The Work of the Holy SpiritJohn 16:4–15

It’s been a joy to move slowly through John chapters 13-17. Having studied these chapters I now struggle with what to call them. The name ‘Upper Room Discourses’ is not big enough because it appears that the disciples are on the move after John 14:31--perhaps they are wandering toward the Mount of Olives. The name ‘Farewell Discourses’ works I guess but it’s not exciting enough for me so my latest favorite overly cumbersome name for John chapters 13-17 is Jesus’ ‘on-the-night-before-his-death’ discourse.

We’ve seen a host of themes threaded through these chapters. Jesus has touched on servant leadership, the necessity of love, and the dwelling places he is preparing for his disciples in heaven. He’s touched on the vital relationship that believers have with Jesus and the hatred of the world that they will inevitably face. And He’s regularly threaded promises about the Holy Spirit who will come to earth when he goes away.

By way of introduction to our passage this morning…and by the way mothers, Happy Mother’s Day!...by way of introduction to our passage this morning in John 16, I thought we might look at what Jesus has said thus far in his ‘on-the-night-before-his-death’ discourse about the Holy Spirit.

Follow with me in your bible if you would…

The first reference to the Holy Spirit is John 14:16–17

16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper…another advocate, another comforting presence, another counselor…, to be with you forever…what a great promise…I never thought about the Spirit being with us in the new heavens and new earth… 17 even the Spirit of truth…in the passage this morning we’ll explore this further…it is the Spirit who will guide the disciples in the 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 move from being present with them to dwelling in them. And in the New Testament this is a new development

The next reference is John 14:26

John 14:26 (ESV) 26 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. This verse we believe is aimed primarily at the disciples who were with Jesus and who would one day become apostles and pen the books of the New Testament. So practically speaking when we’re studying the book of John and most scholars believe it was written at a minimum of 40

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years after Jesus died1, we believe the book is trustworthy because the Spirit ensured that it was trustworthy.

And one final reference… John 15:26 ….26 “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. This verse along with the next verse, verse 27, reminds us as believers that “when (we) bear witness about Christ, the Holy Spirit is working silently and invisibly through (our) words”2

We never witness alone.

Well we pick up in John 16:4b…and the ‘b’ means the second half of the verse….

“I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. 5 But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it 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 go, I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. 12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

Here is a brief outline of the passage…

1 The most likely date for the writing of the book of John is somewhere between AD 70 to AD 100 (when John died)2 ESV Study Bible page 2056

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I. If Jesus goes, for our benefit the Spirit comes (vs. 4b-7)

Look at the end of verse 4…“I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you.”…what are “these things”? The issues we talked about last week…how the disciples would face the hatred of the world. Jesus didn’t ‘spell out the full dangers of persecution’3 early in his time with the disciples because he was with them and by and large he absorbed all the opposition himself.

Verse 5 5 But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ Now what’s interesting about what Jesus says here in verse 5 is that the disciples have asked him ‘Where are you going?’ Look back at John 13:36. Look at Peter’s words there, “Lord where are you going?” And in John 14:5 Thomas seems to border on the same question.

So what are we to do with Jesus’s words? What is Jesus driving at with his plea?….I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, “Where are you going?” Could it be that Jesus wants them to understand and think deeply about the depth of his mission from God? Could it be that Jesus wants them to think about him? And yet none of them are able to focus on Jesus’ mission; they are too caught up in their grief. Look at verse 6 …But because I have said these things, sorrow has filled your heart.

One author explains it this way… “A little boy, disappointed that his father is suddenly called way for an emergency meeting, when both the boy and dad had expected to go fishing together, says, ‘Aw Dad, where are you going?, but cares nothing at all to learn the destination. The question is a protest; the unspoken question is ‘Why are you leaving me?’ The disciples have been asking several questions of that sort; (but) they have not really asked thoughtful questions about where Jesus is going and what it means for them. They have been too self-absorbed in their own loss.”4 How much do the disciples understand about Jesus’ mission at this point in the journey? We really don’t know. Jesus wants them to understand.5 “None of you asks me where I am going” It’s true the disciples never tried to plumb the depths of Jesus’ mission;they were filled with grief instead.

Jesus continues in verse 7… Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it 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 go, I will send him to you.

Now I have to wonder if the disciples’ jaws must have dropped or their eyes got really big! “It is to our advantage that you go?” When I think about what Jesus has said here, I don’t think any of the disciples could have made it add up in their minds--Jesus with them physically “in the flesh” had to be better than any alternative especially an ‘as-yet-unknown’ comforting presence that they couldn’t see.

