Jesus Christ In The Writings Of John
THE COMFORTER PROMISED

Lesson Text:
John 14:15-27 (KJV)

Subject:
The Work of the Holy Spirit

Golden Text:
“I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter.” (John 14:16)

Light from Other Scriptures:
John 16:7-14; Acts 2:1-47; Romans 8:14-16; Hebrews 10:15, 16; 1 John 3:24; Ephesians 4:30; Luke 11:13; Galatians 5:22-25.

Other Lessons:
For an In-depth, graduate level study pertaining to the Holy Spirit, see God the Spirit in Contents section of StudyJesus.com.

Lesson Plan:
1. INTRODUCTION
2. THE CONDITION (V. 15)
3. THE COMFORTER (V. 16)
4. THE WORK
5. THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH (VS. 17-20)
6. DWELLING IN DISCIPLES (VS. 21-24)
7. THE TEACHER (VS. 25, 26)
8. PEACE BESTOWED (V. 27)

Setting of the Lesson:
Time: Thursday evening, April 6, A.D. 30; the evening before the crucifixion.
Place: At the supper table in an upper room in Jerusalem.
Place in the Life of Christ: Address at the institution of the Lord's Supper¹

1. INTRODUCTION

The Circumstances
We can understand this lesson better, and the great truth it reveals, if we vividly realize the circumstances. Jesus had announced that He was going away, leaving them in this world. He had promised to His disciples that they would do even greater works than He had done, and that for His work and kingdom He would give them whatever they asked in His name. But they did not even know what to ask for. They were in a world of trouble and danger and opposition, like lambs surrounded by wolves. They had a mighty kingdom to establish, but were ignorant as to its nature and the way to establish it, and were without material, without power, without means, and without a leader. They could as easily remove mountains or dethrone Caesar.

Christ now comes to them with all they need. He Himself will still be their leader. The Holy Spirit will come and bring them all they need – power over men, truth, guidance, strength, inspiration, courage, and the peace of victory.

The work of the Spirit is the final and great subject of this last discourse, connected with the completion of Christ’s mission, without which His work would have failed.

2. THE CONDITION

14:15 … “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” The R.V. uses the future tense, according to a better reading, “ye will keep my commandments.” The word for “keep” means to keep as a treasure by guarding and watching against all enemies that would take it away. It implies not only watching, but successful watching. The commandments are kept by obeying them. Love is the source of obedience, as a fountain is the source of a river. If there is love in the heart, it will manifest itself in this way as naturally as a fruit tree will show its nature by its fruit or a rose-bush by its flowers. No kind or degree of emotion can be a substitute for obedience.

Note that vs. 21 and 23 take up the same condition, in the form of a test of love, so that between these verses and v. 15 is enclosed this great promise of the Holy Spirit. “So carefully has He marked the appropriation of the gift to those only who are capable of receiving it” (Bernard), and who would use it rightly. Only the loving and obedient disciples can truly build up the kingdom of God.

“Think of God trying to communicate His will and Word through Ahab, and Jezebel, and Herod, and Pilate, and Judas.” (Warren)

Love is a Passion
Murray wrote: “The strongest and most unconquerable forces in human nature are the passions. Like rivers in springtime, when the snows are melting on the mountains, and the clouds, driven by south winds, are emptying their waters upon the earth, they rise and swell, and overflow, submerging the whole nature . . . Love is the force out of which all obedience comes, just as we say, ‘That man’s fortune is in his brains.’ Not that it is in dollars and cents actually there; but that within his brain are the forces that shall win his fortune.”

Christ calls for this power of love everywhere, the engine power in man tested and controlled by being translated into life, into obedience.

3. THE COMFORTER

14:16 … “And I will pray the Father [The source of every good and perfect gift; the Spirit is thus from the Father and the Son]. And he shall give you another Comforter.”

Taking the place of Jesus
“Another”, not “a different sort of,” than Christ, Who had been their Comforter up to this time. After the crucifixion, the Holy Spirit was to the disciples exactly what Jesus had been to them while alive. He was the coming again of Jesus, so that the Acts is the record of what Jesus did on earth after His death, as the Gospels are the record of what He did while in the body.

