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Sermon

The Unseen Speaker

Speaker
David Capoccia
Scripture
John 16:4b-15

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Note: This transcript and summary was autogenerated. It has not yet been proofread or edited by a human.

Summary

The Holy Spirit’s coming is better than Jesus remaining on earth — this is the central, counterintuitive truth of John 16:4-15. We are reminded that Jesus’ departure was necessary to complete salvation and inaugurate the new covenant, which brought the indwelling Holy Spirit as our helper. Jesus gives two comforting reasons why the Spirit’s coming is advantageous: first, the Spirit convicts the world of its sin, false righteousness, and faulty judgment; second, the Spirit guides believers into all of Jesus’ truth through the Scriptures.

Key Lessons:

  1. Without Jesus leaving — no cross, no resurrection, no ascension — there would be no indwelling Holy Spirit and no new covenant blessings.
  2. The Spirit convicts the world of sin (unbelief), false righteousness, and faulty judgment through the faithful witness of believers, making gospel proclamation effective.
  3. The Spirit guided the apostles into all of Christ’s truth, resulting in the completed Scriptures, and continues to illuminate that truth for believers today.
  4. All prophets or teachers who claim to complete or compete with the final revelation of Christ are false — the Bible is the complete revelation of Jesus mediated by the Spirit.

Application: We are called to rely on the Holy Spirit as we bear witness to Christ, trusting that the Spirit will do the convicting work we cannot do ourselves. We should devote ourselves to studying, believing, and obeying Scripture as the Spirit’s word, rather than looking for new revelation or substituting human methods for Spirit-empowered proclamation.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Why might we emotionally prefer Jesus’ physical presence over the Holy Spirit’s indwelling ministry, and how does this passage correct that preference?
  2. How does understanding the Spirit’s convicting ministry change the way we approach evangelism and sharing the gospel with others?
  3. In what practical ways can we more fully rely on the Holy Spirit’s illumination as we read and study Scripture?

Scripture Focus: John 16:4-15 teaches that the Spirit convicts the world and guides believers into all truth. Acts 2:22-24, 36-41 and Acts 7:54-57 illustrate both outcomes of the Spirit’s convicting ministry — salvation and hardening. John 14:16-17, 26 and John 15:26 provide earlier promises about the Spirit’s coming ministry.

Outline

Introduction

Amen.

Was really wonderful and enjoyable. I hope that energized you to hear from God in his word as we’ve just sung joyful praise to him. Let’s pray as we begin hearing from God today from the next passage.

God, thank you for being our God. Thank you that we can rejoice in your salvation, a salvation that was not fully revealed but has now been fully revealed because Christ has come.

Jesus Christ, speak to us today by your spirit. Help us not only to understand these things but to welcome them, to believe them, to obey them.

Do your great work, oh Holy Spirit. Please empower me to speak it as I ought in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Amen.

Would You Rather: The Son Staying or the Spirit Coming?

Okay. Today, I’d like to start off with a would you rather question.

Would you rather questions can be fun. They can also help you think more critically about something. But be sure that the question I’m about to ask—just answer it in your own mind, not out loud. Just keep it silent. All right.

Would you rather that Jesus, the son of God, never left the earth, or would you rather that Jesus did leave so that we could receive the Holy Spirit?

Said another way, would you rather the Son staying or the Spirit’s coming?

“Would you rather the Son staying or the Spirit’s coming?”

Now, if you’ve read ahead, you already know the theologically correct answer. But that doesn’t mean that you might not feel an emotional pull to the other answer.

Because if you love Jesus, what sounds better than having him never leave? I mean, we could then go through all of life with the dear son of God himself with us on the earth.

Now, true as a man, he can only be in one place at a time. So what are the chances that he’s going to choose East Milstone, New Jersey?

But we could still live stream his teaching wherever he is. Maybe send him an email or a text with some questions, get back a few personal replies. And we know that Jesus is good at long-distance miracles. So he could do some of those for us, too.

And if he were somehow actually to come here and walk among us at this church, we could see him, talk to him, he could put his hand on us, smile at us, pray for us.

Well, what could be more wonderful?

What We Would Lose Without Jesus Leaving

On the other hand, Jesus never leaving the earth would mean that our salvation would never be finished.

To complete his God-given mission, Jesus not only had to go to the cross and the grave, but he also had to rise again and ascend back to his heavenly Father. To be seated at the right hand of God.

Consequently, Jesus never leaving means that we never receive, we never have secured for us all the promises he gave to us. We have no secured heavenly dwelling place for us as believers. We have no heavenly intercession from Jesus on our behalf in response to our needs and prayers.

“Jesus never leaving the earth would mean that our salvation would never be finished.”

And we have no coming to get us again to be with him in his kingdom forever.

Even worse, Jesus never leaving means that Jesus cannot send his Holy Spirit to us as our helper. And what would be the consequences of that?

Well, among others, no God-breathed New Testament, no unleashed understanding of the Old Testament or whatever Jesus teaches, and no empowerment for taking Jesus’ gospel to the world.

