John 16:5-15 : B.C.P 4th after Easter

John:16:5: But now I go my way to him that sent me; and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou? 6: But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart. 7: Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. 8: And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9: Of sin, because they believe not on me; 10: Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; 11: Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. 12: I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. 13: Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. 14: He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. 15: All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

PRAY

This week Chare Short resigned from the Cabinet saying , amongst other things, that Tony Blair cannot be trusted, and this prejudices people's view of politics and government. I don't know how many people are that naive in the first place, but it does raise the issue of trust.

If you believe a promise I would like to suggest that this depends on the trustworthiness of the promisor and their power to carry it out.

Today's gospel is part of the final conversation that Jesus had with his disciples just before he was betrayed. The next day he was crucified. He had been telling them of his forthcoming departure and the disciples were sad,6: But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart..

Jesus said that it was a good job he was going and promised 'the Comforter', verse 7, or "Helper." It is a legal term, but with a broader meaning than "counsel for the defense". It referred to any person who came alongside and helped someone in trouble with the law. The Spirit will always stand by Christ's people.

Jesus was saying that after he goes back to heaven, the ascension, he will send the Holy Spirit. This will be better because Jesus could only be with one disciple or group of disciples at a time. But God the Holy Spirit lives in every Christian, helping Christians to live for God and be like Jesus.

Jesus mentions some of the things that the Holy Spirit does :

16:8 he will the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: he will reprove the world. The work the Spirit does in the world is to convict people of their sin. The NT normally speaks of his work in believers.

16:9 Of sin, because they believe not on me; Apart from the Spirit's convicting work, people can never see themselves as sinners. because they believe not on me. May mean that their sin is their failure to believe, or that their unbelief is a classic example of sin. Typically, John may have had both of these in mind.

16:10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;

of righteousness. The righteousness or right standing before God is brought about by Christ's sacrificial death. No one but the Holy Spirit can reveal to a person that a righteous status before God does not depend on good works but on Christ's death on the cross. because I go to my Father. The ascension, which as part of Christ's exaltation placed God's seal of approval on Christ's redemptive act.

16:11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.

Of judgment. Jesus was speaking of the defeat of Satan, which was a form of judgment, not simply a victory. More than power is in question. God acts with justice. prince of this world. Satan

16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

Spirit of truth. In essence and in action the Spirit is characterized by truth. He brings people to the truth of God. All three persons of the Trinity are linked with truth. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life whatsoever he shall hear. We are not told whether he hears from the Father or the Son, but it obviously does not matter, for the verse stresses the close relationship among the three.

things to come. Probably means the whole Christian way or revelation presented and preserved in the Bible, still future at the time Jesus spoke.

16:14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. 15: All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

The Spirit draws no attention to himself but promotes the glory of Christ and, by implication, God the Father. This work of the Holy Spirit will reveal God's truth, he will open the eyes of those who are spiritually blind. To see that the cross was not a humiliating defeat, but a victory over sin and death. To see that Jesus is more than a good man or outstanding teacher.

Every Christian has God the Holy Spirit living inside them. To guide us, speak to us, to glorify Jesus. Elsewhere the Bible says that he gives us power to live, gifts to build up the church, and nine fruit growing in our lives making us more like Jesus.

This promise of Jesus was fulfilled at Pentecost. We can trust in Jesus to fulfil all of his promises and know him in our hearts by his Spirit.

PRAY