The Helper

John 16:5-15

Jesus, once again returns to the subject of the Holy Spirit and His ministry in the world and to us as Christians. Notice in v. 6 that Jesus sends the Holy Spirit. This statement helps us in our understanding of the Trinity. Remember that the Father sent the Son; now the Son sends the Spirit. There is order in the Trinity. We observe that the Son takes direction from and accomplishes the will of the Father. The Holy Spirit also glorifies the Father and the Son and carries out their will. We never see that order reversed.

Beginning in v. 8 Jesus begins to explain the purpose of the Holy Spirit; convicting the world of sin, righteousness and judgment. The Spirit works efficaciously in the heart of the unbeliever making him acutely aware of his sin and separation from God. He also helps the unbeliever understand that righteousness is achieved through a trusting belief in the Lord Jesus Christ. Finally, He helps the unbeliever understand he will face a day of judgment.

Next Jesus shares with the disciples why they do not understand what He is telling them. He explains that the Holy Spirit will guide them into all truth. The Spirit doesn’t do this through His own initiative, but as He is led by the Father. There are several aspects of this statement for us to consider. First He helped the disciples understand the eternal aspects of Jesus death and resurrection and how it applied to them. Then He guided them as they carried out their life mission. That included recording the Scriptures and preserving them for us. The Spirit was the Father’s agent in directing those who wrote the Bible for us. Now He is the one who helps us understand God’s Word, just as He helped the disciples understand.

Finally, the Spirit glorifies the Father and the Son. His purpose in all He does is toward that end. As He discloses God’s will for each of us personally, and leads us in understanding God’s will for our life and directs our daily activities He is doing that to glorify the Father and the Son.

I pray that you will recognize and be sensitive to the activity of the Holy Spirit in your life.