UPPER ROOM MINISTRY  – John 16:5-24
Marvin Griffin – August  21, 2019

 

John 16:5-15       THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

John 16:16-24    SORR0W WILL TURN TO JOY

 

The Holy Spirit is called: in the Greek – parakletos  (intercessor, consoler) 

In some English translations

– Comforter

-Helper

-Advocate (as in 1 John 1:2 lawyer who pleads your case, one who knows what is best for you and how to get it)

All of these together are helpful as we consider His work! We would be remiss, as we consider the work of the Holy Spirit, not to recap what Jesus has already taught us about Him.

 

Ch 14:16 He will stay with us forever, yes, in us forever!

Ch 14:17 He is the Spirit of Truth. Why is truth so vital to us?

Ch 14:18 The Holy Spirit will come to parent us. The Lord Jesus said,”I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.” How and when would He come to them/us?

Ch14:26 He will teach us all things and remind us what Jesus wants us to know.

Ch15:26 He will testify concerning Christ. (He directs the attention of both sinner and saint to the Lord of Glory. –MacDonald) The Holy Spirit will cause us to bear witness, although here Jesus refers to the eleven disciples who were with Him from the beginning. They indeed bore Him witness in their preaching and epistles.

 

What we learn in today’s portion:

Ch16:7 Jesus states, (to console His disciples)” It is to your advantage I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart , I will send Him to you.” What is the advantage?

Ch16:8 The Holy Spirit will convict (reprove) the world of sin, and of righteousness and of judgement.

(MacDonald – This is generally taken to mean that He creates an inward awareness of these things in the life of the individual sinner.) Is there more to it than that?

 

The world in this context is: the man-made system in opposition to, and alienation from, God. The ruler of this world is Satan. Again I quote MacDonald, (The Holy Spirit condemns the world by the very fact that He is here. …The Holy Spirit is here in place of a rejected Christ and this demonstrates the world’s guilt.)

V9- of sin, because they do not believe in Me. Thoughts?

V10- of righteousness, because I go to my Father and you see me no more. Thoughts?

V11- of judgement, because the ruler of this world is judged. Thoughts?

V13- He guides us into all truth and reveals future events. How?

V14 & 15– He glorifies Christ and declares to us the manifold shared things of the Father and Christ.

Conclusion: It is SO to our advantage to have the ministry of the Holy Spirit today!

 

SORROW WILL TURN TO JOY

V5– “But now I go away to Him who sent  Me, and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are you going?’

In Ch 14:5 Thomas had said, “Lord, we do not know where you are going, and how can we know the way?” He admits to not know where Jesus is going. He admits he doesn’t know the way but Thomas doesn’t ask straight out, “Where are you going?” Does Jesus want them/us to consider His feelings and movements?

V6- “Because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.” The Lord goes on to show them the advantage to His going away. As if to say, Cheer up, because of the Holy Spirit you won’t  really be missing me when I’m gone physically from your sight!

V16– “A little while, and you will not see me; and again a little while, and you will see me, because I go to the Father.” I will give you a simple explanation for the first  2 statements. In a little while, Jesus would be crucified and buried out of their sight. Then in a little while, He would rise from the dead and the disciples would see Him. However, the last phrase doesn’t seem to fit with the first two so the disciples, as well as us, must consider different time frames. Any help here?

The Lord Jesus did not give His disciples a direct answer. He answered in proverbs/figurative language. He told them this in verse 25. In a time to come, He would speak to them plainly. That time is, I suggest, when Christ has died, been buried, has risen again, has ascended on high, and the Holy Spirit has arrived to give the completed Word to us and ultimately and fully upon His second coming.

MacDonald is helpful here.” The precise time-frame of verse 16 is uncertain. It may mean the Lord would be away from them for 3 days, and then He would reappear to them after His resurrection. It may mean He would go back to His Father in heaven, and then after a little while (the present Day of Grace), He would come back to them (His Second Coming). Or it may mean that for a little while they would not see Him with their physical eyes, but after the Holy Spirit was given on the day of Pentecost, they would perceive Him by faith in a way they had never seen Him before.”

V20-22. The disciple’s weeping and lamenting would be turned to joy. Figuratively, childbirth is so fitting here. How quickly a mother forgets the pain for the joy of her new-born!

The Lord affirms,”I will see you again and your heart will rejoice and your joy no one will take from you!”

Does this refer to His resurrection, His sending of the Spirit at Pentecost, or His Second Coming?!?!

V23-24. “And in that day….whatever you ask the Father in my Name, He will give you….Ask, and you will receive that your joy may be full.”( Don’t skip over the qualifying phrase,’in my Name’). Most will agree, I’m sure, that ‘that day’ is now!!

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