- While this is not an exhaustive study of the role of the Holy Spirit, this is a key moment. Jesus will soon be leaving, as He reminds His disciples within the passage. In this larger passage, He has several big subjects He wants to cover with His disciples before He leaves. One of those is who He will send once He leaves.
- The arrival of the Holy Spirit is a monumental moment in the salvation story. The disciples here are still in a state of uncertainty, both about what’s going on and what’s next. While it’s certain that they will not fully grasp the broad implications of Jesus’ words, He nevertheless wants to give them a vision of what’s next. These are words they can return to (interestingly enough, with the help of the Holy Spirit – see John 14:26) once they get their bearings and are trying to figure out the new spiritual era they are in after the Resurrection.
- As we look through this dense passage, I want to pull out the pieces where Jesus defines for the disciples what exactly the Holy Spirit is going to bring into their spiritual lives.
- Though this is not exhaustive, it is an important discussion because it represents the information Jesus thought the disciples needed to know in this crucial moment about the Holy Spirit.
- As we go through this, I will also try to bring out what is important about what each statement.
What Jesus Said the Holy Spirit’s Job Was:
1. The Holy Spirit will counsel and comfort us.
- John 15:26; John 16:7.
- Importance: we will struggle so we will need direction and encouragement.
2. The Holy Spirit will point us toward the truth.
- John 15:26; John 16:13.
- “Spirit of truth” (both) plus “He will guide you into all truth” (13).
- Importance: amid conflicting truth claims by the world, we need help knowing what we can rely on.
3. The Holy Spirit will testify of Jesus.
- John 15:26.
- Importance: the Holy Spirit will not usually draw attention to Himself, but instead exalt Christ.
4. The Holy Spirit will reveal the world’s sin.
- John 15:8-11.
- Importance: it’s so easy to justify sin, we need someone to point out where we go wrong.
5. The Holy Spirit will give us the plan for the future.
- John 15:13.
- Importance: we are better able to live for Christ today when we know where we are going.
6. The Holy Spirit will reveal more of Jesus to us.
- John 15:14.
- Importance: this is more than just Jesus’ words (i.e. truth), but who Jesus is and how to be like Him. This, of course, is the point of the Christian life: to be like Jesus.
