They thought they were losing Him, but in truth they were gaining Him. Davids words in Psalm 51:11 make sense in light of 1 Samuel 10:5-13, where the Spirit came mightily upon Saul, enabling him to serve as King of Israel. In 16:5, Jesus seems to mildly rebuke His disciples for not asking Him any more questions about where He is going. 16 For we did not follow cleverly concocted fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; no, we were eyewitnesses of his grandeur. It's the kind of life that makes you sensitive to what God is doing. 19 Moreover, we possess the prophetic word as an altogether reliable thing. 30 Now we know that you know everything and do not need anyone to ask you anything. from) our Lord; it is the teaching concerning our Lord. 2023 Grace to You. As he reads, he will share key insights and application points, to help you better understand what is being said, but also to apply it to your life. Jesus had much to say to them, but not at that moment. Jesus departure and subsequent return at the parousia have already been treated, as also has his return by the Spirit; but so far Jesus has said nothing unambiguous about the three-day departure into death. D. A. Carson, The Farewell Discourse and Final Prayer of Jesus, p. 158. There is evidence of widespread dissatisfaction with life but no solution to the quest for better things. Leon Morris, Reflections on the Gospel of John (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1988), vol. As soon as the disciples received the Holy Spirit in Acts 2, they began to understand. As you might imagine, that Sunday Jeannette was most eager to get home from church as quickly as possible, before our guests started to arrive. No wonder our Lord could say, Blessed are the poor in spirit, because the kingdom of heaven belongs to them. 15 But until this very day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their minds; 16 but whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Jesus also promises to love us and to disclose Himself and the Father to us. They will soon look back and recall that the very things that had happened to them were the things Jesus foretold. They have only told Him that they understand, and because of this, they wont need to question Him further. Then I realized that with all the promises Jesus was giving them, they might have succumbed to overconfidence. They are now encouraged to do so. For generations people have had the idea that the Holy Spirit is an apparition, something like Casper the Friendly Ghost, the 1950s and 60s comic book and cartoon character! 7:38-39 ). At the end of verse 17 Jesus says, "He abides with you and will be in you" (emphases added). 16 In a little while you will see me no longer; again after a little while, you will see me. 17 Then some of his disciples said to one another, What is the meaning of what he is saying, In a little while you will not see me; again after a little while, you will see me, and, because I am going to the Father? 18 So they kept on repeating, What is the meaning of what he says, In a little while? Web473 pisodes. It is this aspect of the Christian way that comes before us in the passage that forms our present study. Morris, vol. 7:38-39 ). The world seeks for a joy that is rooted in the absence of trials and suffering, that delights in the promotion of self-interest, and often in the downfall of ones rivals. This ministry of the spirit works on all who receive the gospel of Christ. Those whom God chose wrote it all down, resulting in the Word of God as we have it today. At this point, the disciples still didn't understand the mystery of the relationship between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spiritlet alone how they would be able to relate to all three. Davids words in Psalm 51:11 make sense in light of 1 Samuel 10:5-13, where the Spirit came mightily upon Saul, enabling him to serve as King of Israel. His dying on the cross would not be the end of His existence. Jesus must therefore mean that all the truth which is necessary for the church will be revealed through the apostles, and that there will be no lack to be made up later on. He guards and guarantees the salvation of the ones He indwells ( Ephesians 1:13; 4:30 ). If you feel that way, it's not God's fault. He has taken it away by nailing it to the cross, 15 and disarming the rulers and authorities, he has made a public disgrace of them, triumphing over them by the cross (Colossians 2:1-15). 20 Above all, you do well if you recognize this: no prophecy of scripture ever comes about by the prophets own imagination, 21 for no prophecy was ever borne of human impulse; rather, men carried along by the Holy Spirit spoke from God (2 Peter 1:16-21). There is a very significant difference. The reason Jesus can say this is that the truth which the Spirit is teaching is the truth which He hears from our Lord. 21 When a woman gives birth she has distress because her time has come, but when her child is born, she no longer remembers the suffering because of her joy that a human being has been born into the world. God can do great things through you. Because we dont want you to incur expenditure for which you are not prepared, could you please confirm whether you are willing to pay this charge, if necessary? A preacher friend of mine used to say, All false teaching is either the Bible plus, or the Bible minus. False teaching either seeks to add to or to take away from Scripture. The Holy Spirit ministers through spiritual gifts, ministries and operations (workings). Maurice Jones wrote of the ancient world: It was a world where the burden of sin and of human misery was intensely realised. Stoicism was a grim creed, pessimistic at its heart. When you receive Jesus Christ for salvation, you receive the Holy Spirit also. WebThe work of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament differed somewhat from His work in the New Testament. WebThe work of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament differed somewhat from His work in the New Testament. And what they think they do understand, they dont. So it is with suffering and sorrow in the lives of our Lords disciples. It is by means of the cross that all of His promises will be fulfilled. But the real stress lies on the phrase in my name. Of course, the disciples could not yet have asked for things in Jesus name: the mediatorial role of Christ in this regard turns on his cross-work. 9 For if there was glory in the ministry that produced condemnation, how much more does the ministry that produces righteousness excel in glory! It was another manifestation of His grace not to tell them all they wanted to know. WebThe Holy Spirit's ministry in the Old Testament differs from his ministry in the New Testament not so much in kind as in degree. Indeed He sought out His disciples after the resurrection, but the context implies He was speaking of something more: His spiritual presence in every believer through the agency of the Holy Spirit. And since the words Jesus spoke came from the Father, the world doesn't want Him either. These benefits are the fruit of our Lords coming and leaving. No one seemed willing to address their questions to Jesus. also 15:7). The things which the Spirit teaches them are the things which Jesus will be teaching them. The Holy Spirit gives us the wisdom and discernment when we need it. It is the cross which should shape our perspective (we should take up our cross daily). The house was exactly what we had hoped for. I confess, we turned on the air conditioning and lit a fire in the fireplace, just to try it out.) (3) The analogy of the woman giving birth likewise fits best into the sharp, short agony of the three-day period immediately ahead. In addition, the Spirit revealed new truth to them. Is this what prompts the questions to flit around the group? 