“The operation of the Spirit is wholly in the line of Christ’s work on earth; it belongs to the same sphere and contemplates the same ends. It represents a stage of the redemptive process that lies beyond the historic work of Christ; it is the continued operation of God’s saving, redeeming love, interpreting, applying, and perfecting the work of the Savior.” (Stevens’ Johannine Theology)

The Holy Spirit as Advocate
The word “comforter” expresses only side of the meaning of this word. It is derived from two Greek words meaning “to call to one’s side,” signifying one who is called to aid another.

“The word is used in classical Greek, and a word of similar etymology, from which our word ‘advocate’ (ad vocatus, called to another), is derived, is used in classical Latin to denote a person who patronizes another in a judicial cause, and who appears in support of him. It was the custom, before the ancient tribunals, for the parties to appear in court, attended by one or more of their most powerful and influential friends, who were called ‘paracletes’ – the Greek; or ‘advocates’ – the Latin term. They were not advocates in our sense of the term – lead counsel; they were persons who, prompted by affection, were disposed to stand by their friend; and persons in whose knowledge, wisdom, and truth the individual having the cause had confidence. These paracletes, or advocates, gave their friends – ‘prospelates,’ or ‘clients,’ as they were called – the advantage of their character and station in society, and the aid of their counsel. They stood by them in the court, giving them advice, and speaking in their behalf when it was necessary. Jesus had been the paraclete of His disciples while He was with them.” (Brown)

Jesus is called “advocate” (the same word here translated “comforter”) in 1 John 2:1. He, the Son of God, Who created the world – all wise, all powerful, had stood with them, advising and defending them. This work of “advocate” with God and man was now to be done by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, some translate “advocate” here instead of “comforter.”

The Holy Spirit as Comforter, a Helper
But the actual work done by the Holy Spirit is much wider than our word “advocate” denotes, whatever it may mean in classic Greek. It is as much too narrow in one direction as “comforter” is in another.

“Many are the emergencies of human life, and many are the forms of help which they require, and all are included in this great comprehensive name. We may range them in two divisions, the advocacy of our cause before others, the support of companionship to ourselves. When we think of one office we speak of an advocate; when of the other, of a comforter. But the same person will fulfill either office as need requires.” (Benard)

Illustrations
“The word here rendered ‘comforted’ is used throughout the New Testament to signify ‘strengthened.’ A shivering man may be wrapped in blankets, brought to the fire, and so warmed for a time. That is our conception of ‘comforting.’ His vital forces may be stimulated and increased till they drive away the chill and conquer the cold. That is the New Testament idea of ‘comforting.’ Few words in the Bible have been more misunderstood than this. By it we mean ‘soothing.’ One to whom the language of the New Testament was a mother tongue would mean by it the opposite of ‘soothing.’ To us the word suggests lullabies; to him it would suggest war cries.” (Wright)

Thus Peter wrote: “I exhort (lit. comfort) you feed the flock of God” (1 Pet. 5:1, 2; emphasis added). So, on the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit comforted the disciples, by making them strong, courageous, and wise. “Helper”, in the R.V. margin, is a good translation of the word.

From a practical point of view, we receive this comfort that we “may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.” (2 Cor. 1:4)

14:16 … “That he may abide with you forever.” Not leave them, as their present Comforter, Jesus Christ, was about to do.

4. THE WORK

Let us now consider the work of the Holy Spirit from a general point of view; in three divisions.

The relation of the Spirit to the historical work of Christ
The Spirit is sent in the name of Jesus (John 14:26), i.e., to carry out the purposes and work of Jesus, to guide into truth (v. 17; John 16:13), to work in and through the disciples (v. 17) for the redemption of men. All that is comprehended in the other two divisions is the means to this end (compare the record of what the Spirit actually did in Acts).

