Just before Jesus died on the cross, He sat the Disciples down for a lengthy training session. Knowing He was only hours from departing, Jesus poured in them. It’s right here that Jesus introduces the Holy Spirit. This is known as the Farewell Discourse by Bible scholars.
Today’s Scripture
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.”
“These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 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 that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe. I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here” (John 14:15-17, 25-31).
Sermon Preview
1. He’s the Gift that Keeps on Giving
2. He’s the Teacher Who Never Stops Teaching
1. He’s the Gift that Keeps on Giving
“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever” (John 14:16).
“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 that I have said to you” (John 14:26).
Remember, this is all one lengthy piece of training Jesus gives the Disciples.
1.1 The Setting
Remember, this is the night before Jesus dies on a cross. These are Jesus’ last-minute instructions He’s giving the Disciples. The air is thick with bewilderment, excitement, and uncertainty as the Disciples struggle to grasp what’s happening. The task in front of these eleven men is overwhelming: spread the message of the gospel throughout the world despite their families disowning them. In time, their families will refuse to talk with them, and many will not even permit their bodies to be buried next to their loved ones. If bookmakers were to place odds on these 11’s success, no one in their right mind would have bet on them. The odds were squarely against them. They have no organization and no money. The road in front of them is difficult.
1.2 The Gift that Keeps on Giving
There is nothing you have achieved or will achieve that is as monumental as what Jesus is expecting of these men. Jesus is requiring the impossible. And before He leaves them to do the impossible, Jesus gives them the Helper. Jesus offers them an incredible gift, an incredible resource to help them pull off the impossible. He’s not only giving them an incredible gift, but Jesus is teaching about the Trinity. Jesus is pulling back the curtain to show us the essence of God.
1.2.1 The Spirit is for All Believers
Here’s some good news: the Holy Spirit is available to all believers. The Spirit isn’t just for the original disciples. He’s not just available to missionaries or “professional believers.” He’s for every single believer. Plus, the Holy Spirit comes to you the moment you embrace Christ by faith. He’s not extra, and He’s not an “add-on” that you have to pay for, like some games you play on your phone. The Holy Spirit is part and parcel with you becoming a believer (Romans 8:9).
1.2.2 Clark Griswold and Cousin Eddie
Some of you may remember Clark Griswold in Christmas Vacation. He thought his big Christmas bonus was coming — only to open the envelope and find a membership to the Jelly of the Month Club. Trouble is, Clark had already put a down payment on a new pool for the family. A deposit he couldn’t afford, so he wrote a cold check. It’s right here that clueless Cousin Eddie tries to cheer him up by saying, “It’s the gift that keeps on giving the whole year.” Now, jelly might not be the best “gift that keeps on giving.” But Jesus promised something infinitely better. On the night before the cross, He told His disciples He was giving them the Holy Spirit. Unlike Clark’s jelly subscription, the Spirit truly is the gift that keeps on giving — peace when life is chaotic, power when we feel weak, and power to fight off even the strongest of temptations.
1.3 Here’s Who He Is
Jesus is introducing the Holy Spirit to the Disciples in verse 26.
Jesus said the Holy Spirit is a: 1) “Helper;”
2) “he will teach you all things;”
3) and “he will bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”
1.4 The Helper
This is the second time that same night Jesus brought up “the Helper” (John 14:16-17).
Jesus calls the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete. Say that word with me, “Paraclete.” Jesus mentions the Paraclete five times this same night.
1.4.1 What Do I Do with the Paraclete?
Prior to Jesus, people used the word “Paraclete” for someone who would help you in court. The word was used to describe someone you called for when you needed help.1 Think of a family attorney, and you’re close to what this word means. Any time a problem arose in the family, the Paraclete was on call, and he would come immediately to assist in the struggle.2 Again, an advocate is someone who appears on your behalf.
Now, English translations don’t use this word, but they translate it. The major translations translated the word Paraclete different ways: “Comforter” (KJV), “Advocate” (NRSV; NEB; JB; NIV), “Counselor” (HCS), and “Helper” (NASB; ESV). The word is way too rich for any one English word.
This doesn’t mean they are aliases. No, the Holy Spirit has all these different names because He is good, versatile, and powerful. The Holy Spirit is a Swiss Army knife for good in your life. He just has so many roles.
1.4.2 Forever
“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever…” (John 14:16).
Jesus said He is sending us the Paraclete forever in verse 16. Forever is a long time. This is permanent. Jesus is telling us He will not withdraw the Holy Spirit after He gives Him to us. Now, if He’s a family attorney for you, then He’s permanently assigned to you. Let’s trace together what Jesus promises the Paraclete will do.
1.5 Just Like Jesus
“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever…” (John 14:16).
“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1).
