John-The Helper
Orient John 15:18-16:15
This section of Scripture contains more final words from Jesus to His followers after the Passover meal and before His arrest. The content also outlines challenges we can expect as believers and how the Holy Spirit counters those situations, strengthening us for the hardship to come. Jesus uses this opportunity to explain why it’s better He leaves to return to the Father.
Introduction
It is an exciting scenario to imagine being one of the disciples. What would it have been like to walk with Jesus, hear His teaching that isn’t recorded in Scripture, hang out with Him and share a private joke or two. Like the apostles, we would be a first-hand witness to all his miracles and see with our own eyes the people He healed and taught. Every day would be a spiritual high; there would be no limit to the imagination of what God could do. What could bring them down in their fervor to follow Jesus? The fact that the Teacher was leaving. The One they had followed for three year, leaving family, home and careers was abandoning them. His encouragement to them, His parting consolation is the promise of the Holy Spirit. As they had not yet experienced the tongues of fire and power that would infuse their witness to the world, the Helper seemed like a second-place offering. Yet Jesus reminds them it’s to their advantage He goes away. In today’s section, we read about the challenges of faith and how the ministry of the Holy Spirit meets every need the disciples faced and we face today.
Opening Prayer
Jesus, I am not of the world. They persecuted You so they persecute me because I am Yours. I am so grateful for the presence of the Helper, the Spirit of truth. His presence keeps me from falling away as this world doesn’t know You and I often feel alone. I pray for revival in my life and in those around me that don’t know You. Holy Spirit, show the world their need for a Savior and show me what it means to be righteous as Christ is righteous. Produce in me godly character and personal integrity. You have promised to take what is Yours and declare it to me. I wait today with listening ears as I come to Your word. Make me teachable and open. Amen
Meditation
Read and reread the following passage, taking God’s word in deeply. As you do be sensitive to a phrase or verse the Holy Spirit emphasizes to you personally.
18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21 But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin,[a] but now they have no excuse for their sin.23 Whoever hates me hates my Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. 25 But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’
26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. 27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.
16 “I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. 2 They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. 3 And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. 4 But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you.
“I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. 5 But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 7 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. 8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer;11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
Paraphrase
Rewrite the phrase or verse that the Holy Spirit highlighted during meditation. What is your take away?
Reflect
1. One of the most challenging things for a Christian is living in the world but not of the world. The movement of the progressive church is an attempt to take the values of today and layer it over historic Christian beliefs in an attempt to make the faith more appealing as the believer will not be marginalized by popular opinion. This passage is clear that the world’s view of Jesus and those who follow Him is hatred. In what ways do you adopt the world’s values? How can you start to break the patterns of double-minded beliefs?
2. Verse 26 and 27 describe the two witnesses of Christ after His accession, the Holy Spirit and the church? As we’ve already considered, the world is hostile to such a witness as it the first section of this passage clearly outlines the opposition to all things spiritual. It is challenging to witness because this hostility seems to be growing. When was the last time you’ve told someone about Christ? The verse goes on to say that even among those who claim to be religious, following Jesus and His word will seem overzealous. Do you ever find yourself having to witness to Christians, reminding them of the things of God?
3. Jesus says it’s to the disciples’ advantage that He goes away. What are the advantages you see in this passage of having the Helper with us today?
4. Jesus closes by reminding His followers that there is more He could say but they cannot bear it now. The life of faith is often hearing the next thing from God, yet our tendency is to desire seeing the entire path. Psalm 119:105 reminds the believer that God’s word is a lamp, a light on a path. The path must be dark if illumination is needed. Light at night only gives the viewer enough access to visually see what is directly ahead. Are you able to trust the next step God is asking you to take in life, knowing He doesn’t reveal the whole path? It starts by remembering You have God’s favor, He is good, and all things will work together for His plan in your life. In what ways are you resisting where You think He is leading you?
5. One of my favorite things the Spirit of Truth does is guide us into all truth. He does this by taking what He hears from the Father and declaring it to us. We live in a world of competing messages and it’s hard to know what to listen to. Christian, listen to the Holy Spirit. The words of God are recorded in Scripture and contain all we need to live according to God’s plan for us[1]. What area in your life needs to be saturated with truth right now? Pray to the Holy Spirit to guide you.
Closing Prayer
Lord, make me single-minded. Let me not be tempted to fit into a system of values that opposes what You call good and evil. Let me be bold in my witness about You, not worried about the outcome but trusting You to reveal Yourself to those You have chosen. As I anticipate meeting You face-to-face, let me embrace Your Spirit which You have left to guide and strengthen me. Let me trust that through this divine Helper I will know the next step in life and You are revealing to me what I need when I need it. I want to live in Your truth. Guide me Helper to accept and live out what You show me I need.
Continue praying personally to the Lord with what He showed you during mediation and reflection.
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