(Sermon) John 1:1-18 – Seeing God

In my absence, one of our members, Scott Whitmore preached an excellent sermon on John 1:1-18, "Seeing God." You can listen here.

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Understanding Predestination (Part 3) – The Nature of Christ’s Work

© Eric M Schumacher – Preached September 18, 2011 at Northbrook Baptist Church, Cedar Rapids

(Audio will be made available here.) 
(This is Part 3 of a series. See Part 1, Part 2.)
(There is more addressed in the audio than in the prepared manuscript.)

Club-Hoppers or Cliff-Jumpers?

If you’re like me, upon first hearing the doctrine of election, it is easy to form the wrong mental picture. Too often, we think of election as a doctrine of exclusion, rather than a doctrine of gracious salvation.

We think of God as a big, burly bouncer in shades, standing behind velvet ropes at the entrance of a dance club called “Heaven.” At those ropes there is a crowd, a line of people, all of them wanting to go in. God, the bouncer, looks down his nose at each person, perhaps checks the list on his clip-board, and then proceeds to reject some and turn them away. Occasionally, he unclips the rope and lets a lucky soul in. If that is how you think of election, you’ve got the wrong picture. Nothing could be further from the truth.

A better picture is to think of humanity as a massive heard of lemmings—wild, mangy, rabid lemmings—running full-steam toward a cliff over which they plunge into an abyss of unquenchable fire. For that is what we are—and worse—according to Ephesians 2:1-3. We are born dead in the trespasses and sins in which we walk. We freely and willfully follow the world, the devil and our flesh to our destruction. We deserve our end. And, God would be perfectly fair and just to allow us to continue on that path.

But, God, being rich in mercy, chooses to love some of these lemmings with a great love, goes after them, claims them as his own, and so changes them that they love him and want to live for him.

The Question

Given that what we have seen about the nature of man and the nature of election are true, a natural question follows: How does Christ’s work relate to predestination?

I want us to turn to the Scripture to answer the question: What is the nature of Christ’s work—its intent and effect? In other words, we will ask two questions:

1) What is the intent of Christ’s work?

How does the Bible present the intent and design of Christ’s work? Is Christ’s work presented as a work intended and designed to provide salvation for every individual person that ever lived? Or, is the intent and design of Christ’s work to secure the salvation of a particular people—namely, the elect (whom we discussed last week)?

2) What does Christ’s work actually accomplish?

Does it effect a certain and sure result? Does it guarantee a certain outcome? Does it actually save people? Or, does it make salvation possible but not certain? Did Jesus Christ die to make salvation a hypothetical possibility or an actual certainty?

Here is how the Bible consistently answers those two questions:

(1) Christ’s work was intended to save his people in particular.

(2) Christ accomplished actual, certain salvation for his people; as a result, they are saved.

We will see that atonement is efficacious substitution—the substitute of the one in the place of the many which effects a certain and sure result.

“Atonement is God’s works on sinners’ behalf to reconcile them to himself” (New Dictionary of Biblical Theology).

John 21:20-25 – The End: Following the Unspeakably Great Christ

© Eric M. Schumacher – Preached August 1, 2010 at Northbrook Baptist Church

(Audio)

In May 2007, we began our journey through the Gospel of John. And this morning, after about three and a half years and almost 100 sermons later, we’ve reached its conclusion.

John 19:31-42 – Behold, Your King: The Lord Keeps All His Bones

© Eric M Schumacher – Preached May 23, 2010 at Northbrook Baptist Church, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Audio Link

The film, Taking Chance¸ tells the story of Lt. Col. Michael Strobl, who volunteers to escort the body of a Marine, PFC Chance Phelps back to his hometown, following his death in the Iraq War. In it, viewers get to see the precise care taken by the Marine Corps in the transportation and burial of its fallen soldiers.

You see seamstresses hard at work, meticulously repairing his uniform in preparation for burial. You see the escort never once leaving the side of the casket. In one scene, Strobl asks the funeral-home director to open the casket, so that he can check over the uniform and body one last time before the funeral begins. When the funeral director informs him that it will be a closed-casket funeral (implying that no one will ever see the body or the uniform, and therefore such steps are unnecessary), Strobl insists, and proceeds with straightening and adjusting the uniform so that all is proper.

The question on the mind of many soldiers, I am sure, and, especially, of the parents and spouses and children of fallen soldiers is—does anyone care? Does this person matter to anyone?

Next weekend, on Memorial Day, in every cemetery around the state, the graves of fallen soldiers will be decorated with ribbons, flags and flowers. Ceremonies will be held and honors bestowed.

That film and Memorial Day highlights the fact that the treatment of a body after death reflects the honor due to that person.

The Question

One of the questions that we are faced with—as were John’s original readers—is this: How are we to think of Jesus? Should we honor him, or of forget him?

John 18:33-40 – Behold, Your King: Despised and Rejected, Unusual and Unexpected

© Eric M Schumacher – Preached May 2, 2010 at Northbrook Baptist Church, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Audio here.
It was foretold by seers and prophets of ancient days. It was written down on scrolls and in holy books. It was pictured and symbolized in institutions, offices, architecture, and ceremonies. It was passed along from the lips of fathers to daughters, from grandmothers to grandsons. It was the great hope of an entire nation.

A king was coming. A son would be born.

Isaiah 9:6-7 …and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore.

And so, the question that everyone must have been asking was, “What would he look like? If his kingdom would know no end, if he would be greater than Solomon…what would his kingdom look like?”
 

Surely, he must be impressive, striking, strong, handsome, unfailing. Right?

Calvin on Christ's "I am" in the Garden

I came across this provoking comment in John Calvin's commentary on John, while preparing to preach John 18:1-12 this Sunday. Calvin is meditating on John 18:6, where upon Jesus' identification of himself, the soldiers drew back and fell to the ground:

We may infer from this how dreadful and alarming to the wicked the voice of Christ will be, when he shall ascend his throne to judge the world. At that time he stood as a lamb ready to be sacrificed; his majesty, so far as outward appearance was concerned, was utterly gone; and yet when he utters but a single word, his armed and courageous enemies fall down. And what was the word? He thunders no fearful excommunication against them, but only replies, "It is I." What then will be the result, when he shall come, not to be judged by a man, but to be the Judge of the living and the dead; not in that mean and despicable appearance but shining in heavenly glory, and accompanied by his angels?

Isaiah 11:4 ...and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.

2 Thessalonians 2:8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming.

John 17:24-26 – The Lord’s Prayer: Jesus Prays for the Future Unity of His Own with Himself

© Eric M Schumacher – Preached March 28, 2010 at Northbrook Baptist Church, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Audio will be available here.

John 17:20-23 – The Lord’s Prayer: The Son Prays for a Sanctified, Unified, Missional People

© Eric M Schumacher – Preached March 21, 2010 at Northbrook Baptist Church, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
The Creation Purpose.God’s purpose in creating mankind was to have a sanctified, unified people to engage in the mission of displaying God’s glory to the ends of the earth.

Genesis 1:26-28 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

Here we see a people sanctified. As we saw last week, to be sanctified means to be “set apart” by God and for his purposes. Man is a special creation, created in the image of God. Man is therefore holy, sanctified—set apart by God from all other created things.

