John 16:5-15
Our Mysterious God
These are still the Upper Room Discourses \\#John 13-17:26\\,
although it is likely that Jesus and the disciples actually left the
room at the end of chapter 14,
John 14:31 …Arise, let us go hence.
That means that Jesus continued to teach as the disciples walked with
Him. Perhaps they went immediately to the Mount of Olives or they
may have walked to some other locations first.
In these discourses, Jesus has mentioned the Holy Ghost several times,
mostly repeating the same truths.
1. Jesus has called Him by several names:
a. The Holy Ghost \\#John 14:26\\
(1) "Holy" meaning most holy or most pure.
(2) "Ghost" or "spirit" meaning breath, life, or spirit.
b. Comforter
(1) The name Jesus first used and used the most often.
(2) \\#John 14:16, 26; 15:26, 16:13\\
c. Spirit of truth \\#John 14:17, 15:26;,16:13\\
2. Jesus also told the disciples several things that He would do.
a. \\#John 14:16-17\\ He would abide and dwell with them.
b. \\#John 14:26; 15:26\\ He would teach and testify to them.
However, the Lord gives more detailed information here than He had
given before. Even so, what we written of the Holy Ghost is very
little. He is God and volumes could easily be written of Him.
I. Jesus tells of timing of the Holy Spirit’s coming and the
necessity of His departure.
John 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It
is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go
not away, the Comforter will not come unto you;
but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
A. The Holy Ghost will come AFTER Jesus has departed.
1. The departure was something that the disciples were just
then getting their heads around. It was a major teaching
of the Upper Room Discourses.
2. That is why Jesus needed to depart.
a. The Holy Spirit would not come until AFTER Jesus left
the earth.
b. The Holy Spirit would pick up where Jesus left off,
doing what Jesus could not do for us.
B. It is possible that we have never considered how all members
of the Godhead work in this matter of salvation.
1. Jesus only taught on the Godhead as such for the first
time during these Upper Room Discourses. (He spoke of
Himself, the Father, and the Holy Ghost in John 14.)
2. The Father is portrayed as the heavenly Authority. He
rules and reigns over all things, giving order and
receiving the glory.
3. The Son is portrayed as the earthly Sacrifice. He put on
robes of flesh, laid down His divine attributes, and
became a Man so that He might die for our sins. In so
doing, He forever gave up His omnipresence, the ability
to indwell every believer at one time.
4. The Holy Ghost is portrayed as the Christian Indweller.
He does what Jesus might would have done but no longer
can. He abides within us all, making us one with the
Father as Jesus is One.
C. Now, every practical aspect of our relationship to God is
through the person of the Holy Ghost, just as every redeeming
aspect of our relationship to God is through the person of
Jesus Christ.
1. We would not know what God wants us to know without Him.
2. We would not understand what God wants us to understand.
3. We would not have the abilities that God wants us to
possess.
4. Discernment, peace, power, purpose—all of these are
through the person of the Holy Ghost.
5. We cannot do anything for God or be anything for God with-
out the Holy Ghost.
D. Yet, for all of our dependence upon the Holy Ghost, He is
still very mysterious to us.
John 3:8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and
thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not
tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so
is every one that is born of the Spirit.
II. Jesus went on to mention three aspects of the Holy Ghost’s
ministry in detail.
A. \\#16:8\\ The Holy Ghost will be Reprover of the world.
John 16:8 And when he is come, he will reprove
the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of
judgment:
1. There is a definite contrast between the Holy Spirit’s
ministry to the lost and His ministry to the saved.
a. Comforter
b. Rebuker
c. However, we need to consider that the Holy Ghost can
also comfort the lost and rebuke the saved.
2. But God the Holy Spirit does REBUKE the lost.
a. He will reprove (rebuke, convict, correct) them.
(1) We have already spoken of how the mere presence
of God within us causes conviction to the lost.
(2) However, this is a more direct and intentional
convicting by the Holy Ghost.
b. And how will this conviction be done?
(1) Not as a father reproves his son. That is how
the Holy Ghost deals with believers.
(2) But as a judge reproves a criminal.
(a) That means the Holy Ghost will punish the
sinners by cursing the works of their
hands.
(b) That does not mean that He cannot not or
will not have mercy on them—for He will.
i. He may allow some things to go
unreproved.
ii. He may even allow some wrongs to
prosper.
iii. But He is ever present to show the lost
world the difference between right and
wrong.
3. And for what will the Holy Ghost reprove the lost?
John 16:9 Of sin, because they believe not on
me;
a. Of sin.
(1) The Holy Ghost IS convicting the world of wrong.
(a) He can do no less!