The work of the Spirit in true believers:
a. Teaching (John 14:26)
b. Guiding into all truth (v. 17; John 16:13, 1 Cor. 12:8, 10)
c. Bearing witness (John 15:26; Acts 5:32)
d. Giving life (Rom. 8:11)
e. Bestowing the living water (John 4:14; 7:38)
f. Bestowing gifts, such as teaching, tongues, etc. (1 Cor. 12:7-11)
g. Shedding the love of God abroad in them (Rom. 5:5)
h. Producing goodness and high morality (Gal. 5:22; 23; Acts 1:24)
i. Bestowing power (Acts 1:8; Rom. 15:19)
j. Bestowing wisdom (1 Cor. 12:8; Eph. 1:17)
(Compare the change in the apostles, as recorded in Acts.)

The work of the Spirit in the unbelieving world
This is fully set forth in John 16:8-11. He would convince the world concerning sin, that they had sinned in rejecting their Messiah; concerning righteousness, the righteousness of Christ and His kingdom, a new conception of right; and concerning judgment, that the Prince of this world, and those who take his side, must be condemned. All these things awakened the conscience and urged and inspired to a new life (compare the man conversions recorded in Acts, including that of Paul).

Illustration
One may as well try to remove the snow from our fields, or the ice from our lakes, with shovels and carts, without the aid of the shining sun in spring, as to take away sin from the human heart, and cause the plants of righteousness to flourish therein, without the presence of the Holy Spirit.

5. THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH

14:17 … “Even the Spirit of truth.” The Holy Spirit is so called because His nature is true and sincere. All falsehood is foreign and abhorrent to Him. He knows all truth, even as God knows it. He imparts His truth-loving nature to those He influences. The truth is the instrument by which He does His work in the souls of men. He convicts and converts by means of truth. He shows men the truth about themselves, their character, their needs, and danger; and also the truth of God’s love and promises. He teaches the truth, guiding men into all truth; He reveals the truth of God by inspiring those who are to teach. He guides our daily conduct, our judgment, so that we may walk in the truth. As Bengel says, “The truth makes all our virtues true. Otherwise there is a kind of false knowledge, false faith, false hope, and false love; but there is no such thing as false truth.”

14:17 … “Whom the world cannot receive.” Because they have been unwilling to undergo the spiritual training that is absolutely necessary to receiving Him. They shut their hearts to Him; refusing to do His will. Only by His qualities, by faith, love, humility, spiritual life, can He be known.

14:17 … “But ye know him; for he dwelleth with you.” He has been working in your hearts all these years.

14:17 … “And shall be in you”, “indicating the progressive development of the Christian life.” (Abbott)

Vincent points out the three prepositions used in vs. 16 and 17 to describe the Spirit’s relation to the true believer: “with” you in fellowship; “by” you – dwelling with or by you in His personal presence; and “in” you – as an indwelling personal energy, at the springs of life.

14:18 … “I will not leave you comfortless [orphans, bereft of a father, or of a teacher, desolate, uncared for]; I will come.” I come, I am coming; present tense, as in v. 3.

14:19 … “The world seeth me no more.” Not with their bodily eyes after the resurrection, not with their spiritual eyes, because they were too dull, too sinful to recognize Him.

14:19 … “But ye see me.” They saw Him after the resurrection on occasions for forty days. But with their spiritual eyes they recognized His presence and His works in the Holy Spirit. He was as real to them, as actually present, as if they could see Him in His bodily presence.

14:19 … “Because I live, ye shall live also.” Jesus is the fountain and source of life and from His life gives life to His followers. If Jesus perished when He was crucified, then there was no hope of resurrection or eternal life for His followers.

14:20 … “At that day.” The day when He comes – by His resurrection – by His Spirit – by His presence in their hearts.

14:20 … “Ye shall know.” They had little knowledge of Jesus, while with Him in His bodily presence, compared with their understanding of His nature and work after the resurrection and Pentecost, and their life-long experience of His presence in their work for His kingdom. They seemed suddenly to come out of a dark room into the sunlight.

14:20 … “That I am in my Father.” One with Him in essence and in power – in purpose and in glory.

14:20 … Ye in me, and I in you.” Hovey wrote: “Ye sharing my purpose, and seeking my honor, and I sympathizing with your infirmity, and strengthening your hope.”