Here we see a people unified. God created man male and female. The man and the woman, though distinct, have one nature and one purpose. And, the husband and the wife will be made “one flesh.” They are to be united—created for the good of one another.

Here we see a people who are to engage in mission. To be created “in the image of God” is to be created as God’s representative, made to “image forth God.” God assigns this sanctified, unified mankind a mission. That mission is to “be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion [over all that lives in it].” They were to spread out over all the earth and exercise God’s rule as his representative, according to the instruction given through his word. In short, man was to show the glory of God to all the earth.

The Fall.
As the story goes, Adam and Eve reject this mission. They disobey God’s word and sin. And this sin brings alienation, separation and division into the storyline.

Sin brings alienation from God. Adam and Eve are sent out of the Garden, where God walked with them. They would no longer enjoy the fellowship of God.

And, sin brought alienation from man. In the fall, man was divided. When God approaches Adam about this sin, Adam’s response is to throw Eve under the bus—“It’s her fault!” he declares.

And this division amongst men only grows worse as the storyline of the Bible continues. Adam and Eve have two sons, brothers, Cain and Able—one of whom grows up to murder the other and to have a great-grandson who brags about being a murderer. So mankind gets to the point of boasting about how it mistreats one another. It even gets so bad that God destroys all of mankind, except one family, in a flood.

But the descendants of Noah do not do any better in becoming a sanctified, unified people on mission to display the glory of God.

In fact, post-flood mankind finds unity—but a unity that God hates and opposes, because it opposes him. Mankind finds a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. Instead of spreading on mission throughout the earth for God’s glory, they decide to make a tower with its top in the heavens so that (a) they will not be spread out and (b) they can make a name for themselves.

Instead, God foils their plans, confuses their languages, and scatters them throughout the earth. It would seem that God’s purpose of a set-apart, unified people on mission to display his glory is lost. But, not so.

The Redemption Purpose.
If God is to bring redemption, it must mean redemption of all that was lost. It must mean restoration of unity—man’s unity with God and man’s unity with man. And this unified people must be set-apart from the world for the purpose of God’s original mission—to display his glory in all the earth.

God chooses a man named Abraham. He promises that Abraham’s descendants will become a great nation. Therefore, this nation is sanctified—they are set apart by God from the rest of the world, and are to be sanctified by God’s word—to be unified as one people, to be a people on mission. Their purpose is to be a blessing to all the nations of the earth. They are the chosen people who are to show the nations who the Lord is.

But, just as Adam and Eve and as with Noah’s descendants, the nation of Israel both rejects and fails in this calling.

Israel rejects their sanctification and their mission. They persistently refuse to walk in God’s word—and so refuse to show the nations the glory of God. Instead of showing the nations what the Lord is like, they chose to become like the nations.

Israel ends up a divided people. Whether it was Joseph’s brothers selling him into slavery, Absalom plotting against his father David, or the kingdom divided into two kingdoms—Israel was not a unified people.

So, if a sanctified, unified, missional people were not to be found in Adam and Eve, in Noah’s descendants, or in Israel—from where would it come? All these failures show us the need of Jesus, the Son of God, the Messiah.

Reviewing the Lord’s PrayerSo, we should not be surprised that Jesus’ earthly ministry—and his final prayer here—are filled with overtones of sanctification, unity and mission.

We saw last week, in verses 18-19, that Jesus prayed for the unity and sanctification of his people. “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” And yet, this sanctification, this “setting apart” of his own people, is not merely for the sake of personal holiness—rather, it is for mission. Jesus says, “As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.” “For their sake I sanctify myself (I set myself apart to be a sacrificial offering to reveal the Father’s glory), that they also may be sanctified in truth (set apart in the Gospel for the sake of mission, to reveal the Father’s glory).”

Jesus Prays for the ChurchBut Jesus does not stop with praying for the band of disciples who believed in him at that time. He prays in verse 20 for the church. “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in my through their word.”

The Petition: UnityJesus’ main petition is the unity of his people.  “I ask,” he prays, “that they may all be one…” Unity is the greatest burden of Jesus’ prayer.

That should not surprise us. The unity of God’s people is the purpose for which he came, lived, and died. In John 10:16, Jesus said that he, the Good Shepherd, calls his sheep from every fold and lays down his life for them, “so there will be one flock, one shepherd.”

And in John 11:52, John comments that Jesus would die, not only for the nation of Israel, but “to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.”

What is this unity?But everyone—from hippies to communists to atheists to Buddhists—talks about unity. What exactly is this unity that Jesus prays for? What is Christian unity?

Jesus prays for unity…
1: …that begins with belief in the Gospel. Christian unity is founded upon acceptance of the revelation of the Father in the Gospel of the Son, passed down by the Apostles. Jesus prays for those that believe in him by the Apostles’ word.

That is John’s purpose in writing this Gospel—so that we might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing may have life in his name.

Jesus is God’s anointed King. He is God’s Son—fully God—who became fully man. He lived a perfect life of obedience and submission to his Father. And then, he willingly offered himself as a sacrifice for sin when he was crucified, died and was buried. On the third day, he rose from the dead, showing the world that he had conquered death and made satisfaction for sin.

Those who believe in Jesus are those who understand that this is who he is. They confess that they are sinners in need of such a Savior. And, repenting of their sin, they trust in Jesus Christ alone. On the basis of their faith, by grace and not according to works, God pronounces them to be forgiven and grants them eternal life.

Only by believing may anyone be reconciled to God. And, therefore, only by believing may a person be joined with the people of God. That is why we require you to profess faith in Jesus Christ, to demonstrate an understanding of the Gospel before you become a member of Northbrook Baptist. Unless you believe in Jesus Christ, you cannot become one with us—for you are not one with us.

So, before we go any further, let me exhort you to believe in Jesus. Coming here, singing with us, listening with us, praying with us and eating with us does not make you one with us—only believing in Jesus Christ does that.

2: ...that is like the unity of the Father and the Son.Jesus prays that they may be one, “just as you, Father, are in me and I in you.” The model for the unity of believers is the unity of the Father and the Son.

The Father and the Son, though distinct, are one in their purpose, one in their love for each other, and one in their mission. So, believers, though distinct persons, are to be one in purpose, love, and action—all of this as they submit together to the revelation of God they have received in the Gospel.

Jesus says, “as you Father, are in me.” This is a statement about the Son being the agent and mediator of the Father. The Father is doing something in and through the Son, speaking and working through the person of the Son.

Throughout John’s Gospel we have seen that the Father created all things through the Son (John 1:3) and that Jesus only speaks and does what the Father tells him (14:10). The Father is doing his works through Jesus.

And, Jesus says, “I in you.” For Jesus to be “in” the Father means that the Son is dependant upon the Father and obedient to the Father as the one through whom the Father works.

Again, through John’s Gospel, we have seen Jesus depending upon the Father for his mission, for instruction, for authority, for words, for works as he completely obeys the Father (4:34; 5:19, 30).

Jesus wants them to be unified “that they also may be in us” He desires that the unified believers in Jesus will be in the Father and the Son, just as they are in each other.