But what makes it to their advantage that Jesus leaves and the Spirit comes is that their mission will be powerfully expedited. It’s to their advantage, given the mission that they will be called to undertake, that Jesus goes and the Spirit comes. The Spirit can be in many places at one time. The Spirit will live in them and not just be with them. And if Jesus goes and the Spirit comes, the “saving reign of God will

3 Carson, page 5334 Carson, page 5335 Westcott, “But their thoughts were bent upon their own immediate loss, and no one asked how this departure affected Him” 2:217

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be inaugurated”6 There are many biblical promises that the Spirit will characterize the age of the kingdom of God.7

Do you ever find yourselves wishing that you were back in Galilee when Jesus walked the earth? Wouldn’t that have been great? We need to remember that Jesus insists that it’s better to be alive now, after the coming of the Spirit.8

Well Jesus moves to the work of the Spirit in verses 8-11. Roman numeral II, The Spirit will convict the world.

II. The Spirit will convict the world (vs. 8-11)

Look at verse 8….

8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning (or about) sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

Now verse 8 tells us that the Spirit will convict the world with respect to three topics--sin, righteousness and judgment.9 Verses 9-11 then seem to explain or elaborate on that convicting role of the Spirit.

(And notice that these verses speak of the Spirit’s convicting the world. As Christians we sometimes might say, “The Spirit convicted me of this or that…” The Spirit probably is the one who brings conviction to a believer about their sin but these verses don’t teach that—these verses teach that the Spirit convicts the world—the rebellious system opposed to God that you and I live in.)

6 Carson, page 5337 Carson, page 533 (Is. 11:1-10; 32:14-18; 42:1-4; 44:1-5; Ez 11:17-20; 36:24-27; 37:1-14; Joel 2:28-32)8 Carson, page 5349 Carson, page 534

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It seems that the key to interpreting what these verses mean lies in the meaning of the word translated ‘convict’ in verse 8.

The ESV, NASB and the NIV have the word convict. If you’re using the New Revised Standard Version it says… prove wrong …If you’re using the KJV it uses the word reprove ....It is a word that has many shades of meaning.10

Let’s look at some of those shades on the screen…

Moving from left to right on the screen, the word can mean ‘to expose’ , a concept that doesn’t necessarily have negative overtones. For example we might say, “He was exposed to the sun.” John 3:20 uses the word that way… “For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come into the light, lest his works should be exposed.” So this would work acceptably in our verse I suppose… John 16:8 And when he comes he will expose the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment. But I wonder if it goes far enough—when sinners are exposed they scurry away. Doesn’t the Spirit’s ministry do more than that?

The word can mean “to prove wrong”. So this would mean that the world has wrong opinions about sin, righteousness and judgment and the Spirit is given to prove the world wrong in its opinions. But is that strong enough here in our text? Is that the extent of the world’s problem, wrong opinions?

The word can mean ‘to convince’… the Spirit will convince the world of its sin, its righteousness and judgment. But convincing sounds like merely an intellectual exercise.11 Is that the world’s problem? That they think wrong?

The word can mean ‘to convict’… and the idea is objectively establishing that the world is guilty before God. We use the word convict that way—“He was convicted by a 12 person jury.” And by that we mean he was determined to be guilty. One problem with thinking of the word this

10 Carson, page 534, “Some have argued that the basic meaning of elencho in classical Greek is to ‘expose’ though this component of its meaning receives little emphasis in LSJ. The focus in classical Greek is on putting to shame, treating with contempt, cross-examining, accusing, bringing to the test, proving, refuting. In the Greek most relevant to the period of writing the Fourth gospel, the verb has a somewhat similar focus. Commentators most commonly propose to render the verb in this passage by ‘to expose’, ‘to convince’ or ‘to convict.’ Part of the difficulty in securing a credible interpretation rests on the ambiguities of the English words.”11 Carson, page 534

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way in this context is that while it makes sense to establish the guilt of the world because of its sin, it’s not as easy to think of establishing the guilt of the world because of its righteousness or its judgment.

The final meaning on the screen—To convict….to shame the world, convincing it of its guilt and calling it to repentance 12 —is the one that I think best works in the context. 13

So here’s how the meaning would play out in verses 9-11. When the Spirit comes he will extend the ministry of Jesus in powerful ways. Let me put a verse up on the screen….

Just like Jesus , when he was on earth, showed the world that its works were evil, so the Spirit will extend the ministry of Jesus in powerful ways. In particular he ‘will shame the world, convincing it of its guilt and calling it to repentance…. concerning its sin, its righteousness, and its judgment.’

So tracing this idea out in verses 9-11, verse 9 tells us that the Spirit convicts the world concerning sin because14 the people of the world do not believe in Jesus. The world’s persistent unbelief in Jesus is at the heart of their sinful ways. And so the Spirit convicts…He shames the world because of its sin, convincing it of its guilt and calling it to repentance

“The convicting work of the Holy Spirit is therefore gracious: It is designed to bring men and women of the world to recognize their need, and so turn to Jesus and thus stop being the world.”15

What about verse 10? Verse 10 then is telling us that the Spirit convicts the world concerning righteousness because16 (Jesus) goes to the Father.