6. DWELLING IN DISCIPLES

14:21 … “He that hath”, etc. As in vs. 17, 23, 24, this condition is insisted upon, showing how absolute and how the connection between love and obedience is fixed in the eternal laws of being, and between these and the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.

First
To those who love and obey comes the love of the Father and of the Son.

14:21 … “Shall be loved of my Father.” Not only with the love of compassion that He feels toward all men (John 3:16), but the love of friendship and delight, the closest union that can exist between souls; a communion full of the highest, most uplifting, most heavenly joy that can be conceived. No one can give a more precious gift to another than personal friendship.

Second
14:21 … “I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.” I will make Myself as clearly present as if I were to continue in My bodily presence. Those who love Him would recognize His presence, feel His personal love, receive His teachings, find His comfort and help, and serve Him as devotedly, as if they could see Him in His kingdom on the earth. The death of Jesus would take nothing from them.

Third
The Father and Son will abide, dwell, in true believers.
14:22 … “Judas.” Probably Jude the writer of the epistle; perhaps the same as Lebbeus of Matthew 10:3.

14:22 … “How is it?” R.V., “What has come to pass that?” What change has been made that You, who have been manifesting Yourself to the world, should now reveal yourself to the disciples alone? As if Jesus were going to take them apart from the world into a desert. “Judas supposes, with the rest of his countrymen, that the manifestation of the Messiah means a bodily appearance in glory before the whole world, to judge the Gentiles and restore the kingdom to the Jews.” (Cambridge Bible) “In a word, he is trying to bring his Lord’s language into harmony with his own Jewish idea of the Messiah’s reign. And the best he can do is to suppose that something of which he is ignorant has occurred, which has led Jesus to decide against presenting Himself any more to the people.” (Hovey)

14:23 … “If a man.” Jesus again repeats the condition and then shows how it can be accomplished. 14:23 … “We will … make our abode with him.” Thus manifesting Himself to them, but in a way not possible to those who refuse to obey and love Him, as in 14:24 … “The word … is not mine” (see 7:16), of My own devising or commanding, in which case it might have been rejected with impunity,

14:24 … “but the Father’s which sent me” (see 12:49) – in other words, to reject the word of Jesus is the same as rejecting the Father’s.

Illustration
It would not be safe to entrust this Divine power to any but those who, like a live engine, were on the two tracks of obedience and love. The fire in a train’s engine off the track brings ruin instead of progress.

Compare Acts 2, where the Holy Spirit came upon only those who had been preparing in the upper room, by long-continued prayer, and only through them upon the outside world.

The Abiding Jesus
Jesus promised “To be in them – a Spirit in their spirits, illuminating, quickening, encouraging, by a most immediate, though mysterious, action on mind, heart, and will, taking and presenting to them the things of Christ with such clearness that Christ’s glory would be seen by them more perfectly than it had ever been seen while He was walking beside them in bodily form.” (Hovey)

Illustrations
Jesus in the heart is like the Ark in the house of Obed Edom, full of blessing (2 Sam. 6:11). Jesus is the light and the presence that makes the hearts where He dwells temples of the Holy Spirit; like the city of God, come down from heaven.

“Gladden with Thy presence the souls that seek Thee. Arrange the habitation, that it may be worthy of the inhabitant; adorn Thy bridal chamber, and surround the place of Thy rest with every choice virtue; spread the pavement with colored ornaments; let Thy mansion shine with the brightness of carbuncles and precious stones; and let the odors of all Thy graces and gifts breathe within; let Thy fragrant balsam abundantly perfume Thy inner chamber; and, removing far away every noisome seed of corruption, do Thou establish our joy and perfect the renovation of Thy new creature forever in beauty, that fadeth not away.” (Cyprian)

7. THE TEACHER

14:25 … “These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.” Abbott wrote: “That is, as far as this I am able to carry my instructions, but no farther; the Spirit shall complete them.”

14:26 … “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost.” The word “Ghost” is old English for “Spirit.” The Spirit is holy, and works is to make others holy. By what follows, we see that “Comforter” includes much more than “Advocate” (see v. 16.)