In short, without Jesus leaving, all believers would be stuck as Jesus’ disciples were before the day of Pentecost when the Spirit came. And do you remember what they were like? Generally speaking, scared, ignorant, and ineffective in declaring the gospel of God.

Would you rather that?

Now, someone might ask, “But what if we could have both, the Spirit indwelling us and Jesus on the earth? Wouldn’t that be the best of both worlds?” Oh yes, it would. And what? Someday that’s going to be true. When Jesus returns and he establishes his kingdom on the earth, we will have his Spirit, but he will also walk among us and we will dwell with our God forever.

But until then, which should we rather? Jesus leaving and sending us his Spirit.

And what do we choose? In love, that is exactly what God has chosen for us and what he’s actually done for us. In our next passage of the gospel of John, Jesus is going to explain further why the Spirit’s coming is better than Jesus staying. Jesus’ explanation will center on how the Spirit will minister as God’s new yet unseen speaker both to the world and to believers.

So please take your Bibles and let’s look at our new text in John 16. The title of the sermon today is “The Unseen Speaker.” If you’re using the Bibles that we provide, you can find our new passage starting on page 180.

Once again, we are continuing in Jesus’ farewell discourse of John 13-17. This discourse is Jesus’ final words of comfort and instruction before he leaves his disciples for the cross and glory.

Now last time we were in John 15:18 to John 16:4 where Jesus promises disciples and us that we will be persecuted.

The Spirit’s Coming Is Better Than Jesus Staying (vv. 4b–7)

He told them plainly that the world of rebellious humanity now hates them because of him. It’s automatic. But he also told them that they will be empowered witnesses by the Spirit for his sake.

He even indicated that his telling his disciples about this beforehand—this persecution—would give them greater confidence in him when the persecution comes, because he said it would happen and it came to pass.

Now in our new passage, Jesus will return to speak for the fifth and final time in this discourse about the ministry, the new coming ministry of the Holy Spirit. And the reason Jesus does so may be a bit surprising, but let’s see for ourselves.

Reading now John 16:4-15.

Jesus is speaking.

These things I did not say to you at the beginning because I was with you. But now I am going to him who sent me. And none of you asks me where are you going?

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But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.

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But 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. And he, when he comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment. Concerning sin, because they do not believe in me.

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And concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see me. And concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.

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I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.

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But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. For he will not speak on his own initiative, but whatever he hears, he will speak, and he will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what? He will take of mine and will disclose it to you. All things that the Father has are mine. Therefore, I said that he takes of mine and will disclose it to you.

This passage before us proceeds in a relatively straightforward manner. Jesus first reemphasizes how the Spirit’s coming is better than Jesus staying. Then Jesus gives two comforting reasons why such is true.

These three parts will be the three points of our outline for going through this passage. We’ll walk through the passage verse by verse, starting with Jesus’s introductory point in verses 4b to 7.

That point is this: the Spirit’s coming is better than Jesus staying. The Spirit’s coming is better than Jesus staying. Look again at verses 4 and 5.

Starting in the second half of verse 4:

John 16:4: “These things I did not say to you at the beginning because I was with you.”

These Things I Did Not Say at the Beginning

Notice how Jesus begins here by referring to these things. These things which apparently he did not speak about previously.

What exactly are these things?

Well, these things probably refers to Jesus’ entire farewell discourse up to this point. But in particular, Jesus is referring to his just spoken words of promised persecution. That’s what came right before in the passage, right?

Basically, Jesus says that he did not tell his disciples about promised persecution at the beginning. That is when he first began his public ministry and his disciples first began to follow him. And we might fairly ask why not.

The guaranteed hatred of the fallen world seems like a pretty important detail to share with the disciples before they sign up with you, Jesus.

But Jesus gives the reason that he did not talk about it before, did not focus on it before: because I was with you. It’s not that the disciples haven’t witnessed any persecution up to this point.

On the contrary, they’ve seen plenty of hateful and even violent persecution during Jesus’ public ministry.

But this persecution was always directed at Jesus himself rather than his disciples.

As Jesus clarified for us in the previous passage, it is Jesus, it is Jesus in particular that the world cannot stand.

Even the supposedly religious Jews could not help but want to seize Jesus and kill him. And they tried multiple times.

But the world, even the Jews, largely ignored the disciples. And Jesus specifically assured his disciples that he would protect them.

But now Jesus says once again that the light is leaving them.

Jesus is going to the one sending him, which is the Father.

So giving this farewell discourse and in particular talking straight about coming persecution is now necessary.

Yet now notice in the middle of verse 5: Jesus observes a poignant outcome to his new instruction even about persecution.

Why Don’t the Disciples Ask Where Jesus Is Going?

He says, “The disciples do not ask Jesus where he is going.” Which probably raises an immediate question in your mind. Wait a second. Didn’t the disciples do exactly that just a chapter or two ago?

John 13:36—the first part of it. Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” And implied in another question from Thomas in John 14:5. Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How do we know the way?” Okay, Jesus, how can you say here in John 16:5 that the disciples do not ask where you are going when they clearly do?

