JOHN 16:5-15
Lesson # 33
THE ROLE AND FUNCTION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
I.? Introduction:
Note:? Tonight we are going to speak about the Holy Spirit.? Starting in chapter 14 and continuing down to our chapter (16), John has begun to speak of the Spirit in relationship to Jesus’ departure.? We have seen in chapter 15 that the teaching there is interspersed or intertwined with predictions of persecution, but John will go on to emphasis and expand what he wishes us to know about the Holy Spirit.? Jesus’ teaching about the Spirit is tied to His leaving and His leaving has caused anxiety, deep anxiety among the disciples.
Q? Why would the disciples be anxious?
Q? How many of you feel anxiety tonight about losing someone’s influence who has helped you in your spiritual life?
Q? What is the role of the Holy Spirit in our losing a close spiritual guide that has been of great help to us?
Note:? Now lets see what our particular chapter has to say about this topic, always realizing that Jesus is continuing in a tract that started in chapter 13 and will go on until chapter 17.? It is “transitional work”.? Everything He has been saying is in regard to His leaving.
II.? The Necessity of His Going:? John 16:5-7.
>>>> Have someone read John 16:5-6
Q? What is Jesus rebuking them about?
An = Jesus seems to say that they have sorrow for themselves but not concerned with their Lord.? Peter does in 13:36 ask where Jesus is going but it was all “self-concern”, not where are you going?
RQ? Think about when someone you care about left.? Did you just think about ourself, what you will miss and forget about how the person leaving feels?
Q? Is it natural for the disciples to be sorrowful with Jesus’ leaving?
An = Yes, it is, and that is why Jesus is addressing the issue so extensively (basically chapters 13-17).? Is it also not natural to be worried that they will no longer have Jesus to deflect the criticism, etc??
Note:? One more thing, we can only try to relate to how great it must have been to have had Jesus in the flesh in their midst:? to watch Him preach, to heal, to deal with tough situations with consummate wisdom, great courage and endless grace.? What a privilege to be with Jesus in the flesh.
However, William Temple makes an interesting points.? He poses it in the form of a question….
Q? What became of the faith that relied on His Presence the moment there was a crisis?
An = In the boat the panicked when the storm came, they failed with the demoniac in Mark 9 and when Jesus was arrested they all deserted Him.? However, a few weeks later, after He had gone,? these same men have “a calm and unruffled courage, and `rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the Name.'”? (See Acts 5:41).? (Temple, p. 280)
Q? What accounts for the difference?
An = The answer is in what Jesus promised, lets see what He says….
>>>> Have someone read John 15:7.
Q? Why is Jesus leaving?
An = It is for their advantage, for until He goes, the Spirit does not come.
Q? Why are they better men after the Master discipler has left? ?
An = Until He left they never had to go to the Spirit and rely on Him.? They could just trust ?in the physical presence of Jesus.? It took courage to trust in the Spirit and let Him empower them.
Q? Do we see our ministry as a ministry of leaving?? Why should we do this?
An = Our goal is the faith of those we minister to, not our ruling over them in a little ministry kingdom.? You will leave here, and my success as a teacher will be known when you are on your own.?
Do you still love the Word??
Do you draw out of it what I drew out for you and do you give it away, as I have given it away to you?
It is then you will realize where I get everything, where others get it, where our faith, our source is.? Our goal is that you become as we are, trusting in Him, as we have become as those who first opened our eyes to His glory.
All of chapters 13-17 are about Jesus leaving the disciples, so it would seem that we need to learn to be like Him in the way we minister.
>>>>? Have someone re-read John 14:16-18
Q? Will Jesus leave us alone?
An = No, He will leave us the Spirit, we will not be orphans.? He will leave us the “Helper” or “Counselor” (the Holy Spirit), but Jesus also calls Him in chapters 14-16 by another name…
Q? What is the third Name used of the Holy Spirit by Jesus in these chapters?
An = Jesus calls Him the “Spirit of Truth”:? 14:17, 15:26, 16:13.? We have seen that Jesus has spoken about the role of the Holy Spirit before in three passages:? lets re-read them again.
>>>> Have three different people read the following different Scriptures:? 14:16-17, 14:26 and 15:26.
Q? What is the role or function of the Spirit of God in these three passages?
An = 1)? To be with us, live with us, abide with us (14:16-17)??
2)? Bring to remembrance the words of Jesus (14:26)
3)? Bear witness to Jesus (15:26)???? Lets see now what Jesus says the coming “Helper” or “Counselor” will do when sent by Jesus.
>>>> Have someone read John 16:8
Q? What is His function?? What verb is ascribed to His actions?
An = To convict the world, William Temple says the word has the meaning of “to cross-examine with a view to refutation or conviction” (p. 283).? Raymond Brown agrees but phrases it as “to bring to light, expose and to convict someone or something.” (p.705).? In other words the Holy Spirit will reveal the sin of the world, in reverse of what the world did to Jesus.
>>>> Have someone read John 16:9-11.
Q? What are the three issues the Spirit’s will convict the world of?
An = of sin, righteousness and of judgment.
Q? What do all three of these operations have in common, what do they center on?
An = The world’s handling of Jesus was wrong.? They did not believe (they sinned), killed Him (He went to the Father), and judged the innocent and thus brought judgment on themselves.
Q? In short how would you summarize the role of the Spirit of God as portrayed in these verses?
An = He brings to light the “truth concerning Jesus”, hence His name the “Spirit of Truth”.? Note:? The word “paraclete” can be translated as “counselor”, “comforter”, “advocate”, or “helper”, but the best way to understand it is to look at these four passages.
Note:? John is saying that the role of the Holy Spirit as a convictor (or as one who exposes wrong) will be in the disciples and land them in the same trouble Jesus had.? The Spirit will bear witness of Jesus and they killed Jesus.? The Spirit is the revealer of the Son’s teaching, just as the Son was the revealer of the Father’s teaching.
Q? In light of what they did to Jesus, is it not dangerous then to be “filled with the Spirit”??
>>>> Have someone read John 16:12-13.
Q? What has limited Jesus being able to teach them more?
An = The disciples themselves.? They were not able to bear it yet.
Q? According to verse 13 what is the role of the Holy Spirit after Jesus sends Him?
An = He will guide us into all truth and reveal what is to come.
Q? What is the source of the Spirit’s teaching?
An = He speaks not on His own initiative, but what He hears.
>>>> Have someone read John 16:14-15.
Q? What does the Spirit do in relationship to Jesus Christ?
An = He glorifies the Son, taking what is the Son’s and revealing it to believers.
Q? If we are “filled with the Spirit” what should characterize us?
An = We should glorify the Son, taking what is the Son’s and revealing it to believers.? If we glorify ourselves, we are not speaking from the Spirit of God, but another spirit.