14:26 … “He shall teach you all things,” etc. The whole Christian system was enfolded in the words of Christ, as the tree with its fruits lies within the tender shoot. The Holy Spirit guided its unfolding, and directed its growth. This is the promise of inspiration that was fulfilled in the Acts and Epistles, and is the guaranty of their substantial accuracy. It is also a promise of the same guidance all through the ages to those who, by obedience and love, can receive it.²

14:26 … “And being all things to your remembrance,” etc. Many things they did not remember because at the time they could not understand them. Thus, after His resurrection, they recalled and understood what He had foretold concerning it. The difficult questions that arose in the early church were settled by the application of principles Jesus had taught, as in the footnote above.

Practical thoughts:
a. The Holy Spirit is the foundation of intelligence and truth. He not only changes the heart, but enlightens the mind.

b. God guides His children into truth by His Holy Spirit, through the needs of the times, through a clearer understanding of the Scriptures, and through free and loving discussion.

8. PEACE BESTOWED

14:27 … “Peace I leave with you [Not merely the customary salutation, but a real gift of peace]. My peace I give [The same kind of peace as Jesus Himself had]. Not as the world giveth.” Not in kind or degree or method.

a. Not merely in promise, but in reality.
b. Not external, in outward comfort and ease and plenty, but inward.
c. Not depending on circumstances, but enduring under all circumstances.
d. Not for a brief time, but forever.
e. Not the best at first, but growing better.
f. Not in meager measures, but in overflowing abundance.
g. Not by yielding to sin, but by victory over it.

14:27 … “Let not your heart be troubled.” (see notes on 14:1 in last lesson) ³

Peace:
a. It was peace with God, sins forgiven, hearts of love, working with God, in sympathy with God, submission to God.

b. It was the peace of righteousness, peace with the law of God. This peace was given only to those who loved and obeyed (vs. 17, 21, and 23). It is only when righteousness is “as the waves of the sea” that “peace can flow like a river.”

c. Peace with providence, carrying out the Divine plan, and trusting to do our part although we cannot see how it harmonizes with other parts.

Illustration
In spite of the mystery and the fragmentariness of life, where the good seem to suffer and the bad to be prosperous, yet “the devil is not the god of this world, nor humanity the god of this world, nor furies, nor a god of fury, but infinite and eternal love is working out the web of human destiny. Have you ever seen how the old weaving factories operated? – curious and busy fingers picking up the threads one after the other as needed; together with the machinery working out the plan that wisdom and skill devised beforehand. So life is like a great factory, and the forces that we call forces of nature and life are these busy fingers; but they are doing the work that wisdom and love ordained beforehand they should do, and are working out a pattern that by and by will be completed in the eternal world.” (Abbott)

d. It is peace with other disciples and with all other men so far as they are willing.

Illustration
All Christians are like the different voices in a choir, and instruments in an orchestra, made to be in harmony, although differing so much in tone, in quality, in pitch.

e. It is peace in one’s own soul. All the parts of the soul are in harmony; like the different stops of an organ, our will, our purposes, our conscience, our tastes and desires, our love, are all one beautiful harmony.

f. It is the peace of victory. There are two roads to peace, we may be conquered or we may conquer. Peace for a time may come by yielding to wrong, but true and permanent peace must come from overcoming all evil, and comes through conflict.

g. It is the peace of trust, as Christ was at peace in the storm on the lake.

Footnotes:
¹ See Remembering Jesus in Contents section of StudyJesus.com.
² Compare the actual results as recorded in the Acts, noting the change in the apostles, their new understanding of the Scriptures, their wisdom in settling difficult questions, such as about deacons and the reception of the Gentiles. Also compare the truths taught in the epistles with the teachings of Christ, unfolded and developed by the Spirit, as the occasions permitted or required.
³ Compare the fulfillment of this promise in the Acts, Peter rejoicing in prison; Paul and Silas singing praise in the jail at Philippi; Paul’s good cheer on the wrecked ship, “rejoicing evermore.

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