Skeptics jump on this verse as a clear contradiction in the Bible or as evidence that this gospel has been stitched together from competing traditions. And out of respect for whoever wrote this gospel, he just left it as it is.

There is no need to reach for a nuclear option like that. There are at least two possible ways in which Jesus’s words in John 16:5 could still make sense. One would be that Jesus is pointing out the true nature of the disciples’ previous questions about where he was going.

You see, it is possible to ask someone where he is going without really caring to know where he is going. For example, I might say to my three-year-old son when he wanders away from cleaning up his toys, “Where are you going?” I don’t exactly care where he is going.

What I’m really saying is, “Why are you leaving when you shouldn’t be?” Arguably, such has been the true nature of the disciples’ questions to Jesus about where he is going. Peter and Thomas are not curious to know all about the Father’s house, Jesus’s accomplished salvation, and Jesus’s exalted position in heaven. They’re not saying, “Come on, Jesus, tell us more about where you are going.”

Instead, what they’re really expressing is what all the disciples feel: “Why are you leaving us?”

Thus, Jesus could rightly say that the disciples do not genuinely ask where he is going. That’s at least one possible solution. But I think there’s an even better one, and it’s even more basic.

“What they’re really expressing is: why are you leaving us?”

Whatever the intent of the disciples’ previous questions, by John 16:5, they stop asking.

Notice again in verse 5—the word “asks” is present tense. He’s describing what is currently true. They are not asking anymore.

Actually, the disciples haven’t said anything since John 14:8, Philip’s question—or Philip’s statement rather.

Why did the disciples stop asking questions and stop talking?

Well, either it’s because Jesus provided them sufficient answers. They don’t need to ask where he’s going because he’s told them.

Or Jesus’s answers thus far have only dashed the disciples’ hope and expectations, and they’ve now become too depressed to say anything else.

Either way, Jesus clarifies that the disciples’ reaction to Jesus’s words thus far is not what Jesus intended and really not the way they ought to react.

Sorrow Has Filled Your Heart

For look at verse six.

But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.

Note the strongly contrasting transition word “but” at the beginning of this verse. It reflects Greek “alla,” which means a strong contrast. Jesus previously clarified where he was going, why he was going, and what he will provide his disciples by going. This ought to have supremely comforted his disciples.

They ought to have said, “Wow, Jesus, that clears up everything. Thank you, Jesus, for all that you are doing and will do.”

But instead Jesus reports sorrow. That word could also be translated as grief or affliction. Such has filled their hearts.

Jesus’ words of comfort have actually overwhelmed the disciples with grief.

“Jesus’ words of comfort have actually overwhelmed the disciples with grief.”

How did such comforting and clarifying words have the opposite effect?

It’s not stated for us explicitly here, but probably the answer is because the disciples do not fully believe them or because the disciples cannot yet let go of their own dreams and designs for Jesus. They’re saying a bunch of things, but it doesn’t compute with what they think the Messiah ought to be and what’s supposed to happen.

So what does our Lord do? Ever patient, ever compassionate with his own, he turns again to show the disciples and us through them the comfort that we ought to draw from his words about going away.

It Is to Your Advantage That I Go Away

Look at verse seven again.

But 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.

John 16:7: “It is to your advantage that I go away. For if I do not go away, the helper will not come to you.”

Once again, that strongly contrasting word “but” begins the verse. Jesus will now say something important to counter this turning to sorrow that the disciples have demonstrated as a result of Jesus’s words. He also adds, “I tell you the truth,” to emphasize that though it sounds hard to believe, what he’s about to say is indeed true. They can hold on to it. They can put stock in it.

What does Jesus want his disciples to believe despite what they are naturally inclined towards? What they automatically feel? That it is to your advantage that I go away. The Greek word translated “advantage” could also be translated “profitable” or simply “better.”

In short, Jesus says, “Believe it. It is better for you that I go away.”

Why, Jesus?

Because unless I go, I will not be able to send you the helper.

Here for the fourth and final time in this discourse, we see that special Greek word “paracletos” or “paraclete.”

Though usually translated as “helper” or “advocate” in our Bible translations, the word literally means “one being called alongside”—that is, one being called alongside to help.

Who is this paraclete? You already know by now. According to John 14:16, he is another paraclete of the same kind as Jesus. According to John 14:17 and John 15:26, he is the Holy Spirit, also called the Spirit of Truth.

According to John 14:17, this paraclete is not only already with believers, but he is the one who will be in believers after Jesus finishes his salvation work. So a paraclete of the same kind and yet with a more intimate and comprehensive ministry than even Jesus himself.

That idea of finished salvation work is key because, again, notice that Jesus says in John 16:7 that unless he goes away, the helper will not come.

No cross, no resurrection, no ascension.

It means no indwelling Holy Spirit, no new helper to come alongside.

The new covenant must be inaugurated and ratified before the seal of the new covenant, the Holy Spirit, can be stamped upon each of God’s believers.

