The Spirit of Truth

// INTRO & RECAP

Series Context: Jesus’ final night with His disciples (The Upper Room).

Chiasm Structure of John 13-17: We are now on the other side of John’s chiasm.

John 15:1-17 - The Vine & Branches is the middle point of this Chiasm.

Now we will start to feel like Jesus is repeating himself, but with a different feel.

Transition: Prior to the vine and branches, he was preparing them, now he is equipping them.

The Helper Promised

John 14:25–31 ESV

25 “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. 28 You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe. 30 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, 31 but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.

The Helper will remind of the words Jesus has spoken.

** HIS WORDS ARE TRUTH & LIFE **

John 6:67–71 “67 So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”

The Peace that Jesus is gifts to us must be received and applied.

The root for trouble & fear is in the heart of man.

The trouble that Jesus was facing was something he was willing to walk through, knowing that the Father was commanding it.

Through Jesus’ obedience to the father we see a powerful sign of his love for the Father.

Obedience = Love = Obedience

It’s a cycle. We love God, therefore we obey his words, and thus show our love for him, and we obey his words…

The Hinge of The Upper Room

The whole Upper Room discourse hinges on John 15:1-17 - the Vine and the Branches.

Jesus is the source of life.

We cannot live life apart from him - we will only last so long.

Flowers once cut. Wren asking about putting the flowers in the fridge.

Commandments

Jesus is commanded by the Father to go to the cross.

Jesus commands us to love one another how he has loved us.

It is intriguing to me that Jesus doesn’t focus on the trouble or fear. He doesn’t say to press through, instead he turns our attention outward; that we may continue to love one another. This leads me back to the beginning of this night where Jesus washes his disciples feet. It’s me leaving my situation and “waiting (serving)” others and the Father. As I turn my focus outward, my troubles (or my view of my trouble) shifts.

THE PRICE OF ABIDING

Opposition

Hate / gk. miseo

:: to love less, detest, persecute

John 15:18–25 ESV

18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21 But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. 25 But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’

We should understand from Jesus’ words that just as the world treated him, so will they treat those of us that follow him.

those that received him will receive us

those that rejected him will reject us

This statement should not be used to lump the entire world into one basket.

We can also gather from this text that the same way the father loved Jesus, is the same way we should expect to be loved by him.

The father will embrace us with love & purpose

The Helper

John 15:26–16:6 ESV

26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. 27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning. 1 “I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. 2 They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. 3 And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. 4 But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you. “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.

Jesus is giving his disciples everything that they will need to be prepared for the storm that is ahead.

In 2019 we were on a mission trip in Trinidad & Tobago and we received news that our nephew had suddenly passed. While we were devastated in that moment, asking God questions, even screaming in a field - we had friends encourage us to look back and see how God was leading us to that moment.

When we looked back, we saw that the prior month to his passing all the family got special time with him. Even us that live far away were able to have quality phone calls and video calls.

God never promises us that we will have a troubleless life. In fact, we will see in the coming weeks that Jesus assures us we will have trouble in this world!

Truth & Error

We see that the Helper is also called The Spirit of Truth.

Simply observed, this must mean there is an opposing spirit(s) if he has to be identified.

1 John 4:1–6 ESV

1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. 4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 5 They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

Going through the tough times is inevitable.

The Spirit of Truth will remind you of Jesus’ words of eternal life.

The spirit of error will cause you to question God, “…did God really say…” (Gen 3.1) and thus walk away from the truth.

The Spirit Comes, Jesus Must Leave

John 16:4–6 ESV

4 But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you. “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.

Jesus knew what he was saying was hard for his friends to hear.

However, true friendship, true love isn’t afraid to speak the truth in love.

Not only just Jesus speak the truth, he goes right to heart of the issue.

We are now seeing a troubled heart grow into a sorrow-filled heart.

What a situation! At the moment when it would seem like we need Jesus the most, He is leaving (on another assignment).

However, he is NOT leaving us alone, he is NOT abandoning us, he is NOT leading us to an end.

He is on assignment for the Father’s work and he is leaving us with an advocate that is the spirit of truth.

The Reality of Sorrow

John 16:6 ESV

6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.

Sorrow

:: Heaviness of heart brought about through disappointment, disillusionment, failure or sin. It can lead to depression of spirit, but this can be relieved.

This word sorrow has about 14 different words in the Hebrew to describe the different dimensions.

At the inception of creation, sorrow and grief were not part of the plan. The fall of man has led to inclusion of sorrow in the human experience.

Hope for Sorrow

In the OT (this would’ve been the only text they had during the time of Jesus) we see several places where sorrow is given hope.

Purim

Esther 9:22 ESV

22 … the month that had been turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday;

Psalm 116:3–9 ESV

3 The snares of death encompassed me; the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me; I suffered distress and anguish. 4 Then I called on the name of the Lord: “O Lord, I pray, deliver my soul!” 5 Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; our God is merciful. 6 The Lord preserves the simple; when I was brought low, he saved me. 7 Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you. 8 For you have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling; 9 I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.

Psalm 119:28 ESV

28 My soul melts away for sorrow; strengthen me according to your word!

Isaiah 35:3–4 ESV

3 Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. 4 Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.”

Isaiah 35:10 “10 And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”

Jeremiah 31:13 ESV

13 Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old shall be merry. I will turn their mourning into joy; I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow.

We see a pattern of sorrow leading to hope through repentance and trust.

repent = means to return to the way God intended it

trust = having faith and belief even when it’s not physically present

Jesus’ Response to Sorrow

Isaiah 52.13-55.13 gives a full picture

Isaiah 53:3–5 ESV

3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.

The people improperly judged the suffering servant.

They viewed what happened to Jesus as the wrath of God, when in reality the suffering servant was bearing the grief and carrying the sorrow.

In light of Mother’s Day

Common Troubling Thoughts:

Am I enough?

Am I doing this right?

Have I failed my child?

Will my children be okay?

I feel invisible.

I miss who I was.

I’m exhausted but must keep going.

Jesus' Answer:

“Let not your heart be troubled…” (John 14:1, 27)

“I will not leave you as orphans (abandon, forget, lead astray)…” (John 14:18)

“I will send the Helper…” (John 15:26)

Rely on the Spirit of Truth who guides, reminds, strengthens, and gives peace.

Response: Receive His peace. Let the Helper lead. Trust Jesus even when sorrow fills your heart.

Ministry Moment: Invitation for prayer and for mothers to be encouraged by the Spirit’s presence and power.