Can you even imagine being a disciple of Jesus as He tells you that He will be leaving you (John 16:5-6)?
That conversation must have been painful. But Jesus took some of the sting out of the conversation by telling His disciples that the Father would send the Holy Spirit (Paraclete in Greek) in Jesus’ name. And the Holy Spirit – this Counselor – would strengthen, assist, and comfort the disciples.
John 14: 16-17
I will pray to the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, that he may be with you forever: the Spirit of truth, whom the world can’t receive, for it doesn’t see him and doesn’t know him. You know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.
I will pray to the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, that he may be with you forever: the Spirit of truth, whom the world can’t receive, for it doesn’t see him and doesn’t know him. You know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.
Jesus said the Holy Spirit will reveal the truth to His disciples and ALL future believers. And this is comforting, indeed.
Jesus says that the Holy Spirit “will be in you.” So, though Jesus says that He will be leaving, we will be given the opportunity to have the Holy Spirit dwell in us. How close we can be to God!
Jesus reveals how the Holy Spirit would be a teacher and also remind us of what Jesus had already taught them.
John 14:26
But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things, and will remind you of all that I said to you.
But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things, and will remind you of all that I said to you.
In Jesus’ absence, the Holy Spirt – the Spirit of truth – would reveal even more of what the disciples could not understand during Jesus’ human existence.
Like all good teachers, the Holy Spirit will be a guide to us, leading us to all truth (John 16:13).
And Jesus also reveals in the Gospel of John that the Holy Spirit will come to convict …
John 16:8
When he has come, he will convict (elegcho in Greek) the world about sin, about righteousness, and about judgment;
When he has come, he will convict (elegcho in Greek) the world about sin, about righteousness, and about judgment;
The word elegcho is a legal word. It can have the meaning of indicting by evidence and to prove guilty. So, if one accepts Christ, the Holy Spirit will bring you closer to Christ and God’s truth. But if a person does not accept Christ, that same Holy Spirit will convict unsaved sinners.
The Holy Spirit – Essential To Salvation
The word elegcho also means to chasten, though. And when one is chastened, one has the opportunity to correct oneself.
The Gospel of John gives us the beautiful understanding that when the Holy Spirit chastens sinners – correcting them – their hearts can be opened which allows them to accept Christ.
John 6:44
No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him; and I will raise him up in the last day.
No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him; and I will raise him up in the last day.