The word “Helper” is the same word translated “advocate” in 1 John 2:1. Both words come from the very same Greek word: Paraclete. And here’s what’s remarkable: John is the only New Testament writer who uses this word. And he applies it both to Jesus and to the Holy Spirit. That means the Spirit is not a substitute teacher. No — He is given the very same title John uses for Jesus Himself. When Jesus says, “I will send you another Helper,” He is saying: “I have been your Helper. Now the Spirit will come, and He will be to you everything I have been to you.”
So, what does this tell us? The Holy Spirit has the same titles as Jesus. The Holy Spirit has the same abilities as Jesus. The Holy Spirit is not an accessory to the Christian life. The Spirit is equal with the Son and the Father.
1.5.1 Olympic Medal Stand
Picture the Olympic medal stand—gold, silver, bronze. That’s how many Christians mistakenly think of the Trinity: Gold for the Father, Silver for the Son, Bronze for the Spirit. But that’s not how Jesus presents it here.
He’s saying: “When I leave, the Spirit will take My place. He is not lesser. He is My equal.” In fact, He goes so far as to say it’s to our advantage that He go away, because the Spirit will come (John 16:7). The Holy Spirit doesn’t stand one step lower. He stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the Father and the Son. When Jesus says He will send “another Helper,” He is saying: “I have been your Helper. Now the Spirit will come, and He will be to you everything I have been to you.”
What does that tell us? The Holy Spirit has the same titles as Jesus. The Holy Spirit has the same abilities as Jesus. The Holy Spirit is not bronze to Jesus’ silver or the Father’s gold! The Spirit is every bit equal in power, purpose, and presence as the Father and the Son!
1.6 He’s Better than Jesus
Now — as shocking as that is — Jesus goes one step further.
“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” (John 16:7).
Circle the word “advantage” here in your Bibles. Think about this: Jesus said it was to the disciples’ advantage that He leave. Imagine hearing that. These men had walked with Jesus, watched Him heal the sick, raise the dead, and calm the seas.
They had experienced His power firsthand. And yet He tells them, “It’s to your advantage I go away.” Have you ever been tempted to think, “My faith would be so much stronger if I only were there to see Jesus in person.” But Jesus Himself says the opposite. Having the Holy Spirit is better than if Jesus were alive and walking the earth today.
1.6.1 Home-Field Advantage
In sports, we often talk about “home-field” advantage. But the Holy Spirit is better than the “home field” advantage. Again, He is the outside power you need. He is the outside power you need for life, for holiness, and for witness. The Spirit is not just like Jesus — He is Jesus’ equal — and His presence in you is even better than Jesus’ presence beside you.
One pastor said it this way: Having the Spirit in you is better than having Jesus beside you.3
1. He’s the Gift that Keeps on Giving
2. He’s the Teacher Who Never Stops Teaching
“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 that I have said to you” (John 14:26).
2.1 Pronouns Matter
We live in a time when there is some confusion about pronouns.
Some she’s want to be called he’s, and some he’s want to be called she’s. While others simply opt for they/them. With all this confusion about gender aside, look carefully at the pronouns Jesus uses to describe the Paraclete in verse 26. Jesus calls the Paraclete a “he” in both verse 16 and verse 26. Jesus follows this up by calling a “him” in verse 17.
Let there be no confusion as to what we call the Holy Spirit. He’s not an “it” or a force, but He’s a person. Jesus calls Him a counselor just like Himself. So, the Spirit is a person. Now, because He is a person, He is personal with you. And He’s right in the middle of your life.
The Spirit is the hub of everything you want to be as a believer. Now, Jesus said the Spirit will do two things in your lives: He will teach you and He will remind you.
I’m going to bounce all over the Bible for the next few minutes. Because much of the rest of the New Testament shows us how the Spirit teaches and reminds us.
2.2 He Teaches
“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 that I have said to you” (John 14:26).
Jesus was telling these men: “You have heard a lot, but you do not understand it. You need to be taught. I am going. Nevertheless, the Holy Spirit is coming, and one of his roles (a very important role) is to teach you.”4
Now, historically, Jesus is saying, “The Holy Spirit will enable you to remember the things I’m telling you, so that when you and your colleagues write it down in the New Testament, it will be the truth.”
The Holy Spirit is given the credit for writing the Bible: “…knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:20-21).
But He isn’t just their teacher, He’s our teacher too. The Holy Spirit teaches you by reminding you of what Jesus said. The Spirit of God teaches you the truth. You’ll hear this called illumination. It’s when the Holy Spirit turns the lights on to a spiritual truth in your life.
“Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God” (1 Corinthians 2:12).
The Spirit teaches. Later, Jesus will tell the Disciples that the Spirit will guide them into all the truth (John 16:13).
The Bible says the Spirit searches all things, and He illuminates our minds with spiritual truth. Again, He turns the lights on for us. When you read the Bible with the Holy Spirit’s help, you don’t just find that the truth makes sense to your mind. God becomes real to your heart. When you’re wrestling with the commands and the truths of God in the Bible, the Holy Spirit actually brings God to you.
