But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 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. John 16:5-7 ESV
The stroll from the Last Supper to the Garden of Gethsemane was undoubtedly the mother of all “good news, bad news” conversations. Jesus was direct. He gave them the bad news first. So what was the bad news, the “these things” that caused such grief?
Jesus told them that He was leaving and that they couldn’t come with Him at this time. To make matters worse, after His departure they would face such terrible persecution that they would be tempted to fall away. In order to stay together and fulfill their mission, they would have to love one another with the same kind of selfless love that He had demonstrated for them.
He knew the despair that “these things” caused in them. Their hearts were filled with sorrow, so much so that they didn’t even inquire about where He was going. (Pain often makes us even more self-centered than usual)
Then He delivered the good news. He prefaced it with “I’m telling you the truth.” Jesus, the very truth Himself, knew that what He was about to say would be hard for them to believe. “It is to your advantage that I go away.” Jesus said they would be better off without Him! Really, Jesus? That is hard to believe.
They had been with Him for all the miracles of healing. They had seen Him use a fish to pay their taxes. He calmed storms and walked on water. They had seen demonized people set free, and multitudes fed from nothing. They had even been able to do healings and deliverances themselves as His representatives. How could they possibly be better off without Him?
Jesus said that their advantage would be a Helper that He would send after His departure. On that walk to Gethsemane He made this promise three times. Each time He identified the Helper as the Spirit of Truth (see John 14:16-17; 15:26; 16:13). This Spirit would help them so much that they would be better off than if He were personally present.
“Helper” is the translation of the word Paraclete, also translated as Comforter, or Advocate. English doesn’t have a perfect word to express it. The literal meaning is “one called alongside” or “one summoned to help.” In Bible times, a paraclete was an assistant, an intercessor summoned to aid someone in court. It meant someone who stands beside the accused to plead their cause, offer support, or defend them.
Jesus told His disciples that after His departure, He would send them a Paraclete, a powerful, personal divine advocate/helper called alongside and inside them to continue and expand His work. On this night before His death, Jesus promised that This Helper would be in them and never depart. The world wouldn’t understand, but He would be in a real sense, the personal presence of Jesus with them (John 14:16-18). The Helper would bear witness of Jesus in them and through them (John 15:26-27).
When He called the Holy Spirit an “advantage,” He specifically emphasized that the Helper would convict the world of their sin and of God’s justice in Christ’s work on Calvary. He would also demonstrate the reality of the defeat of Satan (John 16:8-11). Though they would be scattered across the world, the Spirit would not be bound by geography or the hindrance of a physical body. He would be with each of them all the time.
He concluded the introduction of the paraclete by informing them that there were things they couldn’t grasp without the Helper. Thankfully, when He came to them He would lead them into truth and show them things to come (John 16:13-15). They would be better off with the Spirit in them to teach them what they couldn’t understand at that moment. Even with Jesus personally present, they were simply unable to grasp many things. They needed an internal Helper.
For us, the real good news is that we have that same Spirit. He comes to dwell in us and rest upon us for all these same purposes. Reporting to the Jerusalem leadership about what happened to the Gentiles at Caesarea, Peter said, “ the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning” (Acts 11:15). We have the same advantage that the apostles enjoyed. The Spirit of truth will never leave us. He will guide us, He will teach us, and He will glorify Jesus through us.
Scripture Reading: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8
Somebody Said: “Many men today are running on adrenaline and not anointing.” Larry Stockstill
Here’s the Point: You can be confident that the Spirit who is with you will do exactly what Jesus would do if He were physically present. He wants you to succeed in what He has asked you to do. He wants it more than you do. In every situation you encounter, you have a very unfair advantage. Pay attention.
When I share my faith in the coffee shop, or preach my best effort from the pulpit, it’s not my charm or wisdom or eloquence that brings results. Jesus said my new Helper will do the heavy lifting. He will convict and convince. That takes all the pressure off me and puts it where it belongs: on God the Spirit.
Pastor Virgil
3141 W. Ironwood Hill Dr.
Tucson, AZ 85741
For help tapping into the flow of the Spirit for ministry situations, try “Is There an Interpreter in the House?”
pastorvirgil.com 