Clearly from verse 7, Jesus is eager for his disciples to receive the Holy Spirit. The Spirit’s coming is better than Jesus staying.

Jesus means for this to be a great comfort to his disciples to counter their sorrow and confusion.

The Spirit’s Prior Promised Ministries

But what’s so great about the Holy Spirit? Truly, what advantage or profit does the spirit provide believers?

Well, Jesus has partly already answered this question. Recall that Jesus has already related two key ministries of the coming Holy Spirit. First in John 14:26, Jesus says, “The Spirit will teach disciples all things and bring to their remembrance everything that Jesus said to them.” Second, as we saw last time in John 15:26, the spirit will bear witness of Christ even as the disciples themselves bear witness of Christ amid a hostile, persecuting world.

That’s why we say the spirit empowers us to bear witness even amid persecution.

“The spirit will bear witness of Christ even as the disciples bear witness amid a hostile, persecuting world.”

But now starting in verse 8, Jesus is going to share more about what the coming Holy Spirit will do for his disciples. And that is for the original disciples, but also for us who believe today. He’s telling the original disciples, the 11, this is what he will do. But for us, this is what he has done and continues to do.

So the following simple proposition will guide us through the rest of the passage. At this point, Jesus gives two comforting reasons why the spirit’s coming is better than Jesus staying. The first of these reasons is presented by Jesus in verses 8 to 11.

Reason 1: The Spirit Convicts the World of Jesus’ Truth (vv. 8–11)

And I’ll give you the bullet point and then we’ll read the verses all together.

Number one, the spirit convicts the world of Jesus’ truth.

This is why it’s good for the spirit to come and Jesus to go away because when he comes the spirit convicts the world of Jesus’ truth. Look at verses 8 to 11.

“The Spirit convicts the world of Jesus’ truth.”

And he when he comes will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment. Concerning sin because they do not believe in me. And concerning righteousness because I go to the father and you no longer see me. And concerning judgment because the ruler of this world has been judged.

In these verses, Jesus concisely summarizes a three-fold conviction ministry of the Holy Spirit. Jesus lists three areas of conviction and then he briefly explains why the Holy Spirit convicts in each of those areas.

Now, while the organization of these verses is obvious, the meaning is less so.

Indeed, there is considerable debate among Bible interpreters, even among those whom we love and trust as to what exactly Jesus is talking about here.

He’s so concise, it’s hard to know before whom does Jesus convict the world? Before the father, before believers, before the world itself, is the conviction meant to be seen as legal and objective or personal and spiritual?

And what exactly is it of the world that comes under conviction? Is it the world’s ideas about sin, righteousness, and judgment? Is it the world’s own sin, righteousness, and judgment? Or is it split up? The world’s sin, Christ’s righteousness, and God’s coming judgment of the world.

Understanding the Key Word: Convict

In my preparation, I encountered all combinations of these options, but I’m going to argue for what I believe to be the most straightforward, if somewhat counterintuitive, view of these verses.

The key here is the meaning of the Greek verb that is translated “convict.”

This word can indeed mean to convict, but it can also mean to expose or reprove. However, translated critically, this word is always used in the New Testament to describe the exposure of some personal fault to the felt shame of that fault’s owner.

It’s not like you convict somebody and you’re just talking about something over here that has nothing to do with them. They don’t know about it. They don’t feel it. That’s not the way the word is used in the New Testament.

Therefore, I argue any sound interpretation of John 16:8-11 must allow for that idea. It must include that idea.

“This word is always used to describe the exposure of personal fault to the felt shame of that fault’s owner.”

Also important for understanding these verses is the preceding context. Remember, Jesus has just been speaking about how the world, and in particular the religious people of the world, will persecute Jesus’s disciples and in doing so think that they are serving God.

One way to describe that same truth is to say that the world, in falsely thinking that it is righteous, will wrongly judge Christ and his believers.

The Spirit’s Threefold Conviction Ministry

Putting these important pieces together, I submit that the conviction ministry that Jesus explains here is a ministry of personal conviction by the Spirit to the world to expose and shame the world, and in particular the religious people of the world, for their inexcusable sin, false righteousness, and faulty judgment of Christ and his people.

In other words, Jesus promises to make the disciples’ testimony on behalf of Christ effective to the people of the world because the disciples will have an unseen speaker with them. The Paraclete comes alongside and pierces unbelieving hearts in the world with the preached truth about Jesus.

“The disciples will have an unseen speaker with them — the Paraclete who pierces unbelieving hearts with preached truth.”

With that overarching understanding, let’s briefly examine each part of the Holy Spirit’s three-fold conviction ministry.

Convicted of Sin: Unbelief

Jesus says in verse 9 that the Spirit will convict the unbelieving but religious world of its sin—that is, of its offense to God.

Why is the Spirit able to do this? Because Jesus says the people of the world do not believe in Jesus.

Didn’t we just talk about this idea in the previous passage? In John 15:21-24, Jesus pointed out for us that unbelief is the chief sin of the world. It’s not the only sin, but it is the chief sin.

