Throughout the Gospel of John, Jesus personally demonstrated and taught about the necessity of the Holy Spirit’s presence and ministry. For a while, Jesus demonstrated the power of the Holy Spirit through His own life and ministry. After being baptized by John in the River Jordan, the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus in the form of a dove. Then Jesus, full of and controlled by the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Holy Spirit for forty days in the wilderness. During that time He was tempted, tried, and tested greatly by the devil. After the forty days, Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee and began His public ministry. He made it clear that what He did was because the Spirit of the Lord was upon Him and had anointed Him to preach, heal the brokenhearted, proclaim liberty to captives, recovery of sight to the blind, and deliver the oppressed, downtrodden, bruised, crushed and broken down by calamity and proclaim the day of salvation and favor of God, ( Luke 4:18-19).
Now, as His earthly campaign was coming to an end, necessity of the Holy Spirit in believer’s lives became more important for His disciples to hear. The entrance and ministry of the Holy Spirit in believer’s lives marks a great change. His disciples had grown accustomed to Jesus being their divine Paraclete. He had been more than a rabbi to them. He had helped, encouraged, protected and instructed them. Now at the end of His earthly campaign, Jesus said another Comforter is coming.
Throughout His ministry, Jesus prepared believers for the advent of the Holy Spirit within them.
John 7:38–39 NKJV 38He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” 39But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
Take note that Jesus said the rivers of living water would flow out of the believer’s heart. Jesus was referring to several Scriptures that had promised these waters of refreshing, (Joel 2:28; Isaiah 12:3; 43:20; 44:3; 55:1; [John 6:35]; Revelation 21:6; 22:17). Now Jesus is clearly saying these rivers of living water are referring to the infilling and out flow of the Holy Spirit in believers. Jesus promised this would occur after He was glorified and back in the presence of the Father in heaven.
John 16:7 NKJVIt is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.
The Lord’s message shows the necessity of the Holy Spirit in all who receive Him. Jesus said: “It is to your advantage that I go away.” Jesus is doing preparatory work for the entrance of the Holy Spirit. He said, “If I do not go away, the Holy Spirit will not come.” Believers are better off with the presence of the Holy Spirit. Several things are taken into account by what He is saying.
- Jesus is referring to His atonement and redemption.
- He is showing the advantage believers will have after His ascension and ministry before the Father.
- He is speaking about the entrance of the Holy Spirit into the lives of believers.
Jesus’ departure makes the entrance and administration of the Holy Spirit possible. Now, Jesus describes some of the functions of the Holy Spirit’s ministry when He comes in believers. It is important to tie verse 7 to the next verses. The advantage of the Holy Spirit is seen in believer’s lives.
John 16:8-11 NKJV 8And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9of sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; 11of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
The word “convict” can also be translated “convince.”
- When the Holy Spirit comes, He will prove the gravity of sin, and convince of sin in individuals lives.
- He will convince or prove the availability of righteousness by the completed work of Christ.
- He will prove the defeat of Satan and the certainty of judgment.
How will the Holy Spirit do this convincing and convicting? After the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2, everyone who came and witnessed what happened in them were convinced. Jesus said, “You shall receive power to be My witnesses.” The administration of the Holy Spirit in believer’s lives brings a witness of sin, righteousness and judgment.
John 16:12-13 NKJV I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.
These words demonstrate the absolute necessity of the Holy Spirit’s entrance and influence in believers.
We must never become so presumptuous as to think that we know everything. “The Spirit of truth will guide us into all truth; for He will speak what He hears; and He will tell you things to come.”
- He will guide into all truth. The Holy Spirit will not force or compel but will lead. Believers must follow Him.
- Into all truth… This refers to the maturing and equipping of believers. The Holy Spirit will take up the administration of development of the church and revealing of truth. The full gifts and administration of the Spirit are for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, that we should no longer be children… (Ephesians 4:12-16)
- He will speak whatever He hears… The depth of the Holy Spirit’s ministry in believers is directly related to His connection to the Father and ability to take what belongs to Christ and declare it to us.
John 16:14-15 NKJV He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.
- He will take what is Mine and declare it to you. The Holy Spirit will develop believers by revealing the deep and hidden things of Christ. It is impossible for us to know the things that belong to Christ unless the Holy Spirit takes what is His and declares it to us.
1 Corinthians 2:9-10 NKJV But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.”
John 16:14-15 NKJV 14He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. 15All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.
The greatest function of the Holy Spirit is found here. The Holy Spirit will glorify Christ by taking what belongs to Christ and declaring or making Him known to us. The Holy Spirit shines the spotlight on Christ. He declares: “This is Christ!” “This is what Christ is like!” “These are the things of Christ!” He takes all of the minute details of Christ, Who is the image of the invisible God, and reveals them to us.
The Holy Spirit knows all of the details of the things of God that are hidden from us. We do not know what is going on in heaven. Our revelation, knowledge and comprehension is very limited. Our understanding is totally dependent on the revelation of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the One who shows what is in the mind of God and what is prepared for us.
When the Holy Spirit declares these things to us, He takes what belongs to Christ and makes them known to us.
1 Corinthians 2:12-13 NKJV 12Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.13These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
Look at this. The Spirit makes us know what has been freely given to us by God.
Listen again to John 16:14-15 NKJV 14He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. 15All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.
This is where the Holy Spirit works. He takes what belongs to Christ and declares it to you. Whatever He receives, He declares to us. Think about the depth of the knowledge and wisdom of the Holy Spirit The Holy Spirit has unique access to the Father and the Son. No other person has this access.
Jesus said, “The Holy Spirit will take what is Mine and declare it to you.” The Holy Spirit knows things that are impossible for us to know without His help. He dwells within us and has access to the throne of God. He sees and hears things that we cannot see or hear. Jesus said the Holy Spirit would make these things known to us.
Notice the seven steps that are here:
- The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, has come
- He will guide you into all truth
- He will not speak of Himself
- He will speak whatsoever He hears
- He will tell you things to come
- He shall glorify Jesus
- He shall receive of Mine and show it unto you
Once Christ ascended back to the Father, the Holy Spirit started doing these things in the Church. By the administration of the Holy Spirit, He began revealing many areas of His work to the church.
Look in Acts and the writings of the Apostles to the early Church.
- The Holy Spirit was working to enrich the church in Christ.
- He works to empower and strengthen the church.
- He gives boldness to stand in the evil day.
- He gives special callings and gifts to equip the church.
- He gives gifts of power, knowledge, and utterance.
- He gives gifts of administration, benevolence, and grace.
- He gives gifts of various ministries.
- He intercedes for us to the Father for believers.
- He takes the church into deeper worship and praise.
- He comforts, blesses, and brings the glory of heaven down.
- He is the gift of the Father to the church.
