4 24 2016 Co-Workers with God John 15:26-16:4
If your boss who trained you for a few years invited you to become partners in his business, you would consider it to be a great privilege. Listen to Jesus’ intents and purposes for those who had discipled with Him; Jesus speaks in John 15:26-27 “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me. And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.”
The Spirit of Truth WILL testify about Jesus.
Again the Holy Spirit of God, the Spirit of Truth, the Advocate, (Comforter or Helper) is promised to Jesus’ disciples. In John 14:16 Jesus had promised: “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—“ Then in John 14:26 Jesus said: “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.”
Now listen: These verses do not at all contradict one another but rather support that the fact that the Spirit is regarded as being connected in the most intimate way with both the Father and the Son. The sending of the Holy Spirit is equally important to the Father as the Spirit is to the Son. The Spirit will proceed (go out) from the Father in order to continue the ministry and testimony of the Lord Jesus. The Spirit being sent in Jesus’ Name means that He will represent, remember, and teach all the things that Jesus taught from the Father.
There is great legal significance in the name for the Holy Spirit, namely, “Parakletos” since the Holy Spirit represents Jesus Christ’s “case”, standing in the place of the Lord Jesus as His complete and competent witness, testifying to the Truth of Jesus before the world and alongside the disciples of Jesus. So the Spirit of Truth WILL most definitely testify/witness about the One who is the only Way, the Truth, and the Life, the Lord Jesus.
There are two ways in which the Spirit bears witness or testifies; one is the witness of the Spirit in the writing of the Word of God. The authors of the Old Testament were led by the Spirit of God, bearing the Word of God before the Birth of Jesus. The authors of the New Testament would also be led by the Spirit of God as they bore the witness of Jesus. 2 Timothy 3:16 tells us: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.”
Likewise 2 Peter 1:20-21 tells us: “knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, 21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” This places the Bible in a category by itself: no other book can stand up to the Bible’s proclamation of authorship being led by the very Spirit of God, the Spirit of Truth.
Secondly, the Spirit testifies the truths of God’s Word to individuals who read it and are changed by the very Word of God. We sometimes refer to this as the internal witness of the Word of God. Paul explained it this way in 1 Corinthians 2:12-13: Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. 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.”
The Spirit-inspired written Word of God is life changing. It is interpreted within the human heart. The Word speaks to the minds and hearts of people in such a way that those who are being led by the Spirit of God to believe in the Lord Jesus WILL be led to trust Him as Savior and Lord. In John 3:8 Jesus explained it to Nicodemus this way: “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit." Later Jesus said in John 6:63: “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” The internal witness of the Word and Spirit of Truth continue to change lives as God powerfully builds His Kingdom.
Disciples of Jesus MUST testify about Jesus.
Let’s listen to those verses (26-27) again: “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me.” So we saw how the Spirit testifies to the Truth of Jesus, and then immediately Jesus adds: “And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.”
It was essential for the disciples to testify to the historical reality of the Jesus, witnessing to His words and His works- His life ministry, miracles, His death, resurrection and ascension. That is why Jesus added those words, “for you have been with me from the beginning.” Their eyewitness account validates that Jesus indeed lived, proved His Deity by His words and works, was crucified and risen from the dead, and ascended back to Heaven before many witnesses. But the story does not end there. Jesus’ words to His disciples are also instruction to us; their teaching and ministry provided the foundation and pattern for the Church which we follow even today.
What a privilege is ours as disciples of Jesus Christ: ALL DISCIPLES are to testify about Jesus. He calls us to be co-workers with Him in His Kingdom purposes! ALL DISCIPLES are to testify about Jesus. There is no such thing as a “silent witness”. Since the promises and warnings in this section of scripture are to ALL disciples and followers of Jesus, the responsibilities but also the great privilege to witness the truth about Jesus is ours as are the warnings of persecution and tribulation in the world. Disciples of Christ certainly are called to validate the Truth of Jesus, and our testimonies will include first of all a heartfelt intellectual assurance that the Gospel is true.