And it is the sin in particular that exposes those who otherwise claim to love and serve God—the religious.

God sent his Son into the world as the only light, the only Lord, the only Savior. If you do not receive him, like the Jews did not receive him, though they claim to love God, then you expose yourself as a sinner under God’s judgment.

Jesus says the Holy Spirit will confront the unbelievers of the world with this truth so that they feel the consequent shame.

“God sent his Son into the world as the only light, the only Lord, the only Savior.”

Convicted of Righteousness: False Righteousness Exposed

Next, Jesus says in verse 10 that the spirit will convict the unbelieving but religious world of its righteousness, that is of its false righteousness.

Why is the spirit able to do this?

Because Jesus goes to the father and the disciples no longer see him.

Now, you may hear that and say, how does that explanation fit?

Well, on the one hand, Jesus’ departure from the world, as we’ll see as we continue in John, comes by way of the cross, an execution device for criminals. The Jews, therefore, thought they were righteously putting a blasphemer, an evildoer, to death.

On the other hand, Jesus’ departure from the world by the cross is actually to glory with the father. Really, the truly righteous one in the whole situation is Jesus, not the Jews putting him to death.

So Jesus says that the Holy Spirit will drive home this truth to the world. You think that you are the righteous ones, but actually by rejecting and killing the truly righteous one, you show yourself to be a wicked sinner.

“The truly righteous one in the whole situation is Jesus, not the Jews putting him to death.”

Convicted of Judgment: Faulty Judgment Reversed

Finally, Jesus says in verse 11 that the spirit will convict the unbelieving but religious world of its judgment, that is of its faulty judgment of Christ and his people.

Why is the spirit able to do this?

Because Jesus says, “The ruler of this world has been judged.” Again, that’s not an explanation that we would expect. How does that fit?

Well, let’s consider the cross.

What exactly happened there?

The world thought it was passing judgment on a wicked rebel and messianic pretender.

But the truth is that God was passing judgment at the cross. Not on the son as truly an evildoer, but actually on the ruler of the world, Satan, and over the people of the world who follow Satan, that is all fallen mankind. You say, “Where do you get that from, Pastor Dave?” Well, remember what Jesus said in John 12:31 as he anticipated his crosswork shortly beginning.

In John 12:31, Jesus says, “Now judgment is upon this world. Now the ruler of this world will be cast out.”

In other words, the religious people of the world thought that they were rightly condemning Jesus as evil on the cross, but they were actually condemning themselves as evil. They thought Jesus was on Satan’s side, that Jesus practically was Satan. But the truth is, they were on Satan’s side all along, being led to do the will of their true spiritual father.

And just as Satan was shown to be judged at the cross, so are all the people of the world. They are already judged, already condemned, and simply awaiting their eternal sentencing.

“They thought Jesus was on Satan’s side, but the truth is they were on Satan’s side all along.”

Jesus says that the Holy Spirit will speak this truth to the people of the world through the witness of Jesus’ disciples.

The Spirit’s Conviction in Acts: Two Outcomes

Now, as you hear my explanation, you perhaps may have noticed that these points are basically the points which the apostles themselves preach to the world. They preach to the religious people of the world, to the Jews after the cross, after the resurrection, and after the coming of the Holy Spirit.

Consider Acts 2:22-24 and verse 36. This is Peter speaking by the spirit. He’s filled with the Holy Spirit and this is what he says.

Men of Israel, listen to these words.

Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through him in your midst. Just as you yourselves know, this man delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God. You nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put him to death.

But God raised him up again, putting an end to the agony of death since it was impossible for him to be held in its power. Therefore, let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.

Do you see it?

It’s exactly the same type of conviction that the spirit, Jesus says, is going to bring to the world. You are the one who is in sin because of your unbelief. You are the one with the false righteousness because you put to death God’s son. You are the one who is now judged, or you are the one with the faulty judgment who is now judged by God because you falsely judged his son.

Acts 2:36: “God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”

These were the truths that the religious people of that time, the Jews, needed to hear. And they are still the same truths that religious people need to hear.

Religious people need to know that their sin is inexcusable before God, their sin of unbelief, that their righteousness is false, and that their judgment is faulty.

If we are to bear faithful witness for Christ, we ourselves must declare these things.

But as we do that, Jesus gives us this great encouragement. The spirit also will be declaring them unseen to the hearts of our listeners.

And why? To convict them. To convict them of these various things that we speak about.

We need the spirit to do this heart conviction work. Because you and I cannot reach people’s spirits. We can’t find it. We can’t grab it. We can’t change it. But the spirit can.

And Jesus says the spirit will affect other people’s inner man with these truths.

Only the spirit has the power to do this.

And Jesus promises that the spirit will.

He will make our witness effective as we bear faithful testimony of Jesus.

Our Faithful Witness and the Spirit’s Power

By the way, this should be an encouragement for us not to substitute some other method of bringing conviction or conversion to people than what Jesus actually commissioned us to do. We do not win people to Christ with psychology, philosophy, music, clever arguments, or some other man-made manufactured method.