This means: (a) Like the Son was the focal-point of the Father’s work in the world, believers are the focal-point of the Father and the Son’s work in the world (dependant upon the Father and Son for life and fruitfulness).

The Father and the Son will accomplish their mission in the world through the believing people of the Messiah. This is what Jesus meant when he prayed, “As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.”

This also means that: (b) the believers will depend upon the Father and the Son (as they dwell in the believers through the Spirit and the word) for direction, for instruction, for authority, for words and works to speak and perform, just as Jesus was dependant upon the Father (14:12; 15:4).

What was the purpose of the unity between Father and Son in the Son coming into the world?

3. …that is for the purpose of mission. (21b)That discussion on the relationship between the Father and the Son and Christian unity has already hinted at the idea of mission. But, now Jesus makes it explicit that the purpose of Christian unity is mission.

He prays that his believers might be one, “so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”

Jesus is praying for a unity that is so great it can only be explained and understood if the Gospel is true—that is, if God the Father sent Jesus Christ the Son.

First of all, this means that this unity, in some way, must be observable. It cannot be merely unity in the same faith (though it is that). It must be a tangible, visible unity. Something the world can observe and be astonished by, convicted by, convinced by.

Second, unity is a prerequisite for mission (along with love – 13:34-35; 15:12-13; 17:26). Mission cannot happen outside Christian unity. Jesus has already said that the world will know whether we are disciples by the way we love each other. Now, Jesus says our unity speaks the same truth.

Therefore, third, this means that mission may not be divorced from the local church—because that is where such unity occurs and is seen. The place where Christian love and unity is lived out, experienced, and put on display is in the local gathering of committed, accountable believers—what we call a local church.

You cannot refuse church membership and think that you are missional. A refusal to unite yourself with the body of Christ is a refusal to put the Gospel on display to the world.

Mission, evangelism is not the special task of an elite gifted portion of the church. It is the task of the whole body, together.

This is good, especially in a post-modern society, where abstract truth is not valued but people are hungry for love and relationships. People need to believe abstract truths to be saved. You must believe certain facts about God and Jesus and yourself to be saved.

Nevertheless, we live in an age when many will not be interested at all in debates about the historicity of the resurrection. In fact, some will say, “Yes, it is a fact that Jesus rose from the dead. Who cares? It doesn’t effect me!”

And so, we must show them something more than logical, historical deduction. We must show them the Gospel. We must put the Gospel on display for them. We must bring them out of a dog-eat-dog world, where every man fends for himself, into a Gospel-shaped community, a Gospel-centered unity, where believers in Jesus lay aside their own rights and defer to the preferences of others for the good of their brothers and sisters. We must show them a community that looks like Jesus on the cross—so that they can become convinced of the facts of the cross.

That—a mission to display the Gospel to the world—is what unity is about.

Unity Defined—for MissionJesus goes on in verse 22 to pray, “The glory that you have given me I have given to them” That is a startling comment. After all, the Lord says in Isaiah 48:11, “My glory I will not give to another.” What is Jesus speaking about?

Jesus is not speaking about his preexistent glory as God, which he had before he became man. We know that, because Jesus began this prayer asking the Father, “glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.” In asking for this glory to be restored to him, it is implied that it has not yet been given to him.

So, we need to ask, what glory did the Father give to the Son? And, the first place we see “glory” mentioned is in John 1:14, where we read about the Son becoming a man:

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

We read in John 1:18, “No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known.” So, the purpose of Jesus’ life and ministry on earth was to reveal the Father to the world. The glory that is seen—the glory given to Jesus—was the revelation of the Father.

This is confirmed in John 2:11, when Jesus turned water into wine. John writes, “This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.” Jesus showed what the Father was doing in and through him, manifesting his glory—with the result of believing disciples.

Later, as Lazarus was dying, Jesus said (John 11:4), “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” What Jesus did in raising Lazarus from the dead was to show that he was the resurrection and the life, so that those who believe in him will never die. The resurrection that the Father had promised had come in the Son, Jesus Christ.

And, of course, Jesus repeatedly refers to his crucifixion as his “glorification.” In John 12:23, Jesus, referring to his crucifixion, said, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” On the cross, the Son was glorified. There he revealed the Father to be just and forgiving, righteous and merciful, wrathful and loving, jealous for his glory and gracious to sinners. The Son’s glorification was the task of revealing the Father in self-sacrifice for the good of God’s people, when he died for their sins on the cross.

So, the Son’s glory was the task of revealing the Father to the world—revealing the Father’s character, person and work by being an obedient, suffering servant, who sacrificed himself for the good of God’s people and God’s glory.

So, for Jesus to give us this same glory means that we are given the mission of revealing the Father to the world by being a dependant, suffering people who, in self-sacrifice pursue the good of God’s people and the glory of God. And, that is impossible outside of unity with God’s people.

4. …that is not self-generated, it is the work of God by drawing his people into relationship with himself.The right application from this prayer is not first to work harder for unity (though we should do that). It should tell us something that Jesus is praying for this unity. Evidently, it is something that God the Father does and produces in his people, or else the Father would not be asked to do it.

And we see that in verse 23, where Jesus prays, “I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one.” Unity happens as a result of us being draw into the relationship of the Father and the Son.

The Father is in the Son, revealing himself to the world. In the same way, the Son is in believers, so that they might reveal the Father and the Son to the world. And as all believers are in the Son, they become perfectly one.

Jesus has two purposes for his petition. “So that the world may know that you send me and loved them even as you loved me.”

First, as earlier, their perfect unity is for the sake of mission—so that the world might know that the Father sent the Son.

His second purpose is that their perfect unity will convince the world that the Father loves them (believers) even as he loves his Son. The Father loved the Son by setting the Son apart to reveal him to the world, after which he would receive him into eternal glory. And, in the same way, the Father has set apart believers—the people he has given to his Son—that they might reveal the Father to the world and afterward be received into glory.

Their unity of believers shows the world that they really are the people who are loved by God. Their unity proves that the Father has loved them and changed them and made them one.

5. …that is not an end in itself, but is for the glory of God in the Gospel.Do you ever wonder why prayers for unity in the church fail? After all, unity seems to be the will of God, and Jesus promised that if we ask according to his will, he will answer!

I would suggest it is possible to pray for unity amongst believers, and be praying outside of God’s will. Do you remember what reason James gave his readers in James 4:3 for why their prayers went unanswered, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.”

I wonder how often Christians work and pray for unity for all the wrong reasons. It would be possible to pray for unity in the church…

…because it would be more comfortable for us. Division is inconvenient and painful.
…to have growth in numbers.
…to keep what we’ve worked for and what we’ve built.
…to see growth in finances.
…to see success in programs.
…to have better organizational efficiency and productivity.
…because that is what good leadership brings.
…for sake of unity itself.

All of those things can be idols—things we worship and pursue, mainly because they make us comfortable and happy.     But, Jesus is no idolater—and he does not pray for unity for the sake of any of those things.

Rather, Jesus is praying for the same thing at the end of this prayer that he prayed at the beginning—the glory of God. Jesus began by praying that the Father would glorify him, so that he could glorify the Father. And, now he gives the church glory and prays for unity so that the church might display God’s glory.