(b) That is His job, His work, His ministry.
(c) As hard as the world may push against Him,
as seared as they may make their hearts,
He will not stop.
(d) In fact, as hard as it is for us to
some times see His work, the Holy Ghost
must be doing more in American than He has
for a long while.
Ro 5:20 …But where sin abounded, grace did
much more abound:
(e) Don’t let people who are involved in sin
convince you that they don’t feel guilty
over it. They do! They just will not
admit it.
(2) Notice that Jesus told us WHY the Holy Ghost
would convict the world of sin.
(a) It is because they did not (or have not)
believed on Jesus Christ.
(b) That means the world is still lost, bearing
the wages of their sins.
(c) Would this ever be a reason that the Holy
Ghost would convict the saved of their
sins?
(d) NO! Our sins are under the blood. The Holy
Ghost will still convict the saved of sins
committed but not because we are lost—
RATHER BECAUSE WE ARE SAVED!
b. Of righteousness.
John 16:10 Of righteousness….
(1) The Holy Ghost IS convicting the world of right.
(a) God is not just about condemning the wrong.
(b) He also exalts that which is right.
(2) Notice again the reason for the Holy Ghost doing
this is given.
John 16:10 …because I go to my Father, and ye
see me no more;
(a) Because Jesus was leaving. What is the
connection?
(b) While Jesus had been on the earth, He had
been demonstrating what was RIGHT.
(c) Yes, Jesus did preach on the wrong as I
illustrated in the Sermon on the Mount just
last week.
(d) But even more than preaching against the
wrong, Jesus modeled the right.
(e) It seems like it would have been difficult
in such a sin-laden world to emphasize
the right instead of constantly condemning
the wrong, but Jesus DID.
c. Of judgment
John 16:11 Of judgment, because the prince of
this world is judged.
(1) The Holy Ghost constantly reminds the lost of the
coming judgment, the day they stand before God
and give an account of their sins.
(2) And why? Because the devil has been judged!
(a) "is judged" is in the perfect passive tense
meaning it was done to him in the past and
is completely finished, never needing to be
done again.
i. It is not that the devil was going to
be judged.
ii. He has been judged!
iii. We are just waiting for the sentence to
be carried out.
(b) Since the father of sin and evil is judged,
the Holy Spirit is sending out a warning
to those who are following him.
i. Don’t be foolish!
ii. If the devil did not escape God, you
won’t either.
B. The Holy Ghost will be a Guide to truth.
John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth,
is come, he will guide you into all truth: for
he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he
shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew
you things to come.
1. This had already been mentioned by Jesus.
2. Here, Jesus clarified how the Spirit will guide us.
a. He will guide us to ALL truth.
(1) Everything we need to know, He will show us.
(2) That is in every age, in every land, in every
situation, for every need.
(3) This demands an ever-living Spirit who ever
abides.
(4) The Holy Spirit is not stagnant.
b. "whatsoever he shall hear" - He will connect us to the
Father.
(1) We have a direct link with God.
(2) It is through the Holy Ghost.
c. He will especially reveal what we need to know for the
future.
(1) The Holy Ghost will take us beyond the revelation
of the Bible.
(2) Jesus might could have told them everything a
generation needed to know and put it in the
Bible—but it would have been one big Book.
John 16:12 I have yet many things to say unto
you, but ye cannot bear them now.
(3) But it would take an abiding persons to minister
to the future.
C. The Holy Ghost will glory Jesus.
John 16:14 He shall glorify me: for he shall
receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
1. And why should the Holy Ghost glorify the Son?
2. It seems to me that no member of the Godhead spends much
time exalting Himself.
a. Jesus spoke of the Father glorifying Him and of Him
glorifying the Father.
b. Here we are told that the Holy Ghost will glorify the
Son.
c. Each seems to be interested in exalting the Other.
3. Yet, since They are One I suppose that still balances out.
4. The ultimate end is that the Father might be all-in-all
\\#1Cor 15:28\\.
5. \\#13\\ "He shall not speak of Himself"
a. That is a pretty interesting statement demonstrating
the Holy Ghost’s subordination.
b. That phrase either means that the Holy Ghost will not
give any of His own thoughts (which from the context
sounds correct).
c. Or that He will not point people to Himself.
d. If it is the later, then a lot of people are exalting
the wrong member of the Trinity and telling people
that the Holy Ghost is behind it.
e. I am not against exalting any member of the Godhead,
but it is doubtful that the Holy Ghost wants much
public acclaim.
We need to get to know the mysterious Holy Ghost. Not that He wants
attention and fanfare, but we need Him. We need Him like we have
never needed Him before!
<OutlineIndex> <Close Window>