Jesus has not promised his convicting power in any of these—the Spirit’s convicting power. But if we will bear witness of Christ by the word of Christ, which is also the Spirit’s word, we can be sure that the Spirit will work powerfully as he sees fit.

“If we bear witness of Christ by the word of Christ, we can be sure the Spirit will work powerfully.”

Now, you might ask, does this mean that the Spirit will bring everyone to whom we preach to repentance and salvation?

Well, surely it will mean the salvation of some.

For this is exactly what we see even in the book of Acts. Right after that passage I read to you earlier from Acts 2, we read this in Acts 2:37 and 2:41.

When they—that’s the Jews—heard this, they were pierced to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37)

So then those who had received his word were baptized. And that day there were added about 3,000 souls. (Acts 2:41)

That was the Spirit’s conviction ministry moving hearts to repentance.

However, the Spirit’s conviction ministry may sometimes result, according to God’s mysterious and good providence, in hardening of heart and persecution rather than conversion.

Because there’s another example of the same type of preaching in the book of Acts. Stephen, in Acts 7, was also full of the Holy Spirit and preaching a message of conviction to Jews, to the Sanhedrin. He’s proclaiming Christ to be the righteous one and the Jews to be the wicked ones.

And this is the result in Acts 7:54-57.

When they—the Jews, the Sanhedrin—heard this, they were cut to the quick and began gnashing their teeth at him. But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” But they cried out with a loud voice and covered their ears and rushed at him with one impulse. (Acts 7:54-57)

The text goes on to describe how these religious Jews stoned Stephen to death.

Did the Spirit’s convicting work fail in Acts 7?

No. The text says explicitly that the Jews were cut to the quick. They were pierced. They were convicted by the word Stephen was speaking, just like the Jews were in Acts 2. Yet in Acts 2, the Spirit’s conviction was unto salvation.

And in Acts 7, the Spirit’s conviction was unto judicial hardening of heart.

God’s mysterious purpose was accomplished in each situation, and the faithful witness of his messengers was made effective by the Spirit’s unseen speech.

So it will be for us.

Though we are weak and nothing, we have no power. God will make our witness powerful for his purposes.

“Though we are weak and nothing, God will make our witness powerful for his purposes.”

When we speak the Spirit’s word about Christ, the Spirit himself will speak and convict. Only the Spirit can do it.

And this happens because Jesus went to the Father. The Spirit has specifically come to do it. And since the Spirit has come, the Spirit’s conviction ministry has resulted in both of these outcomes in a widespread way. There has indeed been wide rejection and persecution of Jesus and his people.

But there has also been a salvation harvest never known in any of the days of Israel.

Millions, even billions of people have come to true faith in Jesus across time since the coming of the Holy Spirit.

That is because of his powerful convicting ministry, which is what Jesus promised to his disciples and us in this passage.

So this is Jesus’ first comforting reason that the Spirit’s coming is better than Jesus staying.

Reason 2: The Spirit Guides Believers into All Jesus’ Truth (vv. 12–15)

The second comforting reason appears in verses 12 to 15. That is number two.

The spirit guides believers into all of Jesus’s truth. The spirit convicts the world of all of Jesus’s truth.

But now the spirit guides believers into all of Jesus’s truth. Let’s look at verse 12 and the beginning of verse 13.

“I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. But when he, the spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth.”

In verse 12, we learn that even though Jesus is sharing with his disciples truth that he didn’t share with them in the beginning, there is even more that Jesus wishes he could share with his disciples but cannot.

Why not? Because Jesus says his disciples cannot bear that right now. They cannot carry that truth right now.

Well, why can’t the disciples bear those truths?

Most immediately, they are overwhelmed with sorrow at the prospect of Jesus leaving. But more fundamentally, as we’ve heard earlier in the gospel, Jesus has not yet risen from the grave and ascended into heaven.

There are certain pieces of the revelation of Jesus that will not make sense until after Jesus’s salvation work is complete. They can’t bear the full truth until that happens.

But Jesus reassures his disciples in verse 13 that the spirit will do for them later what Jesus himself cannot right now.

Appropriately, he is called the spirit of truth. The spirit that is truthful. The spirit that communicates truth. Jesus says he will guide, or we could say lead, the disciples into all the truth.

The spirit will not merely dump the truth on the disciples for them to figure out and piece together. No, he’s going to guide them. He’s going to lead them, help them understand it, communicate it, and obey it.

“The Spirit will not merely dump the truth on the disciples — he will guide them, help them understand, communicate, and obey it.”

The Spirit Speaks Only Christ’s Word

But whose truth will the spirit end up speaking to the disciples? Will it be the spirit’s own, or will it be Jesus’s truth? Well, in case we’re not sure, verses 13 and 15 are even more explicit.

Let’s look there.