2.3 He Reminds
“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 that I have said to you” (John 14:26).
The Spirit will also remind us of ancient truths right when we need them. The Holy Spirit doesn’t reveal to you some new truth that Jesus never taught. No, He reminds us of Jesus’ every word.
2.3.1 Spiritual Post-It Notes
Think of the Spirit as a Post-It Note for life-changing spiritual truths. He’s not necessarily going to remind you of the periodic table in chemistry class, or if you turned the stove off before leaving the house. The Spirit reminds us of giant, spiritual truths.
2.3.2 Conviction
He will also remind us of inconvenient truths. Jesus will teach a little later that evening that the Holy Spirit will convict us of spiritual truth. A pastor was counseling a man who had an affair, and it blew up his life. He had been cheating on his wife. He told the pastor that if his wife was away and he would bring his mistress into the home, he had to turn over any picture of his wife, any picture of himself, and his wife. He took down or turned over any pictures of his wife, because neither he nor the mistress could bear even the photographed face of his wife. Even the presence of the picture would affect his behavior. The Holy Spirit is very much a person like this man’s wife. He’s there in our lives to remind us of the truth, even truths we don’t want to remember.5
One of the things a friend will tell you is where you are being blind to your own sinfulness, your own responsibility, your own weakness. The Spirit has to come and argue with you against that blindness. The Spirit can melt the heart of a believer. Again, the Holy Spirit is our Helper. He is our Comforter. Let me share with you two ways the Spirit can comfort you in times of need.
2.3.3 In Depressing Times
“The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (Romans 8:17).
When I am discouraged, the Spirit speaks to me in order to remind me of what Jesus said. “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4).
Jesus promises the Spirit will supernaturally guide our minds as we read and study the Bible. “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!’” (Romans 8:15). Your heart is filled with fears, and the Holy Spirit comes in and argues and says, “No, God loves you. You are his child.” The Spirit is a comfort in times when I am discouraged and depressed.
2.3.4 He Reminds Me of His Love
“and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Romans 5:5).
I picture the Holy Spirit pouring out the love of God in my life with a giant ladle just when I need it. Sometimes that means the Spirit brings you into my life to encourage me. “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (Romans 8:16). The phrase “bears witness” is a technical Greek word that means the star witness in court, a person bringing legal testimony in court that basically settles the case. What this is saying is here your heart is filled with doubts, and in comes the Holy Spirit and says, “No. There is no reason to doubt. You are his. You are loved.”5
When bad things happen, we say, “No. God has abandoned me. I’m not good enough. He can’t possibly love me.” And the Holy Spirit comes in, and He argues. He makes the case. He takes the gospel and pounds you until you start to relax. You’ll never have a friend like the Holy Spirit in your life.
2.4 Jesus, My Advocate
“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1).
Jesus Christ is our advocate. That means he functions like your defense attorney. Jesus stands before the Father. The defense attorney represents you. It doesn’t say this defense attorney is Jesus Christ the merciful. Verse one doesn’t read, “Jesus Christ the [merciful].” Instead, it says this is Jesus Christ, the righteous.
Why? Because Jesus is not up there saying to God, the Father “O, Lord God, be merciful to this one. Scott Maze has done it again.” He’s sinned again. After all the promises, after all the problems, he’s sinned yet again. Please let him off once more. Be merciful for my sake.” Is that what Jesus is doing? It says Jesus the righteous.
Jesus Christ is up there like any really good lawyer. He has a case, and He is saying to the Father, “Father, your law demands death in payment for the sins of my client. The death has died. The punishment has been taken. It would be unjust, therefore, for you to take two payments for these sins because I’ve already paid for them. Therefore, my Father, it would be unjust for you not to forgive my sister or my brother.” Therefore, He is not up there demanding mercy. My friends, He’s demanding justice.6
When Satan accuses you of sin, Jesus is there advocating for you. He says, “Yes, Scott did sin, but Scott’s sin has already been judged. You judged me. You poured out your rightful wrath on me while I was on the cross.”
2.5 Closing Prayer
EndNotes
1 Johannes Behm, “?a?????t??,” in Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, edited by Gerhard Kittel, Geoffrey W. Bromiley, and Gerhard Friedrich (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1964–), 5:800.
2 R. C. Sproul, Who Is the Holy Spirit?, The Crucial Questions Series (Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2012), 31.
3 J. D. Greear, Jesus Continued: Why the Spirit Inside you is Better Than Jesus Beside You (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2014), 13.
4 James Montgomery Boice, The Gospel of John: An Expositional Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2005), 1148.
5 Timothy J. Keller, “Jesus Our Defense – Part 1,” in The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive. (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013).
6 Timothy J. Keller, “Who is the Holy Spirit?,” The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013).
7 Timothy J. Keller, “Jesus Our Defense – Part 1,” in The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive. (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013).
