Parting Words-Part 4- The Work of the Holy Spirit

Introduction- John 14:25-31

Last week we considered the conversation that Jesus had with His disciples concerning the comforter that would come.

This of course was in reference to the coming of the Holy Spirit once Jesus had departed.

The conversation was framed by Jesus statement that those who love Him will keep His commandments.

In our own strength this would be impossible but through the power of the Holy Spirit it is not only possible it is guaranteed.

Jesus also stated that He would manifest Himself to those who would do exactly this.

This simply meant that He would reveal Himself in a powerful and real way to those who love Him and by the power of the Holy Spirit obey Him.

Today we will see Jesus continue this conversation as He speaks to the disciples once again of His soon departure but also of the role that the Holy Spirit will play in their lives when He is come and taken up residence in them.

The Holy Spirit’s Role (Vs. 25-26)

Jesus has already promised that another comforter would come and here He names Him specifically, He is the Holy Ghost.

Again we must be reminded that a comforter in this sense is one who helps or assists another giving him strength to continue on.

It is important to note that the Holy Spirit will be sent in Jesus name, as His own representative.

John 16:13–14 KJV 1900

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.

The role that the Spirit of God was to play in their live and also in ours today is to...

Teach Us and to Remind Us

The word teach here has to do with instruction and the Holy Spirit will come to instruct the disciples.

These roles are similar but distinct. The teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit is how we know what we should do and how we should do it as the Spirit instructs us.

This is the Holy Spirit working personally in each of us directing us according to the will of God.

The scriptures do not speak to every single specific issue that we will face in this life and this is why we have the Holy Spirit to guide us.

Where the Word of God does not provide a specific answer the Spirit of God will direct us according to the will of the Father if we will yield to Him.

Once Jesus had departed is would be the Holy Spirit that would continue the teaching ministry of the Lord Jesus.

Remind Us

The Holy Spirit also reminds us of what Jesus has said bringing to our remembrance the Words of God.

This He does in order that we may live according to the principles of God’s Word and that we may in times of crisis be reminded of what God has said.

We may at times long to take hold of some promise of the Word or find ourselves grasping for some principle from the scriptures and it is the Holy Spirit that will bring it to our mind at just the proper moment.

The Spirit’s role in us is essentially to teach us what we do not yet know and to remind us of what we already know.

It is by these two means that the Spirit of God will lead us to carry out the will of God for our lives.

The Gift of Peace (Vs. 27)

Jesus then returns to the topic that He addressed at the very beginning of His conversation with them.

The disciples were no doubt troubled and fearful even still but Jesus here promises them that He will give the a peace that they have not yet known.

The common goodbye in this era was “Peace be with you” and though this phrase was often used no one yet had been able to actually give peace.

The disciples in this moment were concerned for the fact that Jesus would soon be leaving them.

Little did they know that they would endure persecution, opposition, suffering and difficulty beyond what they could have imagined.

Yet Jesus was already aware of all that they would endure and still he promises them peace.

The peace that Jesus gives is unique in that He alone can provide peace with God which is the key to any lasting peace of mind.

The peace that Jesus gives is distinct from the peace that the world offers in that it is not transitory but is lasting peace.

The peace the world has to offer is also only possible when circumstances are in favor of it, while the peace that Jesus gives is not dependent upon circumstances.

Philippians 4:7 KJV 1900

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Certainly the Spirit of God plays a significant role in the maintenance of this peace in the life of the believer providing hope and comfort in the midst of difficult circumstances.

Reason for Rejoicing (Vs. 28-29)

Jesus here states to His disciples that they should rather be rejocing that He is going away not discouraged and fearful.

He is here assuring them that the future spiritual economy will not be a step backward but actually a step forward in their spiritual progress.

Jesus could only be with them when they were physically with Him where the Holy Spirit would then be in them each individually at all times.

You and I may look with envy at the disciples because they had the unique opportunity to walk and talk with Jesus but in reality we have the Holy Spirit and this is the better spiritual economy.

Jesus’s primary intent is to prepare them for this new relationship and to affirm that His departure is not a desertion but that He goes in order that the Spirit of God may come.

At the same time He is once again confronting the fact that their love for Him is not yet what it should be.

Their love thus far seems to be somewhat self-centered in their longing to have Jesus remain with them. If their love were what it ought to be they would be rejoicing that the will of God is being fulfilled.

The Enemy Advancing (Vs. 30-31)

Now Jesus tells the disciples that He will not speak much with them for the enemy is prince of this world (Satan) is approaching.

He states that Satan has nothing in Him referring to the fact that Satan does not have any power or any foothold with which to gain an advantage over Him.

This was to signify that what was about to take place was not due to Satan’s power but was actually due to Jesus own love for the Father and His desire to fulfill His will.

Jesus could have escaped arrest, He could have avoided suffering, He could have escaped the cross but He chose voluntarily to yield Himself to His accusers to fulfill the Father’s plan for the redemption of man.

It was love that caused Jesus to submit Himself to the Father’s will even though He knew it would bring pain and sorrow.

Now that we have the Holy Spirit living inside of us we ought to have this same love and desire to fulfill all the Father’s will.

Conclusion

This conversation must have been a wonderful faith building experience for the disciples.

They like you and I would have come away knowing that the Spirit of God would be their teacher and would be there to remind them what Jesus had already taught them.

They would be comforted in knowing that Jesus would leave them a peace that passes understanding.

They would also now be aware that Jesus departure was not a hindrance but would actually be a help in their spiritual growth.

Yet they would also be reminded that the enemy was advancing and that the Lord Jesus must yield to him in order to fulfill the will of the Father.