The Continuing Work of Jesus
Public Meeting, Week 5, Sem 2/23
Have you ever wondered what it would have been like to be alive during the time Jesus was on earth? Watching him perform miracles, and listening as he taught - surely that will produce more faith in our hearts than anything we might conceive today, right?
Conversely, how do we grow our faith today? What keeps us from giving into doubt and giving up on God altogether?
The answer is found in our passage.
The Holy Spirit Helps Us Know Jesus
We’ve been working our way slowly through the farewell discourse in John’s gospel, which is the collection of what Jesus told his disciples on the night he was betrayed. These are his last words so to speak. Knowing the fear and anxiety his disciples would undoubtedly face, Jesus reassures them that they will not be alone.
John 16:7 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.
We read this today and immediately recognise that Jesus is referring to the Holy Spirit. But if we imagine for a moment and put ourselves in the disciples’ shoes, we’d have no idea what Jesus is talking about. Who’s this helper? So begins the disciples’ introduction to the third person within God.
First of all, notice Jesus sends him, not it. He’s personal. Jesus isn’t talking about an unseen force (think Star Wars) or an abstract principle (like love). There is a personal identifiable-ness to the Helper, and his coming is predicated on Jesus going. Which also means the fact that the Helper possesses an equivalency to Jesus in terms of function, suggests a similar equivalency in nature. That is to say an acceptable “replacement” of a thing must be as close to the thing as possible. For instance, a child could be comforted at the loss of 1 parent by the presence of the other parent. Nothing else comes close.
8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
Further emphasizing the closeness between Jesus and the Helper is what they each do. Notice everything the Helper does has to do with Jesus. It’s not as if Jesus has had his turn, now it’s the Helper’s turn to start his own project. The Helper comes to continue Jesus’ work. He does it in 3 areas – sin, righteousness, and judgment.
At risk of oversimplification, we can summarize it this way. The Spirit shows/convinces us of:
Sin - How we really are (sinful because of unbelief)
Righteousness - Who we should have been (good and righteous)
Judgment - What we might become (followers of the ruler of this world or followers of Jesus)
Right now, that’s what the Holy Spirit is doing all over the world. In the US, in Ukraine, in China, in Somalia, even in Perth. He does that at a micro level, working in someone’s heart, and at the macro level in the different ways a society functions to reflect the goodness of God as well as the dysfunction that evidences the evil of the ruler of the world.
There is much much more to be said, not least because I don’t even think I fully understand this particular passage. Instead let’s reflect upon what Jesus does in the passage.
12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.
It’s worth reflecting upon this. I’m not sure if you noticed, but all throughout the gospels Jesus always seems to know exactly how his disciples are going. He knows without them having to tell him. When they’re scared Jesus reassures them. When they’re worn out from ministry Jesus takes them to a quiet place to rest. See for example,
Mark 6:30 The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, 'Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.' So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place."
It’s such an intimate relationship which I honestly think is very unfamiliar to us. Especially when you consider how big the ministry got. Thousands of people came to hear Jesus. There’s always someone or something that demands Jesus’ attention. Yet he still has an eye on his disciples. If you worked at Coles or Bunnings, do you think the CEO will bother to even know your name?
How will Jesus continue to look after his disciples? He sends the Helper.
13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
It really is all about Jesus.