Unity is for the sake of revealing the glory of God in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That means that we must always be asking the question with every Christian relationship we have—particularly within the local church—of how our behavior in the relationship reveals the glory of God the Father in the Gospel of Jesus Christ the Son.

Our unity reveals the Gospel we preach. Our disunity denies it. When the Gospel is at stake, we should always divide. But, whenever we think about dividing, we should always remember that the Gospel is at stake.

• When we part ways with other believers because our pride has been offended, our behavior denies the Gospel we proclaim.    But, when we lay aside our rights, suffer shame and mistreatment, humbly forgive, and continue to love, we reveal the Gospel.
• When we divide with believers because our preferences have been overlooked, we contradict the Gospel. But, when in humility we count others more significant than ourselves and look to the interests of others, we reveal what Jesus did in the Gospel.
• When we severe relationships with believers because we are not able to show off how great are spiritual gifts are—we deny the Gospel, because Jesus did not come to glorify himself. But, when we use our gifts only for the strengthening and building up in love of the entire body, we reveal the Gospel.
• When we leave Christian community because relationships are difficult and inconvenient, we deny the Gospel. But, when we inconvenience ourselves to pursue relationships with others, we show what Jesus did in the Gospel.
• When we shrink back from fellowship and eventually leave because no one in the church seems to notice us, to value us, and to pursue us, we deny the Gospel. Jesus was not esteem and was counted as nothing, overlooked and scoffed at, but continued to serve even those people. And so, when we pursue, serve, love and remain committed to those who seem to have forgotten us, we show the world what the Gospel is.

Put aside your selfish pride! Church unity is not about you! So often, we divide from other believers, end relationships, or simply give the cold-shoulder to other Christians—we quit attending and then count the days until someone contacts us—because our pride (our glory) has been offended. But what we are doing when we refuse to humbly, self-sacrificially forgive and serve other believers is not to protect our glory—but to hide and deny the glory of God in Christ.

Jesus Christ was hurt, offended, mistreated, hated, rejected, and wronged by the people the Father gave to him. And his response was to love those very people and generously give everything he had—even his own life in an agonizing death—for their good! When the world rejected God, his response was not to move away from the world. Rather, he pursued a relationship with them all the more strongly.

So, what does the glory of God look like in Christian unity? It means that when we are offended, mistreated, hated, rejected and wronged by other Christians, we do not withdraw. We do not pout. We do not slink back and lick our wounds and throw a pity-party. Rather, we pursue. We inconvenience ourselves. We prefer our offender. We forgive. We sacrifice for their good. We love to the point of death.

And we do this because we love the glory of God in the Gospel of Jesus Christ more than we love ourselves.

Remember, Jesus prayed.What a calling! This is scary. This is hard. This is painful. This is impossible with man.

But just as Jesus prayed for Peter before he denied him, Jesus has prayed for us. And that is why such unity will be a reality.

The Father has chosen us to be a set-apart, unified people on mission. The Son has prayed that we would be set-apart, unified people on mission. And the Son has died that we might be a set-apart, unified people on mission.

If that is true, then we can pursue such unity and mission  in the confidence that God will give us grace. And, he will. For he cannot deny His Son.

O'Brien Commentary on Hebrews

My favorite two authors of Bible commentaries are Peter O'Brien and Don Carson. So, what could be better than a commentary written by O'Brien in a series edited by Carson!? 

The Pillar New Testament Commentary series, edited by Don Carson, just released O'Brien's volume on Hebrews.

I'd also recommend Carson on John, Moo on Colossians/Philemon and James and O'Brien on Ephesians. (Okay, just get them all.)

John 16:12-15 – The Farewell {for Now} Discourse – The Spirit Will Glorify Me

© Eric M Schumacher – Preached February 14, 2010 at Northbrook Baptist Church, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Simon Peter, Andrew, James, Philip, Thomas, Matthew, Bartholomew, Simon, Judas, Judas, James, John.

They included a political revolutionary, a tax-collector, an apparent disciple of John the Baptist, a handful of fisherman and others with previous occupations unknown to us. A read through the Gospels shows these men to be quite ordinary. They are prone to fear, to failures in faith, to misunderstanding and failure.

After a few years of living with Jesus, now at the end of Jesus’ ministry, they still seem confused and disoriented, self-centered and focused on this world. Just a few chapters prior to our passage, we find Jesus asking one of them, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me?” And in a few short verses, we will find them saying to each other, “We do not know what he is talking about.”

In fact, at this point, one has put a plot in action to betray Jesus and see him arrested. And, when that occurs, in a short time from this discourse, Matthew (26:56) records that “all the disciples left him and fled.”

Can the teachings of such confused and fearful men be trusted? If they don’t yet understand who Jesus is, why he has come, what he is teaching, why he must go and the implications of all this, will they ever come to understand?

And yet, we know from Scripture that the household of God is “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus being the cornerstone” (Eph 2:20). And the church “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching” (Acts 2:42). It was, in fact, their preaching that would “turn the world upside down” (Acts 17:6). How does this come to pass?

Our passage this morning teaches us that the Spirit was sent to complete the revelation of God in Jesus Christ.

We know from John 1 that Jesus did when he took on human flesh and lived on earth was reveal the Father to us—John 1:14, 18:

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth....No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.”

Be that as it may, this did not ensure that anyone would understand or believe. For, though “he was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.” “He came to his own, and his own did not receive him.”

The revelation of the Triune God is a Triune revelation. The Father sent the Son who revealed the Father. And now, the Spirit completes the Son’s revelation of the Father by declaring and guiding the disciples of Jesus.

In verse 12, Jesus tells his disciples that he still has “many things to say” to them. He doesn’t say precisely what those things are. That is left to be clarified as the passage unfolds.

Despite having many things to say, it must wait until later. The reason, as Jesus explains, is that his disciples “cannot bear them now.” The word “bear” means to lift and carry something. (It does not necessarily mean something is burdensome.) Essentially, Jesus is stating that his disciples are not capable receiving, understanding, dealing with what it is he has to say. Why?

Jesus’ glorification had not yet happened and the Spirit had not been sent. Jesus’ “glorification,” you will recall, is how Jesus refers to his crucifixion, resurrection and ascension to the right hand of God the Father. Although he had predicted it several times, the disciples could not imagine it, let alone grasp the significance of it.

Jesus has been, in the Farewell Discourse, preparing his disciples for his departure, a departure that confuses them. There is only so much that they can handle. And so, instead of continuing on with a detailed explanation of what is about to unfold, he moves to explaining the work of the Holy Spirit. When he comes, things will become clearer, even in (and especially in) his absence.

We see evidence that this actually happened as we have read through John’s Gospel. There are many things we learn that the disciples only understand after Jesus’ glorification (John 2:22; 12:16).

When the Spirit of truth comes…

They were not able to grasp the implications of the revelation of God in Christ—and especially unable to live them; out—because the Spirit had not yet been sent to aid them. But, Jesus assures them, the Spirit of truth will come.

