“I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. 5 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. 8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.”
John 16:4-11
I know you’re sad about everything I’ve told you. And I know it does not seem to make sense, but I’m telling you–it’s better for you if I go away.
Why? The answer is simple, but it has tons of implications. The answer is that when Jesus leaves, he will send the Helper–the Holy Spirit. God will no longer be walking beside them; he will be dwelling inside them.
Basic theology (knowledge of God): We worship one God in three persons–the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In the Son, the fullness of God dwells. In the Spirit, too, the fullness of God dwells. God has one nature. We know the Father through the Spirit and the work of the Son.
Jesus will continue to reveal himself to them (and to us) through the Spirit. How can you say today that you know Jesus of Nazareth, who lived 2000 years ago in the Ancient Near East? Because he shares one nature with his Spirit; he is ascended into heaven and through the Spirit he still ministers.
When the Spirit comes, he will do at least three things:
- Convict the world concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment.
- Guide you into the truth
- Glorify the Son as he declares the things of God to us
Glorify the Son –
The Spirit is not acting on his own accord. As the Son declares to us the Father, the Spirit declares to the world the Son. When he comes, he will point you to Jesus.
Guide you into the truth –
Old Testament prophets foresaw a day where the Law of God would be written on the hearts of his people. Where the Spirit of the Living God would breathe life into dry bones and create from the dead a people for his own possession.
The Spirit will come, give you spiritual life, and guide you into the truth. He speaks with the authority of the Father and the Son. He will guide you into all truth. He will inspire the Word of God and he will lead the people of God.
He will point you to me, he will guide you, and he will convict the world concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment.
Convict of the world –
I love this one. When the spirit comes, he will show the world they are wrong. Their refusal to believe in Jesus is their basic sin. Their vision of righteousness and justice is not from above–it is not God’s vision for righteousness and justice. And the prince of the world/ruler of the world stands condemned.
When the Spirit comes, the truth will be revealed.
Jesus was not a rebellious blasphemer. Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion was fundamentally unjust. And on that Roman cross, Jesus is not the one being judged. In his dying, the ruler of the world is being disarmed.
The spirit will show the world they’re wrong. How is he going to do that? Through the church – through the preaching of the gospel.
Friends, the Holy Spirit makes God known to us. He fills us with life. He guides us in truth. And he sends us into the world to bear witness to that which is truly true.
Perhaps you think your faith would be stronger if Jesus walked up to you and put his arm around you. But Jesus calls us to think again. For we have something better than God walking beside us. We have who dwells inside us, who constantly fills us and leads us in the truth.