1988 by John MacArthur. I think that it is. As he reads, he will share key insights and application points, to help you better understand what is being said, but also to apply it to your life. There is a time coming, coming very soon, when you will all abandon Me and scatter, hiding out in your own homes. Jesus assures them that when they make their requests in His name, the Father will provide for them, and in this they will experience an even greater joy than they have known up to this point in time. Help Grace to You bring important resources like this to people in your community and beyond, free of charge. No wonder the veil was torn asunder when Jesus died on the cross (Matthew 27:51). In verse 17 Jesus says to His disciples, "But you know Him." They didnt want Jesus to know they didnt understand. While Jesus will be physically absent, the Holy Spirit will be present among and within them. They will enjoy a fullness of understanding which will swallow up their present confusion in joyful comprehension. D. A. Carson, The Farewell Discourse and Final Prayer of Jesus: An Exposition of John 14-17 (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1980), p. 162. Throughout the Old Testament He is referred to as the Spirit of the Lord or Spirit of God. And we discover that we have an inheritance that cannot be measured in human terms. The disciples must have been greatly encouraged and comforted to hear Jesus say that He would send another Helper to minister to them when He left. Indeed it is used in Mark 16:10 for the disciples, who wept over the death of our Lord. They brought no certainty of divine help, and people were conscious that their efforts did not measure up. People in the world don't want Christ. I believe that this promise of future revelation through the Holy Spirit is a promise that pertains to the New Testament apostles75 and is not a promise which can be claimed by men today. He indwells believers and seals them until the day of redemptionthis indicates that the Holy Spirits presence in the believer is irreversible. This will turn their sorrow into everlasting joy, a joy that no one will ever be able take away from them. This is the subject of verses 13-16. 17 For he received honor and glory from God the Father, when that voice was conveyed to him by the Majestic Glory: This is my dear Son, in whom I am delighted. 18 When this voice was conveyed from heaven, we ourselves heard it, for we were with him on the holy mountain. First, the Holy Spirit does many things in the lives of believers. Blessed are those who mourn, because they will be comforted (Matthew 5:3-4). He was guaranteeing that He would rise from the dead. That happens when you yield every aspect of your life to the Spirit's control. 80 We should bear in mind that, with small variations, this promise is repeated six times in this discourse (14:13, 14; 15:16; 16:23, 24, 26; cf. Why is it, then, that we find so many joyless Christians? In Gift and Giver, leading New Testament scholar Craig Keener takes a probing look at the various evangelical understandings of the role of the Holy Spirit in the church. We need to exercise caution in the application of this passage because it applies directly to the eleven disciples, and indirectly to us. ), but most of the teaching will be done by the Holy Spirit, after our Lords departure. ), and which draw mens focus away from Christ (1 Corinthians 1:22-31; 2 Peter 2:1; 1 John 2:18-25). He can and will cause all things to work together for good to those who are His chosen, to those who trust in Him (see Romans 8:28). 23 At that time you will ask79 me nothing. How could the omniscience (all-knowing) of God be revealed to men? 6 Therefore, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and firm in your faith just as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. First John 2:1 says, "If anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." 20 You know that I did not hold back from proclaiming to you anything that would be helpful, and from teaching you publicly and from house to house, 21 testifying to both Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus. Apart from Him, men cannot know or understand truth. After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me." Because of this we believe that you have come from God., 31 Jesus replied, Do you now believe? Paraphrased, the disciples seem to be saying: Why didnt you say so sooner? It is important for us to keep a firm hold on the truth that the definitive revelation has been given in Scripture. I was on my way out of the church when Howard Prier, a highly respected elder, stopped me in the hallway. 85 It may occur to someone that in Psalm 23:1 the psalmist says, The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want. We must surely see that this is no blank check, assuring us that we can have whatever we want (athough Asaph at one time wrongly supposed sosee Psalm 73), whatever we ask for (see James 4:2-3 here), but rather we will never lack anything we truly need, anything which is for our good and His glory. The Greek text suggests a permanent, uninterrupted residencesomething that never happened in Old Testament times. The term weep is frequently employed for the mourning that occurs due to the death of someone (see Mark 5:39; Luke 7:13; 8:52; John 11:31, 33). For three years Jesus had been teaching them the Father's truth, but they never understood much. Over 25 years ago, Jeannette and I moved into our first home. The curse of death which came because of Adams sin became the cure when Jesus Christ, the last Adam, died in the sinners place. Register. Lest we suppose we are dealing only with matters of history, let me remind you that in many ways, our circumstances today are very similar to those of the disciples so many years ago. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity and is responsible for the ministry of reconciliation. And He will reside in us permanently. WebThe Holy Spirit is the third person of the Holy Trinity God the Spirit. Jesus had spoken only the Father's words, but thedisciples always had trouble understanding Him during His earthly ministry. He has, in fact, been telling them that they would not understand what He was saying to them, not now anyway. Ephesians 3:20 says He "is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us." In John 16:15 Jesus says, "All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you." 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