This passage is Jesus’ fifth and final teaching on the Holy Spirit in the Farewell Discourse (14:16, 26; 15:26-27; 16:7-11), where we learn five important things about the ministry of the Holy Spirit, as he comes to complete the revelation of God in Christ.

The ministry of the Spirit of truth is…

1) …to guide Jesus’ disciples into a right understanding of Jesus’ person, work and teaching.

Jesus says in verse 13 that “when the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you in all the truth.”

What specifically does Jesus mean by “all the truth?” That question is answered several times in this Gospel.

In John 5:33, when Jesus spoke of John the Baptist bearing witness about him, he said that John “has borne witness to the truth.” In John 8:31-32, Jesus tells those who believed in him that those his true disciples are those who abide in his word, and such “will know the truth, and the truth will set them free.” In John 8:39-47, Jesus tells those who want to kill him that he has told them “the truth that [he] heard from God.” In John 14:6, when Thomas protested, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.” In John 17:17, Jesus will pray that the Father will sanctify his followers in “the truth,” saying, “your word is truth.” In John 18:37, Jesus will tell Pilate that he came into the world to “bear witness to the truth.”

And so “the truth” refers to the person of Jesus, to the teachings of Jesus, teaching which came from God the Father. So, we can say that “the truth” is the revelation of God which came through Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh.

John’s comments in this Gospel confirm as much. In John 1:14, what did John write we have seen in the Word that became flesh? “We have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” And what, in John 1:17, did John tell us that Jesus brought? “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”

And Jesus confirms as much in the following sentences. The reason that the Spirit will lead them in “all the truth” is “for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak.” The content of “all the truth” which the Spirit speaks is something given to the Spirit. We learn in verses 14-15 that what the Spirit declares is what belongs to Jesus.

“The truth” is Jesus Christ. “The truth” is God the Father revealed in and through the person and work and teaching of Jesus Christ. There is no “truth” outside of Jesus Christ. As the Apostle Paul will write in Colossians 2:3, in Christ “are hidden all treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

And so, if you would know any truth, much less “all the truth,” you must know Jesus Christ. You must know Jesus Christ—the eternal, divine Word made flesh, fully God and fully man. You must know Jesus Christ—the perfectly obedient Son, whose every word and deed reveal his Father. You must know Jesus Christ—the one who dies on the cross as a sacrifice for sin. You must know Jesus Christ—raised from the dead, the resurrection and the life. You must know Jesus Christ—glorified, exalted to the right hand of the Father, sending the Spirit to empower and teach his people.

The disciples had seen and heard this taught during Jesus’ ministry on earth, but they did not understand or grasp it at all. But when the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide them in all the truth. That is the Spirit will guide Jesus’ disciples to a right understanding of his revelation of the Father. They will slowly come to grasp its truth, its meaning and its implications—what it means for what they should believe and how they should obey. And that is good, for Jesus said that those who worship God “must worship in spirit and in truth” (4:24).

2) …to explain to Jesus’ disciples everything they need to know about what is to follow.

Jesus says that the Spirit will do a second thing as well. “And he will declare to you the things that are to come.” What does Jesus mean by “declare…the things that are to come?”

Some take this to mean merely prophetic predictions about the future, especially regarding later stages of the kingdom (such as apocalyptic visions like the Revelation to John). The Spirit certainly will do that, especially in the book of Revelation. But, the context here has nothing in it to suggest that Jesus is thinking of entirely futuristic end-times theology.

We’re helped when we consider the meaning of the word “declare.” Outside these verses, John only uses it twice in his Gospel and once in 1 John.

In John 4:25, the Samaritan woman at the well asks Jesus to give his two-cents on a long-standing debate about the proper place of worship. Jesus gives his answer, to which the woman responds, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will declare all things to us.” There “declare” does not mean that the Messiah will predict things to happen in the future. Rather, it means that he will resolve the debate by “explaining” the right place of worship (which, ironically, Jesus has just done).

The other occurrence is in John 5:15. There, on the Sabbath, Jesus had healed the man who was paralyzed for 38 years. The Jews, irate that this man would carry his bed on the Sabbath, demanded to know who told him to carry his bed. The man did not know who healed him because Jesus withdrew into the crowd when the man got up. Shortly thereafter, Jesus approached the man and spoke to him. Then we read that “the man went away and declared to the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him.” So, here again, “declare” does not mean to predict something future, but “explain” something.

And in 1 John 1:5, John writes, “This is the message that we have heard from him and declare to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” Once more, “declare” is not a prediction, but an explanation.

And then, we must ask what Jesus means by “things that are to come.” “Things that are to come” refers to the events that are about to unfold and the new situation the disciples will find themselves in as a result.

As Jesus speaks, his glorification (his crucifixion, resurrection and ascension) have not yet happened. They are, at the time of Jesus speaking, “things that are to come.” And, even more so, the situation that will result from it—the sending of the Spirit, the preaching of the Gospel to the nations, inclusion in the people of God and reception of his promises through faith in Christ and not through physical decent and adherence to the Law of Moses—and all the other things that the church encounters after Pentecost are “things that are to come.”

So, Jesus is not speaking of a “predictive” ministry of the Spirit (though that does occur). Jesus is speaking of the Spirit explaining everything that is about to happen in his death, resurrection, and ascension—and what consequence that has on them as his followers. The Spirit will help the disciples of Jesus understand the new situation they are about to find themselves in after Jesus’ departure. Essentially, the Spirit will explain and apply the Gospel.

We see an example of this in Acts 10-11, where Peter discovers in preaching the Gospel to Cornelius that the forgiveness of sins through faith in Jesus, repentance that leads to life, and the gift of the Holy Spirit are equally given to the Gentiles through the Gospel.

The Holy Spirit leads Peter, and the other Apostles, “in all the truth,” explaining and applying the Gospel. Though they wanted to continue to see the Gentiles as “unclean”—the Spirit led them to see that, in light of the revelation of God in Jesus Christ, the wall of hostility had been broken down in Jesus’ flesh, that from believing Jews and Gentiles God had formed one new man in Christ, and that in Christ there was no Jew or Gentile.

The Spirit led them in understanding what came to take place after the Farewell Discourse, and its implications. The Spirit let Peter and the others into a proper application of Jesus’ person, work and teaching.

The Implications for the New Testament

How do we apply these first two points? It is important to note that the primary application is to the Apostles. They are the ones who were with Jesus “from the beginning.” And, they are the ones who will live through “the things that are to come.” They are the ones who could not at that time bear the many things Jesus had to say to them. And, it is they who needed to rightly understand and apply the revelation of God in the good news of Jesus Christ—an understanding and application they would teach to the post-Pentecost church.

But, it is right there that a secondary, derivative application comes to us. The Apostles’ Spirit-guided proper understanding and application of Jesus’ death and resurrection became the bedrock foundation of the church. Their understanding and application of the Gospel is recorded, by the inspiration of the same Spirit, in the New Testament writings.

And so, these verses lay the foundation for what we know as the New Testament. It is because verses 12-15 are true that we can trust our New Testament, including the Gospel According to John. What we’re studying this morning is a result of the Spirit of truth guiding the disciples in all truth and declaring to them what was about to come.

