John - Chapter 16
THE SPIRIT AND THE DISCIPLES WITNESS TO THE WORLD
Now, As Jesus prepares to leave the world physically, He comforts His disciples against the trials to come for them by the promise of the Holy Ghost to come. He speaks of His words being given so that they will not be offended, meaning they will not stumble or be taken by surprise at the things to come. His use of the words 'these days” in verse three strongly foreshadows the coming days and He is careful to remind them that He chose not to reveal these things earlier because He was physically with them. But now He is ending His physical mortal time on the earth and He knows they are in sorrow in their hearts at what they have heard Him reveal.
With the strongest of warning words, Jesus tells His own that those who will seek to kill them will feel they are doing a service to God. But He explains that they will do these things BECAUSE they have not known the Father, nor Jesus himself.
In verse seven, Jesus opens the wisdom door a little wider by assuring the disciples that it is good (expedient) for them that He leave. Only by this part of the plan being implemented will the Spirit arrive, the next comforter to lead them, guide them, and to convict the world.
Here are difficult words for the followers to accept. But what the Lord is saying is that His work on earth is not coming to an end, but rather it will be continued onward through the Spirit. Rather than stand against God's plan, the cross and it's bringing the next events will actually strengthen God's plan.
The work of atonement must be accomplished for Jesus to be glorified and only by the internal presence of the Spirit will the disciples gain understanding. So His departure will be both advantageous and necessary for the giving of the Spirit. Jesus will actually foreshadow the Pentecost moment later in 20:22 when He breathes upon them.
The Spirit comes with a dual purpose. Verses 8-11 reveal that the Spirit is to comfort them but is also to bring reproof (evidence) of the sin of the world, of righteousness and of judgment. Here is the ONLY place in scripture where the Spirit is said to be performing a work “in the world”. All of the works from that time forward are works inside the hearts of those who hear and those who believe. Remember when Peter gives his Pentecost sermon under the power granted by the Spirit given, those who heard it were said to be “cut to their heart” (Acts 2:36-37).
The sin of the world is that it did not believe in Jesus as the Christ.
The conviction of the world as to righteousness is the lack of it in the world. Isaiah said it best in 64:6 when he taught that the very best the world can offer is “filthy rags”. From this time forward the world's righteousness is to be found in Christ crucified, dead, and risen.
The judgment of the world is demonstrated by the fact that the “ruler of this world” now stands condemned. John 12:31 & 14:30 have already foreshadowed this teaching in the strongest possible words.
But now Jesus provides His sweeping words that allow His disciples to take heart. The Spirit to come will glorify Jesus, receive those who are His, and will show them things to come. He is here proving that He will not leave them alone. Never will He leave them. Never will He forsake them. This plan was set in place before all things but Jesus knows that they do not yet understand (verse 12) because the Spirit is not yet in them. This need for the understanding given by the Spirit has been evident for generations as seen in Psalms 43:3:
“O Send out thy light and thy truth, and let them lead me...”.
The teaching is that the Father is the ultimate source of both the ministry of the Son and the Spirit (14-15). Just as the Son brings glory to the Father, the Spirit will bring glory to the Son.
Jesus fully grasps that there will be grief at His suffering and death. He knows the heartache to come for these few chosen ones. He tells them they will not see Him for a while, and then will see him for a while (death and resurrection). But He also teaches that grief will be turned to joy. Notice the sweetest promise of all given in verse 22, “... but I will see you again...”. This promise holds true for each of them and for each of us for He will return just as He has shown before.
Once more Jesus uses the example of a woman giving birth to remind them that after the pain comes the joy of the blessing gained. He also now teaches that before he has spoken to them in proverbs, but now speaks plainly of the Father. The disciples in a partial reply to verse 16, now say they know He is from God, and knows all things and there is no need to ask anything further.
Jesus replies with the question of four beautiful and perfect words that He still whispers in the ear of every believer at the moment of conversion & salvation”
“DO YE NOW BELIEVE?”
Finally, He grants a view backward to Zechariah 13:7 as He reminds them of the sheep being scattered after the shepherd is smitten and then allows His closing words on triumph in verse 33: “... be of good cheer, I have overcome the world”.