But when he—I’m sorry, the rest of verse 13: “For he will not speak on his own initiative, but whatever he hears, he will speak, and he will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify me, for he will take of mine, and will disclose it to you. All things that the father has are mine. Therefore, I said that he takes of mine and will disclose it to you.”

Got another poignant transition word here. At the beginning of verse, the second half of verse 13, we have the word “for.”

This word indicates that Jesus is providing a reason or an explanation for what he just said. He just said that the spirit of truth will guide disciples into all the truth. The disciples can be sure of that.

For Jesus explains, the spirit will never go rogue. That is, he will never speak on his own initiative. Only whatever he hears he will speak.

Does that description sound familiar?

That’s very similar to how Jesus described his own revelation ministry on behalf of the father. Indeed, as we read on in verses 14 and 15, we see that the truth-revealing ministry of the spirit parallels and completes the son’s own.

Just as Jesus hears the full word of revelation from the father and perfectly speaks that revelation on behalf of the father, so the spirit hears the full word of revelation from the son and perfectly speaks that revelation on behalf of the son.

“The truth-revealing ministry of the Spirit parallels and completes the Son’s own.”

The Unity and Order of the Trinity in Revelation

Thus there is complete unity within the triune godhead and within their revelation.

No person of the trinity ever communicates anything without the other two. There is never disagreement. There is never competition.

Yet, this is not just a matter of integrity or unity, but of ordained order.

Because notice at the beginning of verse 14 that Jesus says that this taking and disclosing of revelation from Jesus to his disciples is part of the spirit glorifying the son. Jesus says, “He, the spirit, will glorify me.”

So here then is another parallel within the roles of the trinity. Just as the son seeks to glorify the father by not saying or doing anything different than what the father has given the son, so does the spirit seek to glorify the son by not saying or doing anything different than what the son has given the spirit.

Thus is displayed for us the mysterious and beautiful order in the works of our triune God.

“The Spirit seeks to glorify the Son by not saying or doing anything different than what the Son has given.”

There are a few practical implications from these verses that are worth noting.

Practical Implications: The Spirit Is a Person

First, let’s recognize the Holy Spirit is indeed a person and not a mere force.

He is described here as a person who acts intelligently. He speaks, he hears, he discloses.

The Greek also uses masculine pronouns for the spirit and not just neuter.

The Holy Spirit clearly is just as much God as the Father and the Son are. Thus, the Spirit deserves our worship.

“The Holy Spirit is just as much God as the Father and the Son. Thus the Spirit deserves our worship.”

Christ Is the Final Revelation of God

Second, let’s realize that the revelation of Christ is the culmination of God’s disclosure to the world. It’s not as if Jesus came as this really great unveiling of God to the world, but then the spirit comes along and says, “I’m the true final revelation of God.” The son had some good things to say, but let me give you the definitive word.

No, as we hear from Jesus, the spirit will only speak Christ’s word.

While there was indeed more revelation given to Christians after Jesus left the earth, such is nevertheless the revelation of Christ. It’s still the revelation of Jesus just being mediated by the spirit.

The spirit, as I said, refuses to compete with the son’s climactic revelation.

“The revelation of Christ is the culmination of God’s disclosure to the world.”

All Post-Christ Prophets Are False

And this leads us to a third implication. Third, let’s realize that all prophets attempting to complete the revelation of God after Jesus are false.

Jesus is the final revelation. He is the culmination of God’s disclosure to the world. Muhammad does not have the final revelation in Islam. Joseph Smith does not have the final revelation in Mormonism.

No man or woman dare proclaim himself to be the mouthpiece of the spirit of God and then teach something to complete or compete with the final revelation of Jesus. There have been many who attempted this across time, but they were all false.

The spirit of truth will only speak Jesus’s final revelation.

“All prophets attempting to complete the revelation of God after Jesus are false.”

The Scriptures Are the Spirit’s Completed Revelation

Now at this point we must stop and ask: okay, we’re talking a lot about Jesus, revelation, etc. What exactly is this final revelation of Christ into all of which Christ promised the spirit would guide his first disciples?

The answer is simple. It is the scriptures. It is the scriptures.

For are not the scriptures where we see John 14:26 fulfilled—the disciples by the spirit having everything Jesus said brought to their remembrance?

You don’t merely trust these gospels or this gospel because it was written by an eyewitness. But you trust it, or you ought to trust it, because it was written by those to whom Jesus promised the spirit will guide you into all my truth.

And are not the scriptures where we also see a verse that we skipped over earlier fulfilled—the end of John 16:13: “The spirit will disclose to you what is to come.”

Why should you trust what the New Testament says about the last days of the world or of what the Christian life will consist? Should you trust it?

Because the scriptural writers were very religious men and they were pretty good predictors.

That’s not good enough.

Rather, we trust what the New Testament writers said and foretold because Jesus promised those writers, “The Spirit will guide you into all my truth.” If you think about it, John 16:12-15 is completely meta.

Ever heard that term? When a work is meta, it refers to itself in its content.

In John 16:12-15, the revelation of Jesus reports to us Jesus’ promise to his apostles that they will remember and be enabled to communicate the revelation of Jesus.

