Holy Spirit in John 13-17

In the farewell discourse () we find many doctrines that rise to the surface. One of the main doctrines that appears is the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. In these five chapters He is mentioned specifically by Name four times and referred to many more times in this discourse.

I’m going to show you three aspects of the ministry of the Holy Spirit concerning drawing near of the Spirit of truth who remains in us. Secondly I’ll explain how we join in with the Spirit of truth in His work of revealing Christ to the world. And finally, I’ll be telling you of how the Spirit of truth led those disciples in completing the revelation of God in Christ.

First of all, the drawing near of the Counselor, the Spirit of truth ().

In Jesus is going to comfort His disciples, as they are grieved upon hearing of Christ departure from this world to His Father. In vv. 5-14 Jesus proclaims again that He is the only way to the Father and let’s them know that He is in the Father, and that prayers are answered to bring glory to God the Father.

From vv.15-31 Jesus unpacks the promise of the coming Holy Spirit, given to the followers of Jesus after He departs.

15 "“If you love me, you will keep my commands. 16 "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. 17 "He is the Spirit of truth. The world is unable to receive him because it doesn’t see him or know him. But you do know him, because he remains with you and will be in you.” ()

The word translated “Counselor” (paráklētos) Means “to comfort, encourage or exhort. It is properly a verbal adj. referring to an aid of any kind. In the Greek writers, used of a legal advisor, pleader, proxy, or advocate, one who comes forward in behalf of and as the representative of another.”

In this passage that we’re considering, we remember that Jesus is laying out for His disciples how the arrangement is going to look when He is absent and as He progresses through this discourse, He will develop the teaching concerning the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

The main thought communicated to the followers of Jesus in these verses is that Almighty God is going to make Himself present to those who follow Jesus by the Spirit of truth.

This truth is unavoidable, “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor, to be with you forever. He is the Spirit of truth.” (John 14:16-17a)

Tremper Longman says in his commentary, “The coming Counselor is called “the Spirit of truth.” Earlier Jesus had stated that he himself was “the truth” (14:6), so we are not surprised to learn that the one who will take his place will be eminently qualified to communicate the truth.”

Jesus says further down, “I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you.” ()

Meaning that He is going to be personally present with His disciples by and through the means of His Spirit.

Just as import and very clear Jesus says, 23 "Jesus answered, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” ()

Here the Father and the Son take go in to dwell with believers. All three Persons of the Trinity are involved.

Earlier in John’s gospel we learn of the involvement of all the members of the Triune God are involved in the mission of Jesus in accomplishing redemption.

34 "For the one whom God sent speaks God’s words, since he gives the Spirit without measure. 35 "The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hands.” ()

In these verses we learn that the Father loves the Son and sends His Son, the Son is loved and sent. The Father gives the Spirit to the Son in an unlimited fashion. The Son receives Him (the Spirit), and He speaks the words of God.

So here in the Counselor, the Spirit of truth, and His ministry is drawing nearer to the disciples.

Mounce, R. H. (2007). John. In T. Longman III & D. E. Garland (Eds.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Luke–Acts (Revised Edition) (Vol. 10, p. 566). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Zodhiates, S. (2000). The complete word study dictionary: New Testament (electronic ed.). Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers.

Then secondly, we learn in about we join the Holy Spirit, the Counselor, the Spirit of truth in His work of revealing Christ to the world.

2. The joining with the Counselor, the Spirit of truth in His work ().

26 "“When the Counselor comes, the one I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father—he will testify about me. 27 "You also will testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.” ()

As believers, we must be expected to serve as witnesses in this world as we join the Spirit of truth, as He testifies about Christ.

Again, Longman says, “Jesus declares that the mission of the Counselor is to “testify about [him]” (v. 26; cf. ), and he immediately adds, “And you also must testify.” This juxtaposition suggests that the testifying of the disciples is not something in addition to the witness of the Counselor but the means by which the Counselor carries out his mission.”