This gives us a great application: If you want to be “guided” by the Spirit into “all the truth,” then study the written Word of God, for that is where such guidance and teaching has been deposited. How unfortunate it is that so many people think that having a “Spirit-led” Christian life and a “Spirit-taught” understanding can be had apart from the written Word!

We cannot depreciate the careful study of the written Word in preference of “Spirit-led” knowledge—as thought there is a difference! Even these apostles, whom the Spirit guided into all the truth, would confess that they came to see who Jesus was, what he did and what he taught was written down in the pages of Scripture!

A Unified Ministry

Not only do too many today attempt to separate the ministry of the Spirit from the Word, they often attempt to separate the ministry of the Spirit from the ministry of Christ. When you watch some of the sad and blasphemous hogwash attributed to the Spirit on television, you might be led to believe the Holy Spirit has precious little to do with Jesus, strangely enough. But, that cannot be the case, according to Jesus’ words in verses 14-15.

3) The ministry of the Spirit is entirely dependant upon the Son, as the Son was upon the Father.

Jesus says in verse 13 that the Spirit “will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak.” Thus, the Spirit is dependant upon another in two areas—in authority and in the content of his speaking.

The Spirit is not sent on an independent mission. The Spirit is not sent to do something entirely separate and distinct from the mission of Jesus.

First, the Spirit’s authority comes from the Father and the Son. Jesus has said earlier that the Spirit would be sent by the Father (14:26). And, Jesus has said that he will send the Spirit (15:26). Thus, the Spirit is sent by the authority of the Father and the Son.

This is remarkably similar to what we know of Jesus. Repeatedly, Jesus claimed that he did nothing on his own authority (8:28), that he was sent by the Father (8:42), and only does what the Father shows him (5:19-20).

Just as the Son submitted to and depended upon the Father’s authority, the Spirit submits to and depends upon the authority of the Father and the Son who send him.

Second, the Spirit’s teaching comes from the Father and the Son. The Spirit will only speak “whatever he hears.” So, who is it that the Spirit hears?

We see in verse 14 that the Spirit takes and declares what belongs to Jesus. And, what belongs to Jesus is the Father’s—for Jesus says, “all that the Father has is mine, therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”

This too is remarkably similar to what we see in Jesus’ teaching. He said, “My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me” (7:16-18) and “I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me” (8:26-28) and “What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me” (12:50).

The Father gave Jesus words to say—so that Jesus might reveal the Father to the world. All that the Father had—in authority and in speech—was given to Jesus. Now, the spirit takes what belong to Jesus (from the Father) and declares it to Jesus’ disciples. Why does this matter? Because:

4) The ministry of the Spirit is in unity with the Father and Son, ensuring unity in the Scripture.

The way that Jesus explains the ministry of the Spirit guarantees that there is no division within the Godhead. The Spirit is no more separate from, opposed to or in competition with Jesus than Jesus was with the Father. Rather, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are all working together in one common, unified goal.

You should marvel and praise and worship that the entire Godhead is united, working together in your salvation.

This also impacts our understanding of the unity of the Scripture. It guarantees that we have a unified and divine revelation recorded in the Bible. It is not as though the Father was trying to say one thing in the Old Testament, the Son was trying to something different as we find him in the Gospels and the Spirit has an altogether separate message in remainder of the New Testament.

No, the content of the Bible has the same source and is essentially the same material, and one unified message. As Jesus claimed, the whole of the Old Testament was written about him. He, in his coming, revealed the Father. Thus the entire Old Testament and the earthly ministry of Jesus are about the revelation of the Father in the Incarnate Son. And now, the Spirit has taken this revelation of God in Christ and is explaining it to Jesus’ disciples, who record this in the pages of the New Testament.

Thus, the Bible has one, unified purpose—the revelation of God in the person and work of Jesus the Christ. So, we should seek to see Jesus in all the Bible.

Applications and Warnings

Here is an important application from these verses then: Jesus was and remains the focal point of the revelation of God. The Father revealed himself in the Son, through the person and work of Jesus. The Spirit explains and applies the Son.

Therefore, the unity of the New Testament (and the Bible as a whole) is centered on Jesus. Everything written prior to Jesus pointed to him and culminates in Him. The Father reveals himself in Jesus. And the Spirit “unpacks,” explains, and applies Jesus.

That is why the author of Hebrews, who knows perfectly well of the ministry of the Spirit, does not say in Hebrews 1:1-2, “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Spirit.” No, he says, “he has spoken to us by his Son”—for even when the Spirit declares, speaks and teaches, he is declaring, speaking and teaching God in Christ Jesus the Son.

So, we should be very cautious of any interpretation of the Bible that pits one part of the Bible against another, especially seeing portions of Scripture opposed to Jesus. It is popular in academic circles to claim that the Apostles’ added to the revelation of Jesus, invented Christianity, or high-jacked the teaching of Jesus and applied it in a manner that he did not intend. It is popular with some so-called “bible scholars” to try to get at the “historical Jesus” that lies behind what the Apostles wrote.

But Jesus himself, right here, claims that such efforts are wrong-headed. For he promises that what the Spirit will declare to them (and, therefore, through them in Scripture) is precisely what is his. You can trust your Bible, friends.

It might be easy for us to think that we are beyond such academic baloney, since none of us serves on such a faculty or sits on the Jesus Seminar. But, I think that such ideas can sneak into the church in more subtle ways. I mentioned a few weeks ago my discomfort with Louis Klopsch’s 1899 invention, the “red letter edition” of the Bible, in which the words of Jesus are printed in red. (I don’t think such editions are evil. I own a few.) His intention was good—in fact, he stated that his edition showed more clearly than any other that the law, history, poetry and prophecy all converge on Jesus Christ, the central figure of the Bible.

Nevertheless, I fear that there is sometimes a mindset that believes the words that came from the lips of Jesus Christ while on earth are somehow superior to the words that were written in ink on parchment from the hand of Peter. And, that can have a negative effect on theology and doctrine.

But, if what Jesus says here is true—that the Spirit will take what belongs to Christ and declare it to the disciples, then we can have confidence that what is written in the pages of the New Testament is every bit as much the “word of Jesus” as our verses this morning. If you want to know Jesus—read your Bible!

5) Finally, we see that the ministry of the Spirit is entirely focused on glorifying Christ.

Jesus says, “He will glorify me.” The reason the Spirit will glorify Jesus is that he will take what belongs to Jesus and declare it to Jesus’ disciples. All of the Spirit’s ministry, as explained by Jesus in the Farewell Discourse, essentially involves unpacking who Jesus is.

Applications

First, it defines for us what it means to glorify Jesus. Jesus is glorified when his followers are instructed in how the Father is revealed in him—and when they are transformed by it. So, if you are wondering how you might glorify Christ with your life, take a clue from the Spirit! Explain who Jesus is to someone else!

Second, we should be cautious of any “movement of the Spirit” that does not center people on Jesus Christ revealing the Father in the Gospel. There are many claims by many churches and pastors these days that the Spirit is doing a remarkable work among them. And, when examined, all you can see when you look at those ministries is the stuff that the Spirit is supposedly doing. The focus is “the Spirit”—and not Jesus. The focus is miracles and gifts and tongues and laughter and slayings—and not Jesus Christ crucified for sin, raised from the dead and seated at the right hand of the Father in glory. The “Spirit” is glorified, but Jesus is not.