We see the promise fulfilled in the pages of the Bible describing the promise.

Thus the apostles themselves and their associates under their oversight become a part of that divine chain of revelation that I mentioned earlier.

The Father gives his full and unadulterated, unaltered word to the Son who gives his full and unaltered word to the Spirit who gives his full and unaltered word to the apostles who give their full and unaltered word to us.

You say, “Well, did the apostles really give it full and unaltered?” Yes. The Bible demonstrates as much in its quality and in its accuracy. And the apostles claimed as much in various verses of the Bible, including 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Peter 1:3-4, and 2 Peter 1:20-21.

So, brethren, let’s not miss the basic but massive implication of these things.

This text, this gospel, this Bible—it is the revelation of Christ.

Though you do not see him, Christ is speaking to you today from this word by his Spirit.

“Though you do not see him, Christ is speaking to you today from this word by his Spirit.”

Therefore, what should you do? You should hear this word. You should believe this word. You should take comfort from it as Jesus meant. And you should put it into practice.

The Spirit has given you all the truth that is needed for us in this book, in this word.

Let’s treat it as such.

Illumination: The Spirit’s Ongoing Ministry to Believers

Now, someone else might ask finally, okay, it’s great that the apostles were guided into all Jesus’ truth, but can we get some of that guidance, too?

Well, if you’re looking for new revelation, new guiding revelation outside of the Bible, I’m sorry. You’re out of luck.

The apostles were granted divine inspiration to finish revealing and writing down Jesus’ culminating revelation. But that revelation is complete. The foundation has been laid. All the truth.

The spirit has guided the disciples into all the truth. There’s no reason to look for more. We have it now. Everything that we need, everything that is sufficient for us.

Nevertheless, as we read earlier from 1 Corinthians 2, the indwelling Holy Spirit continues to disclose Christ’s revelation to us by the ministry of illumination. Not inspiration, but illumination—that is, causing us both to understand and welcome the truths of scripture as we study it.

In that sense, yes, the spirit continues to serve as unseen speaker to us believers today. He’s not speaking audibly into our ears or even into our minds. But he is nevertheless silently speaking into our inner man the truth, Christ’s truth to us today by his word.

“The Spirit is silently speaking into our inner man Christ’s truth by his word.”

So if you wish the spirit to guide you into all Christ’s truth, well, pray and read and study this, learn this, hear this talk, and put it into practice.

Conclusion: Thank Him for the Spirit

So my brethren, are you yet convinced that the spirit’s coming is better than Jesus staying? We do long for Jesus. We want to be with him in person. We want him to be dwelling with us.

But we must recognize that it is better. It is profitable that Jesus went away so that we could have the spirit. Jesus has stated this plainly for us and he’s given two specific comforts so that we understand more of what he means.

Number one, we learn today that the spirit convicts the world of Jesus’ truth. We are completely incapable of bringing about gospel conviction apart from the spirit’s ministry through his word. Yet Jesus has promised this very conviction by the unseen speaker of the spirit so that we can be faithful and effective witnesses.

Number two, we have learned that the spirit guides believers into all Jesus’ truth. The Holy Spirit on behalf of Christ is the unseen speaker behind every word of scripture, both Old Testament and New Testament. The spirit is also the one who opens our eyes even now to behold and welcome all the truth of scripture.

How should we respond to these comforts? I will say again, do not despair of Jesus going away. Rather, thank him for the spirit.

“Do not despair of Jesus going away. Rather, thank him for the Spirit.”

Rely on the spirit as you speak the spirit’s word in giving testimony of Jesus. And rely on the spirit as you mind more of the spirit’s word as you seek to know and follow Jesus.

Let’s close in a word of prayer.

Oh Lord God, we thank you for these truths which we believe, we trust. The spirit not only caused these to be written down for us, but the spirit also ministers into our hearts as we hear it. God, I confess, we confess together that apart from you, we have no power to understand or communicate this word.

But Jesus, you have promised the Spirit’s help. He is the one who comes alongside. God, if there are any here who do not yet have the spirit to be their guide into all your truth, I pray God that in your mercy, you would cause the spirit to speak the gospel truths.

Even those things that we talked about earlier in this message—that no matter how religious someone pretends to be, he has the sin of not believing in Jesus. His righteousness is false and his judgment of Jesus and his people is faulty.

I pray Holy Spirit that you convict those here or convict those listening to this message of those truths and that it would lead to repentance, not hardening of heart. God, your purpose is good and we pray that it would be accomplished, your will be done. But you are a God who delights in saving.

So God, would you save even today through the conviction of your word, in the preaching of your word? But for those of us who know you, God, help us to rely on you, to depend on the spirit, to be grateful and thankful for the spirit, never grieving or disrespecting the spirit, for the spirit is God.

But Lord, help us to rely on the spirit in bearing faithful witness of Christ and in learning more of what Christ has given us to know and to do. Lord, I pray that you would help us to help one another in these lines in our church in Jesus’ name. Amen.

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