Mounce, R. H. (2007). John. In T. Longman III & D. E. Garland (Eds.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Luke–Acts (Revised Edition) (Vol. 10, p. 583). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

This is really demonstrated in the out pouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. While it’s Jesus who sends the Spirit, this only happens in response to His asking the Father to do so (,). So the Spirit is sent by the Father and by the Son as the Mediator. They are the twin sources of the Spirit of truth’s mission. The Spirit “goes” on His mission, “from the Father” to testify about the Son.

If we were those original disciples, the question that we’re asking, “Why is Jesus leaving us?” Now our text is insisting that the coming of the Counselor, the Spirit of truth, promised to them, is going to testify to the world concerning Jesus and that the disciples are going to be joining in on His witness. This is why they are left.

The Spirit’s testimony concerning Christ comes through the preaching of God’s Word, utilized especially in the preaching of the risen Lord by His faithful witnesses ().

Mounce, R. H. (2007). John. In T. Longman III & D. E. Garland (Eds.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Luke–Acts (Revised Edition) (Vol. 10, p. 583). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Lastly, we see the guidance of the Spirit of truth given to complete God’s revelation of Jesus Christ the Lord ().

In chapter 16 our Lord Jesus it teaching about the work of the Counselor. He again, announces His departure from this world back to the Father and begins to unfold His Father’s love.

We want to focus on vv 12-15, specifically v13, which says, "When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth. For he will not speak on his own, but he will speak whatever he hears. He will also declare to you what is to come.” ()

This will explain to us how the disciples who accompanied Jesus in His earthly ministry (15:27) come to more fully and precisely understand the Lord’s teaching.

The disciples wouldn’t have even been able to imagine the events of the crucifixion and the resurrection, let alone the glorious significance. So Jesus says, "“I still have many things to tell you, but you can’t bear them now.” ()

And even though they are not able to comprehend or remember everything that Jesus is going to and has been telling them this night, He let’s them know what the ministry of the Holy Spirit is going to do to them when He dies and rises again.

In the future God’s Spirit is going to come and complete God’s revelation of Jesus Christ the Lord.

"When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth. For he will not speak on his own, but he will speak whatever he hears. He will also declare to you what is to come.” ()

He already promised that the Spirit of truth would remind them of all that Jesus had taught them (14:26). But now there’s more that is promised. Here in 16:13 the Spirit will guide them into all truth and tell them what is yet to come.

Just as God spoke in the past through the prophets, and spoke through His Son (who is the Word, ) who said only what the Father had given Him to say, so He too spoke through the Holy Spirit, who is going to complete God’s revelation of Jesus Christ the Lord by speaking and telling the disciples divine truth.

The Holy Spirit is also going to bring glory to Jesus. "He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.” ()

This is why Jesus had to depart and return to His Father by the cross and resurrection and ascension, before the Holy Spirit could be given (7:39). Once back in glory, Jesus receives more glory because the ministry of the Holy Spirit among the believers. We bring glory to Christ by being saturated in all truth concerning Him. As the wonderful truths of Christ are increasingly revealed to us and absorbed by us it transforms us and enables us to reflect the glory of Christ and bring praise to His name...

Praise God that Jesus Christ takes center stage in the New Testament. But we must remember that the Holy Spirit isn’t an optional extra. He’s very necessary in the divine plan to redeem lost men. He is as essential to our salvation as the Father who planned it and as important as the Son who purchased it, because He is the One who reveals it and applies it personally to us!

"We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit.” ()

We bring great glory to Christ as the truths of the gospel are communicated to us. And when those truths are blessed by the ministry of God’s Word and by His Holy Spirit, those truths become established in our lives.

I have sought to show you three aspects of the ministry of the Holy Spirit concerning drawing near of the Spirit of truth who remains in us. And how we join in with the Spirit of truth in His work of revealing Christ to the world. And finally, I've told you how the Spirit of truth led those disciples in completing the revelation of God in Christ.

Praise God that Jesus Christ takes center stage in the New Testament. But we must remember that the Holy Spirit isn’t an optional extra. He’s very necessary in the divine plan to redeem lost men. He is as essential to our salvation as the Father who planned it and as important as the Son who purchased it, because He is the One who reveals it and applies it personally to us!