We not only intellectually assent to the Gospel as it has been written and taught to us, but its truth gives us a firm assurance in the very depths of our hearts that Jesus is Savior and Lord. He is Master. A person who has been influenced intellectually must also enter into the reality of relationship with God in Christ. There is the reality of a personal experience. We, like the disciples, spend personal time with Jesus in prayer and in His Word. We have “been with Jesus” at the cross by faith, and at the open tomb by faith. Our faith is not merely “book knowledge” but a daily living and walking with the Savior, and so we testify to the Word and to His Spirit living in us as we walk with God.
Not only do we believe intellectually and experience the saving power of the Gospel through personal experience but we also verbalize our testimony: True disciples witness with words. They testify with a verbalized testimony. It is a natural thing for those who have been raised from the dead to share their story of God’s grace in Christ, and we are also commanded to do so in many scriptures. We witness the message of Jesus with works and with words.
There are many examples in God’s Word pertaining to verbalizing our testimony. Paul said in Rom. 1:16, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes…" But listen to Romans 10:14: How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?” The word for “preacher” means a herald, one who proclaims an important message and there isn’t a more important message than the Gospel message. That is why Jesus commanded in Mark 16:15 to “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.” Proclaiming certainly involves words! Silent witnesses? No! Vocal witnesses.
That is why 1 Peter 3:15 tells us: “But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone (with words!) who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.”
Jesus forewarns and fore-arms His Disciples
Jesus forewarns and fore-arms His Disciples in John 16:1 “All this I have told you so that you will not fall away.” The word for “fall away” is “skandalizō” from “skandalon” which is the trigger or stick of a trap; It is also a stumbling block. Jesus forewarns His disciples so that when persecution and trials come on account of their witness, they will not stumble and fall but they will be strong, prepared and on guard in faith.
Verse 2 continues: “They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God. 3 They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me.” Jesus’ warnings included excommunication from the synagogue and martyrdom. The religious Jews had rejected the words of Jesus and crucified Him outside of the city. Jesus’ earliest disciples, who would herald the Gospel message, would be forbidden to teach God’s Word in the synagogue, and eventually they would be killed for even representing the Prince of Peace, the Word of God in the Flesh.
True followers of the Lord God and of His Christ often identify with their Lord by suffering and offering up their own lives for witnessing or testifying for Jesus. The Greek word for “witness” or “testify” is “martyreō”, from which we get our words “martyr” and “martyrdom”. Witnesses are expected to give a trustworthy account and that is what Jesus’ followers have done and will continue to do, and many would follow Jesus closely…even to die as His witnesses. As surely as Jesus’ blood flowed on the cross for His Disciples, the world’s hatred and persecution of would flow to those who follow Jesus and stand as His witnesses.
John 16:4 concludes our study for today: “I have told you this, so that when their time comes you will remember that I warned you about them. I did not tell you this from the beginning because I was with you.” While Jesus remained on earth, rejection and opposition to the Gospel would be directed toward Jesus and not toward Jesus’ Disciples; but Jesus warns His disciples that change would be imminent but not without His power and presence in and through the Holy Spirit.
Peter later encouraged persecuted believers and us with these words from 1 Peter 1:6-8: “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials,(that was the disciple’s reaction too. Nothing new!) that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory.” Our Hope is in the Lord Jesus, no matter what may come! He is our Hope. Praise Him in works and in words as co-workers ambassadors of our Blessed Lord Jesus.
Outline:
I. The Spirit of Truth WILL testify about Jesus. (26)
A. The witness of the Spirit in the writing of the Word of God.2 Tim. 3:16, 2 Pete 1:20-21
B. The individual internal witness of the Word.1 Cor. 2:12-13
II. Disciples of Jesus MUST testify about Jesus. (27)
A. Disciples testify to a heartfelt assurance of the Gospel.
B. Disciples testify to the reality of a personal experience.
C. Disciples testify with a verbalized testimony.
III. Disciples of Jesus are forewarned and forearmed (16:1-6)
A. Jesus’ forewarnings provide strength so disciples will not “stumble”.
B. Jesus’ warnings include excommunication and martyrdom.
C. The world’s hatred and persecution of Christ will flow to His disciples.