12 These words come from Carson page 53713 Carson, page 534 The verb occurs 18 times in the NT. It’s been pointed out that in every instance the verb has to do with “showing someone his sin, usually as a summons to repentance.”

14 hoti15Carson, page 53716 hoti

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Now you and I might ask, “How could it be said that the Spirit convicts the world concerning righteousness?” At first glance it doesn’t seem to make sense.

Well here’s the point of this second convicting work of the Holy Spirit. Jesus, when he was on earth, was always showing those around him that their righteousness was inadequate. The righteousness of the Pharisees, for example, was only skin deep. They had a form of righteousness but it was really just ‘religiousness.’ Paul experienced the same things. Listen to Paul’s words in Romans 10:3 3 For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.

Here’s the point. Just as Jesus showed people the inadequacy of their righteousness while summoning them to repentance, so the Spirit convicts the world concerning its inadequate righteousness while summoning the people in the world to repentance. And why does the Spirit take up this role? Look at the second half of verse 10. Because (Jesus) goes to the Father and we will no longer see him. Jesus is no longer present to discharge this task so the Spirit takes up the task of showing the world that their righteousness is inadequate with a view of summoning those in the world to repentance.

How about verse 11? Well verse 11 tells us the Spirit will convict the world concerning judgment because the ruler of this world is judged. What’s the idea here? I think there’s a verse in John 7 that sets it up for us.

Again Jesus was regularly confronting people that their judgments about him, their judgments about spiritual things were wrong. So I think verse 11 in our text could be saying that just as Jesus showed people that they were making wrong judgements, so the Spirit will shame the world about its wrong judgments, convincing it of its guilt while summoning it to repentance because the ruler of this world is judged, because Jesus will triumph and the ruler of this world will be judged.

Let’s put a paraphrase of it all together on a slide…

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Kind of complicated. I agree.

But the point is that this goes on every time you and I witness to unbelievers. The Spirit is shaming them because of their sin, their lack of righteousness and their wrong judgments about Christ, convincing them of their guilt and calling them to repentance.

I think we see an example of this on the day of Pentecost. Peter is preaching in Acts 2.

And a passage in the book of 1 Corinthians would seem to illustrate it….

Well let’s see where we are in our outline…

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III. The Spirit will unpack Jesus to the authors of scripture (vs. 12-15)

12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

Now I think to understand these verses appropriately, we have to nail down up front that Jesus is God’s final self-expression and that ‘all revelation reaches its climax in him.’17 Doesn’t the

book of Hebrews tell us that? Hebrews 1:1-2 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son,

In these last days he has spoken to us by his Son.

And secondly we should point out that these verses are spoken primarily to the eleven disciples with Jesus. Again they will be the ones writing the books of the New Testament.

And so we would interpret verse 12 to mean that Jesus couldn’t tell these eleven disciples all there was to know about himself—they couldn’t bear “the many things” he would tell them about himself.

But the Spirit would make up for that, verse 13. The Spirit of truth would guide them into (a better reading would be ‘in’18)…the Spirit of truth would guide them in all the truth. And again

17 Carson, page 18 Carson, page 539

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Jesus is the truth. The Holy Spirit would be the one who would fill in the gaps in their knowledge about Jesus. It could be pictured this way.

Jesus left the disciples with a ‘nodal’ knowledge of Himself that the Spirit over time would ultimately fill the rest of that in.

Continuing in verse 13…for He will not speak on his own authority, Jesus says, but whatever he hears he will speak and he will declare to you the things that are to come.

Now what does Jesus mean by the things that are to come? I think we can use verse 14 to interpret verse 13. Again it’s stuff about Jesus. Look at verse 14…He will glorify me, for He will take what is mine and declare it to you.

He will take what is mine….So what was ahead for Jesus at this point? His passion. His cross. His death. His burial. His resurrection. His ascension to the right hand of God. He will take what is mine and declare it to you.

15 All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

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The work of the Holy Spirit

It was good that Jesus went away so that the Spirit could come. The Spirit coming signaled the long-awaited inbreaking of the kingdom of God. The Spirit coming caused the church to explode in the first century and today.

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Secondly the Spirit is a powerful resource as we witness to unbelievers. He convicts the world of unbelievers…shaming them, convincing them of their guilt and calling them to repentance. We mustn’t forget the Spirit’s work as we give ourselves to evangelism.

And finally the Spirit was an invaluable resource for those who wrote the New Testament. He pressed home to those apostles ‘the revelation bound up in Jesus’ person and mission.’ And every time we open our bibles, we are the beneficiaries of the Spirit’s work with the apostles.

Let us pray

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