary things later by
guiding them into all truth. The Spirit is in perfect harmony with the Father
and the Son. He will hear, speak, and tell things to come in accord with them.
It is appropriate that the Spirit of Truth is the One who would be the guide
who leads into “all truth.” You want a lawyer to lead you into the courtroom, a
mechanic to take your car into the shop, a fireman to put out your fire, a
doctor to care for you in the hospital and, let me assure you, you want the
Spirit of Truth to lead you into all truth! Here is the authority for the New
Testament writers to record Holy Scripture. The Spirit called to their
remembrance and taught them all the things that Jesus said. The Holy Spirit led
them into all truth as they recorded it in the New Testament.
He Will Glorify Me (14-15)
Take note
that the Spirit does not draw attention to Himself. Without fail He
continuously points to Christ. He will glorify Christ in all that He does.
There is no competition in the Persons of the Triune God. The Son willingly
came to glorify the Father and the Spirit has willingly come to glorify the Son
“that God may be all in all.” Therefore, be clear on this according to the word
of the Lord: the Spirit does not attract attention to Himself, but to the Lord
Jesus Christ.
In making
Christ the center of attention, the Spirit takes of the things of Jesus and
declares it to believers. These things are also the Fathers. Thus, we can say
that the things of God are applied to believers by the Holy Spirit. What are the
things of God? Some of these things have been mentioned in the Upper Room such
as cleansing, a permanent home, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the words of
the Lord, eternal peace, the love of Christ, fulfilling joy, and everlasting
life. These are available because of the sacrifice of Christ on the tree.
Romans 5:5 is a great illustration of what Jesus has said. The Apostle Paul
asserts, “The love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit
who was given to us.” Day after day the Spirit declares to you the Good News
that Christ has died for you. Christ has died for you!
Conclusion and Christian Application
(1) Be thankful today for the Spirit’s
ministry in the lives of the Apostles and their faithfulness in the midst of a
hateful world. They are the foundation of the church.
(2) The truth that the Spirit pressed
upon them has been documented in this book called the Bible (including John).
May the Spirit enlighten our hearts that we may understand it as well.