The Help We Need Series

The Help We Need

Fortifying the Foundations #33

John 14:15-31[1]

I came across a web site last week that had this phrase across the top, “The emotional rollarcoaster has hit bottom.” That’s a pretty good description of where the disciples were in our text. Jesus has told them in John 13 that he is going away and they cannot come with him. They knew he was talking about his death. Judas is betraying Jesus. Peter will deny the Lord. They will all flee. Their world is about to be turned upside down. Their emotional rollarcoaster has hit bottom.

In John 14 Jesus comforting them with two essential promises. The first we talked about last week—the promise that he is going to prepare a place for them and will return and take them with him to that place so they could be with him forever. And we saw last week how that promise applies to us. Heaven is our home and we will be there forever with the Lord. That is our eternal destiny. What a powerful source of encouragement for the disciples and for us.

Notice Jesus words in John 14:1, “Do not let your hearts be troubled...” He continues to minister comfort and assurance because in 14:27 he says almost the same thing again, “Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

This morning we come to his second great word of consolation:

I. The Promise of the Holy Spirit.

John 14:17 “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever...”

Jesus has taken care of these disciples. He has taught them and nurtured them. And they are wondering how they are going to make it without him. Jesus knows they could not make it on their own. But he is not going to abandon them like a bunch of orphans. He is going to send to them another Comforter.

In John 14:18 he says, “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” How will he come? In the person of the Holy Spirit[2], the Holy Spirit will come and as the third person of the Trinity and perfectly represent him.

Many of you know that the word in John’s text translated Counselor, Comforter, or Helper is “parakleetos” which is difficult to translate into English. It is a combination of para meaning beside and kaleoo meaning I call. It refers to one called along side to help. It was sometimes used as a legal term for a defense attorney[3]. Therefore it is sometimes translated Advocate[4]. John uses this term to help us understand our relationship to the Holy Spirit.

What Jesus is saying is that I am going to send you someone who will do for you all the things I have been doing for you. Another Comforter, the “another” is, allos[5], another of the same kind (Someone just like Jesus). “I will ask the Father and He will give you another Comforter...”

Why is this important to you and me? Because what was true of the disciples is also true of you and me. Without the Holy Spirit to strengthen us, encourage us, lead us, and guide us—without Him we too will not make it. No one in this room is able to live godly without the abiding help of the Holy Spirit. In fact, we can find ourselves very depleted and discouraged when we try to do it all in our own strength. But here is the good news; this promise to the disciples is also a promise to you and me. Acts 2:39 “For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call." NKJV The Holy Spirit is exactly what we need to handle life successfully and to live godly.

We can take courage from some of the things Jesus says here about the Holy Spirit.

(Verse 16), He comes to be with you forever. The Holy Spirit is not fickle in His commitment to you. He is not just with you when you feel spiritual. He is not just with you when you you’re at your best or when you’re on your knees. He abides in you. He comes to be with you forever. You can count on Him. You must count on Him. But the good news is you can count on Him.

Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as “the Spirit of Truth.” He is characterized by truth[6]. He will not lead you astray. You can follow Him and He will lead you into all truth. In fact, Jesus says in verse 26, He “will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have said to you.” It is a great blessing to become a lover of the truth. I want to love truth even when it confronts things in me that are hard to deal with. I want to love truth even when it is correcting me. The book of Thessalonians talks about people who would not receive the love of the truth and therefore got strong delusion[7]. I don’t what to be deceived. I want to know the truth and let the truth shape me. Aren’t you glad the Father has sent us “the Spirit of Truth” and not a spirit of deception?