We never in the pages of the New Testament find the Spirit drawing attention to himself. Rather, he is always pointing the attention to who God is and what he has done in the person of Jesus Christ. Even on the day of Pentecost, when the Spirit was poured out and filled the disciples, and they spoke in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance, where did that all point? Did not the Spirit fill Peter to preach that it was evidence that God had made the crucified and risen Jesus both Lord and Christ?

No, a ministry that focuses its attention on the Spirit, especially when Jesus is slighted or ignored, is not likely a ministry of the Spirit at all. A refusal to glorify Jesus invalidates a prophet.

John himself instructs his readers in 1 John 4:1-3 that spirits may be tested by what they confess about Jesus Christ.

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.

If a spirit does not confess the Jesus preached by John, it is not the Spirit of God.

Finally, let me encourage you with this: You can confident in this prayer request—“Father, send your Spirit to glorify your Son in my life, in your church, in this world.”

The Father is zealous to glorify his Son. Jesus said, “The Father…has given all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father (John 5:22-23).” And the Spirit is sent to do the same—“He will glorify me.”

If you desire to God glorified in Jesus Christ, then go to the Word and pray with confidence that the Father would glorify the Son through the power and ministry of the Holy Spirit!

John 16:4b-7 – The Farewell {for Now} Discourse: Weep Not! I Go to Send the Spirit!

© Eric M. Schumacher – Preached January 31, 2010 at Northbrook Baptist Church, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Audio will be available here.

In our home, we have a daily ritual—wrestling on the living room floor. Typically, the boys and I wrestle after supper, occasionally after breakfast. When it is time for me to go to work in the morning or to head to a meeting in the evening, I’ll tell the boys, “Okay, it’s time for Daddy to go.” (Or, I might leave the room and return to say goodbye with my coat on.) One of our boys will sometimes ask, “Dad, where are you going?"

“Dad, where are you going?” is not a question; it’s a statement, better ended with an exclamation point than a question mark. And, it is not just a statement, but a statement of protest. Furthermore, it is a protest of self-interest. They don’t want me to leave, because it means that our time of wrestling together must end.

But, imagine I answered their protest this way: “I’m going away to fill the van with gas and pack it with our luggage, because we’re going to Minneapolis for a vacation, to spend a week of vacation, going to an amusement park, a zoo, and lots of other fun places!” Suddenly, their perspective on my departure changes. Now, it is a joyful thing that I go to prepare for our vacation.

Something like that has been going on in Jesus’ “Farewell Discourse.” And, in these verses Jesus gets to heart of why their depression over his departure is wrongheaded.

Jesus’ departure is advantageous for his disciples, for it will result in the sending of the Holy Spirit.

4b – Because I was with you…Jesus has just been explaining to his disciples that after his departure, the hatred the world had for him will be redirected at them. The will be persecuted and hated because they are not of the world. And, the world hated Jesus.

Jesus did not spell out the full danger of following him “from the beginning,” because he was with them. Throughout his earthly ministry, opposition was directed at Jesus and he was able to absorb it himself. We see this up through his arrest, where Jesus identifies himself as the one the soldiers are looking for and directs them to let his disciples go.

But, now that his departure is approaching, it is important for his disciples to understand the cost of discipleship, so that they will not fall away.

5 – None of you asks…

Jesus will no longer be with his disciples because now he is going to the one who sent him. Throughout the Gospel, we’ve seen that Jesus was sent on a mission, a mission he was single-mindedly focused on accomplishing. Once completing it, he must return to the one who sent him.

But, he notes, now that he is going away, “none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’” What are we to make of this statement? Back in John 13:36, Simon Peter asks just this precise question—“Lord, where are you going?” And, in 14:5, Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” It seems that his disciples have queried him about his destination.

Some would argue that this is a flat contradiction, evidence that John pieced this Gospel together from several different sources and neglected to iron-out and edit the contradictions. (We would have to then assume a fair—and almost unbelievable—amount of stupidity on the part of John, his community of followers, and later editors who miss such an obvious contradiction from the lips of the one they are presenting as God.) But, since we know this to be the Word of God, a work of the Spirit of Truth who came to guide the disciples into all truth, we can assume there is a better answer.

Some take this to mean that Jesus means now, at this point in the dialogue. Earlier, they did ask. But, now that he has brought up persecution they have lost all interest in his destination. This doesn’t strike me as too satisfying an answer, since even if their questions were at a different point in his discourse, they stilled probably were asked less than 10-30 minutes prior to Jesus saying this. Discussion of where he was going was fresh in their minds. There is a better explanation.

Something similar to what I described with boys protesting my departure is going on here with Jesus’ disciples. Jesus is saying that his disciples have had no genuine concern for his destination. Their questions about his going away were not so much thoughtful questions about his departure and its implications. They were statements of protest that flowed from self-absorbed pity over their own loss and a preoccupation with their own fate.

6 – Sorrow has filled your heart…

It is because he has said that he is going and that they will be hated by the world in his absence, that sorrow has filled their heart. They are filled with sadness at their loss.

7 – To Your Advantage…

Jesus says in verse 7, “Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away.” Sadness fills them because they have failed to grasp the implications of his departure, implications that should have filled them with joy. In their self-centered, self-pity they have missed what he has been trying to say all along: His departure is for their good!

How exactly was his departure for their good? Jesus continues, “for (because) if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you.”

“The Helper,” as it is translated in the ESV and the NAS (or “Comforter” in KJV; or “Counselor” in NIV) is the Holy Spirit (14:26). That title was introduced in John 14:16, “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth.” He is the Holy Spirit, sent to continue Jesus’ ministry in the world and his people after Jesus’ departure.

Now, Jesus tells them that the Holy Spirit will not come to his disciples unless he first goes away. Jesus does not say that the Helper cannot come, as though it is impossible for them to be simultaneously ministering, but that he will not. Why not? Why is it necessary for Jesus to go away for the Spirit to come?

Jesus answers that question with his next statement, “But if I go, I will send him to you.” The Spirit will come to Jesus’ disciples, having been sent by Jesus.

The Spirit in John

Let’s review a little of what we’ve learned about the Spirit so far in John:

In John 14:16-17, Jesus promised his disciples that the Spirit would indwell them—but only in the future, when he asked the Father to give them another Helper.

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.

The Spirit “will be” (future tense) “in” them. But that indwelling of the Spirit awaits Jesus asking the Father and the Father sending the Spirit of truth.

Later in John 14:25-26, Jesus says the Spirit will continue his teaching ministry—but only in the future, when the Father sends him in Jesus’ name.

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.

So, the teaching ministry of the Spirit is future, as Jesus’ speaks. It awaits his sending “in Jesus name,” which is to say, “on behalf of Jesus.”

In John 7, at the Feast of Booths, Jesus said that those who believed in him would have the Spirit flowing like living water from their hearts—but only after his glorification.

