Please explain John 16:13-15.
Listen: 153.1
Let’s begin by reading John 16:12-15, “I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. 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. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.” Beginning at John 13:31and going through John 16, the Lord Jesus is preparing His disciples for life after His crucifixion, resurrection and ascension back to Heaven.
In the portion we are considering, the Lord speaks of how He has many things to tell His disciples, but they would not be able to understand Him. Then, the Lord tells them of the coming of the Holy Spirit, who will represent Christ in the world and open their understanding to receive the teachings of the scriptures. Notice how that the purpose of the Holy Spirit is not to glorify Himself, but to glorify the Son. From that, we learn that any true ministry of the Spirit will bring honor to the Lord Jesus.
Let’s consider the words of the Lord in John 16:7, “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.” Who is this comforter? The Lord tells us in John 15:26, “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me.” The Comforter is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit was coming to carry on the work of the Lord on the earth after Christ had left. He would not come until the Lord Jesus had ascended to Heaven.
When did the Spirit come into the world to indwell every believer? It was on the day of Pentecost as we read in Acts 2:1-4, “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
It is interesting and encouraging to realize that we now have the Holy Spirit as our Comforter. Then, we read of the Lord Jesus in 1 John 2:1, “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” So, the Spirit is our Comforter on the earth and Christ is our advocate in the Glory. Actually, the Greek word for ‘Comforter’ and the Greek word for ‘Advocate’ is the same! The word in the Greek is ‘parakletos’. What a blessed thought to realize that we have the Spirit working in the world on our behalf and Christ is working in Heaven on our behalf. What an amazing redemption we have through faith in Christ Jesus. The Lord said in John 14:18, “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” The Greek word for ‘comfortless’ is ‘orphanos’, from which we get the word orphans. As believers on the Lord, we are never left alone. Praise His worthy name! (153.1)