More To Come Series

"More to Come" John16:12-15

After all the things Jesus had revealed to His twelve disciples concerning Himself throughout His ministry, and now in the hours directly leading to His crucifixion on the cross, Jesus says in John 16:12: “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.”

This verse leads into the last of five passages in verses13-15, pertaining to the work of the Holy Spirit, the “Paraclete”. Look at the Word of God in John 16:13-15: “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. 15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.”

NEW REVELATION

The promises by Jesus include the continuing presence of the Holy Spirit in the life of His Disciples, of Jesus’ continued ministry in the world through the Disciples, and also the implied promise of the New Testament writings by the Apostles and the Inspiration of the Scriptures by the Holy Spirit. It is not so easy to notice this from verse 13, but listen to the first part of the verse: “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth…”

An important word is dropped from most all translations, including the KJV and NKJV. Remember that God’s Word is perfect as He gave it but mistakes can happen in copying and in translation. The little word “the” appears in the original in both the Textus Receptus and the later originals and describes the words “truth”. Verse 13a should read: “However, when He, the Spirit of (the) truth, has come, He will guide you into all (the) truth…”

Jesus claimed to be “the Truth” and the Spirit of Jesus would lead the disciples into all the implication of that truth embodied in the Lord Jesus. The Holy Spirit would bring this New Revelation embodied in the WORDS of the New Testament scriptures through the disciples, later called apostles. Paul explained it beautifully in 1 Corinthians 2:13: “These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.”

It would be the disciples who would carry the Gospel message to the early Church, and their teaching would be the very foundation of the Church as the Apostles, those who had been with Jesus, but not before the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. All that Jesus had taught them would be far more understandable after Jesus’ death, resurrection, and of course His ascension back to the Father.

HISTORICAL ACCURACY

The Words embodied in the New Testament would contain HISTORICAL accuracy concerning Jesus. Verse 13 says “He will guide you into all (the) truth,” meaning the Holy Spirit would guide them into all truth concerning Jesus. We had seen this even clearer in John 14:26: “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 things that I said to you.”

The New Testament contains absolute historical accuracy concerning the life, ministry, death, resurrection and ascension (which we could have commemorated pastThursday-40 days after Resurrection Sunday) of the Lord Jesus. Although the book of John was written some 50 years after Jesus’ ascension, the testimony of Matthew, Mark, and Luke as well as that of the early Church Fathers testify to its historical accuracy.

The fact that Christianity begins with historical revelation sets it apart from other religions, philosophies, and mythology. Christianity is grounded in determinative facts, not just a pattern of ideas to comprise a system of religion or thought. The Gospels provide historical accuracy and reveal Jesus’ life in different aspects. Matthew introduces Jesus as the King of God’s Kingdom or the “Kingdom of God”. Mark shows Jesus as the Son of God in His humanity and as the suffering servant, focusing on Jesus’ deeds. Luke writes as a meticulous historian and records Jesus’ relentless progression toward the cross that He might die for sinners. John records Jesus’ ministry and is the most theological of the Gospels, containing Jesus signs, His declarations of deity, and the necessity of believing in order to receive life.

The historical accuracy of Christianity cuts it off from any thoughts of it being an “evolutionary religion”. Christianity’s basis clearly represents the Almighty Sovereign Creator God working throughout history to redeem sinful man. The center of the story reveals God in the Flesh giving His life on the Cross as a vicarious atonement for man. At the Cross God is vividly depicted as a God who is both Just and Justifier, a God who is full of Perfect Judgment but also Loving and Gracious for those who BELIEVE in the SON. Any other teaching is heresy.