John 7:37-39 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.  Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'"  Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

The Spirit would be received—in the “flow-from-the-heart-of-the-believer” sense—by believers. It was, at that point, future, because “the Spirit had not been given.” It was after Jesus had been glorified that the Spirit would flow from the hearts of believers.

So, Jesus spoke of a future ministry of the Spirit, a coming day which would be characterized by the Spirit dwelling in and flowing out of the hearts of the Messiah’s people, teaching them of Christ. That day, we learn that that day can only come if Jesus goes away.

We should recall that Jesus’ departure, his “going away,” also called his “exaltation,” refers to his crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension to be seated at the right hand of the Father in glory. So, why does the in-dwelling ministry of the Spirit depend upon that?

To answer that question, let’s think some more about what that day of the Spirit’s coming is biblically.

The Spirit in the Old Testament

The Old Testament prophets are full of promises that the Age of the Kingdom, the reign of the Messiah would be characterized by the Spirit.

Through the prophet Isaiah, we read in Isaiah 32 that the Messiah will be a king who “will reign in righteousness” (1), a day when “the Spirit is poured upon us from on high” (15).

Through the prophet Ezekiel (11:17-20; 36:24-27; cf 37:14), God’s promise of the New Covenant is twice described as a day in which he will gather his people from all the nations of the earth and put his Spirit “within them” to make them a changed people.

And in Joel 2:28-29, a passage that Jewish interpreters understood as referring to the age of the Messiah, we read:

And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit.

After the Lord removes the shame of his people and assures his promises, he will pour his Spirit out on all of his people.

So, the reign of the Messiah would be characterized by the pouring out of the Spirit of the Lord upon all of God’s people. When is this out-pouring of the Spirit?

The Out-Pouring at Pentecost

In Acts 2, the Apostle Peter, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, told the crowds that the out-pouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost was the fulfillment of what was promised in Joel 2; the last days had begun. And listen to how Peter describes the out-pouring of the Holy Spirit later in his sermon:

Acts 2:29-36 Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, “‘The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.’” Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.

Notice the progression here:

First, the Messiah dies.

Second, God resurrected the Messiah (which David foresaw in the seating of one his descendants on the throne).

Third, the risen Messiah is exalted at the right hand of the Father. This “exaltation” is what theologians have called the “session” of Christ. Having ascended to the Father’s right hand, he is then seated there in power and in glory. This three-stage process is what Jesus has been referring to in John as his “glorification.” He is crucified for sins, raised from the dead, and exalted at the right hand of the Father in glory.

Then, fourth, the Messiah is given the Holy Spirit. Peter tells us that “being therefore exalted at the right hand of the God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit.” Evidently, the Spirit that was long promised in the prophets would not be given to the Messiah until a certain point—his exaltation to God’s right hand. Then, and only then, he is given the Spirit.

Fifth, then, the Spirit is poured out onto the Messiah’s people. Peter says, “and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.”

All of this, Peter says, is proof—and “all the house of Israel” should “know for certain”—that “God has made him both Lord and [Messiah], this Jesus whom you crucified.” The outpouring of the Holy Spirit was proof that Jesus had been seated as the Anointed King. The giving of the Spirit awaited the inauguration of the King.

And so, that is why Jesus had to “go” before he could “send” the Helper to his disciples. The sending of his Spirit would be the first royal act of his exaltation.

The Spirit is the down-payment of our salvation, the foretaste of the presence of God amongst his people, the one who regenerates us, works faith within our hearts, and sanctifies us in obedience to the truth. How could this in-dwelling be ours until Christ had laid the foundation for them?

To Their Advantage

And this is why it is “to their advantage” that he goes away. A few hours after Jesus’ spoke these words, he would be arrested by a mob in the Garden of Gethsemane. Mark (14:50) records that at his arrest, “they all left him and fled.” Yet, after Pentecost, in the book of Acts, we read that this same group of disciples who deserted him in the Garden, “were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:31). They were so bold, in fact, that after being beaten for preaching the Gospel, they were “rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.”

Was not Jesus’ departure to their advantage? The should have wanted him to go away—that departure was the purpose for which he was born!

It is to our advantage that Jesus went away too. It is sometimes easy to long to have lived in the days when Jesus walked the earth. But, we live in the better days. We live in the age when the Risen Lord and Christ has sent his Spirit to dwell in and flow from the hearts of his people—our hearts! It is better to live in this day, when indwelt with the Spirit of the Lord, we know the Lord, we understand his Gospel, we are given new hearts, and are empowered to live changed lives and preach the Gospel—unlike the disciples while Jesus was on earth, who were so consistently confused and bewildered about what Jesus taught.

In that day, only a few handfuls of people (perhaps literally) believed God’s saving promises and saw Jesus as the Messiah. But today, millions and millions on the earth have heard God’s saving promises and submit to Jesus as Lord and Christ, trusting in his atoning death and resurrection, longing for his return.

The Spirit’s Work

Next week, we will look at the Spirit’s work, as described by Jesus, in verses 8-15, some very difficult verses to understand. But, let me summarize them now to show two more reasons why the sending of the Spirit is advantageous for the disciples.

First, the Holy Spirit will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment. Lots of paper and ink has been put to the task of trying to explain what exactly this means.

Some argue that it means merely proving the world to be wrong, either in the sight of the world or in the sight of the disciples. Others argue that it is a “legal use.” The Spirit secures a “conviction,” a “guity verdict” in the heavenly courtroom. I think that both of those interpretations have significant weaknesses.

“Convict” here has the sense of convincing the world itself of its guilt, to its own shame, with the goal of bringing it to repentance. It is showing the world that it is wrong, and driving the point home. This is a gracious conviction, something the world needs, lest it remains the world and in death and darkness.

This is what Jesus did in his earthly ministry.

John 7:7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil.
John 15:22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.

Jesus showed the world that it was guilty of sin. And because they don’t believe in him, the Spirit continues this ministry.

In John’s Gospel, Jesus exposed the world’s righteousness as “false righteousness,” hopelessly inadequate. Now the Spirit will continue that ministry, because Jesus is going to the Father. Jesus’ followers cannot see him anymore as a model of how to expose the world’s false righteousness. And so, the Spirit comes to enable them to do so.

Jesus showed the world that they judged by appearances, but his judgment was “right and true.” Having judged the Satan, the ruler of this world and the “father of lies,” in the crucifixion, the Spirit will come to convict the world of its false judgments.

Second, the Spirit explains and applies the revelation of God in Jesus Christ. What the Spirit teaches and declares is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Spirit works to clarify the meaning of and apply the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

We should note that the Spirit continues it through the ministry of the disciples as they proclaim the Gospel.

John 15:26-27 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. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.

The witness of the Spirit is consistently connected to the witness of Jesus’ followers.

It is through Jesus’ followers explaining and declaring the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, with Spirit-given understanding and application, that the world is convicted of its sin, its (false) righteousness, and its (wrong) judgment.

And isn’t that what happened at the end of Peter’s sermon on the day of Pentecost!?

Acts 2:37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?"

Therefore – as recipients of the promised Spirit and possessors of the Spirit-inspired interpretation and application of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, preach the Gospel with boldness!!!