Speaking of the Bible, if you have one with you, you can open it up to John chapter 15.
We're continuing on in our journey through the Gospel of John.
Most of you know that, in case you haven't been here.
This is the night of Jesus' betrayal.
And Jesus is with his disciples, the eleven disciples, the twelfth one, Judas.
He has started to betray Jesus and has left them.
And Jesus has been basically just encouraging and challenging and teaching and comforting his disciples.
Preparing them for the difficulty that they're about to go through.
So last Sunday, we heard Jesus change the subject with his disciples and address some of their fears and concerns.
They're worried that Jesus is about to leave them.
They're worried about all this opposition and disdain.
From Jesus' opponents, the religious leaders and some of the Jews who were loyal and followed them closely.
And Jesus confirmed, yes, you will be hated by the world because you do not belong to it anymore.
You will be hated by the world because of your association with me, says Jesus.
You will be hated by the world because these people do not know God.
Their hatred of me and of you, he said, was totally unjustifiable, without reason.
And they will be held guilty for their treatment of me and of you unless they repent.
Well, now we come to the comfort part.
I said, am I cutting in and out here?
No.
The comforting part, as I said last Sunday, Jesus is going to give comfort.
And here it comes.
So we will pick it up in chapter 15, verse 26.
Jesus says,
So encouragement number one to his disciples.
Jesus says to his disciples,
You will not be left alone.
God's Spirit is coming.
And we heard Jesus promise this earlier in the evening,
that the Spirit of God would come.
If you recall, back in chapter 14, verse 16 and 17.
And there the Spirit was, Jesus called him,
another counselor or another advocate, another helper, guide.
There's many different words that the translations have used here.
Because the precise translation of this Greek word is difficult into English.
There's no English word that fully captures the meaning of this word.
And so I encouraged us back then to focus on the fact that the Spirit would be another counselor
or another comforter, another guide to the disciples,
just like Jesus has been for these men.
What Jesus has been for them,
the Holy Spirit is going to be another of that for them.
While Jesus is gone.
So now, here again, possibly an hour or two later in the evening,
Jesus reminds them that this counselor, this comforter, this guide is coming.
And Jesus has a few different things to say about him.
First, Jesus clarifies just who this counselor is.
He says he is the Spirit of truth.
Next, we notice this interpersonal relationship between Jesus and the Spirit of truth and the Father.
All three persons of God's triune nature are present right here in this verse.
Jesus says,
I will send to you the Spirit of truth.
And if you remember back to chapter 14, verse 26,
there Jesus said that the Father will send the Spirit to them.
So we might be wondering, well, who is it that sends the Spirit of truth?
Is it Jesus? Is it the Father?
The answer is, it's both.
As we heard way back in John chapter 5,
Jesus and the Father, they work together in harmony with one another.
And so, both the Father and the Son will send the Spirit of truth.
Next, we notice, where from?
Jesus says that the Spirit goes out from the Father.
He will be sent.
He will go out from the Father.
And why is that?
Well, I don't think we need to make it complicated.
I think the simple answer is just that the Spirit of truth is God's own Spirit.
Amazingly, God is the sort of being who is able to send out His Spirit.
Think about that.
This is one of the ways in which God is different than us.
We can't send our own Spirit anywhere.
We often tell people that,
I'm with you in Spirit.
But actually, we're just thinking about them.
We're not there.
This is one of the ways that God is different than us.
Our own spirits, our inner being,
they're confined to our bodies.
And until the day we die, our spirits stay there.
But God is not like us.
He is able to have His Spirit go forth from Him.
Next, we see to whom the Spirit of truth will go.
Jesus says,
I will send the Spirit, the Advocate, to you.
And we notice here in the original language,
it's a you plural,
referring in immediate context to the disciples.
This is an amazing thing about God.
He is able to send His Spirit people.
We saw this in the Old Testament.
God sent His own Spirit upon people.
People like Samson,
and Elijah,
and the prophets of old.
And then, three years prior to this conversation
that Jesus is having right now with the disciples,
some of them were likely there
the day that Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River,
and God's Spirit came down from heaven
and came to rest upon Jesus.
So Jesus is saying, in a sense,
what happened to me,
the Spirit coming down from the Father in heaven upon me
is going to happen to you,
my disciples.
He's going to come down from the Father to you.
Now, we might wonder about this sort of thing.
The spiritual realm is not really something
that we understand very well.
We are creatures who take in our surroundings
through the faculties of our body,
our eyes,
our touch,
our smell,
our taste.
We take light into our eyes.
We take sound waves into our ears.
The electrical pulses in our nervous system
let us know when we've made contact
with another object,
with our skin.
But the Spirit
is immaterial.
Spirits are not made up
of the same sort of stuff
that we're so used to
in this physical and tangible world.
And so there's mystery in these words.
Amazingly,
God is the sort of being
who can envelop
one of his creatures
with his own spirit.
He can put his own presence
right into people
and live within them.
I'm kind of getting ahead of myself
because here it just says
send to you.
But that's how the story
is going to continue.
It's not just to you.
It's in you
to live with you.
Now, what will the Spirit do
when he comes?
Jesus says,
and this is the main thought
of this statement
Jesus makes,
when he comes
he will testify about me,
says Jesus.
So this is what the Spirit will do.
He's going to bear witness
to Jesus.
He's going to point to Jesus.
He's going to make the case
for Jesus.
He's going to give evidence
about Jesus.
Jesus.
And we might wonder,
well, how?
Is he just going to
fly around
and whisper in people's ears
or into their hearts
or into their minds?
I think this is so interesting.
The Spirit is coming
to testify about Jesus
and at the same time
he's coming to
the disciples,
the apostles.
Where's Jesus going with this?
Why testify to them?
They already believe.
The next verse
seems to clarify this.
Verse 27.
It says,
and you also
must testify
for you have been with me
from the beginning.
So the Spirit's going to
testify to the world
about Jesus,
but he's being sent
to the apostles.
apostles.
And they also
must testify.
And if you see
the implication here,
God will send
the Spirit,
Jesus will send
the Spirit
to his apostles
and it's through
them
that he will bear
witness to Christ
in the world.
They themselves
will become
like the prophets
of old,
the very mouthpieces
of God.
Now imagine
for a moment
that you're one
of the eleven
apostles
with Jesus
this night
and he's saying
these things to you.
The world's going
to hate you
and persecute you,
but you must
testify about me
and my Spirit
is going to come
to you,
the Spirit of Truth
to help you
with that.
this is an assignment
that no doubt
will not be easy.
But if we can get
our hearts
and our minds
fixed on this fact
that God himself
will be there
with us,
his Spirit
with us,
in us,
it changes everything.
So this is the
first comfort.
Jesus says,
you will not be alone
on this assignment.
I will send
the Spirit
and he will come
to you
and he will do
this work
of bearing witness
alongside you
and as we'll see
deeper than that,
he will bear witness
through you.
Jesus goes on,
all this I have told you
so that you will not
fall away.
They will put you
out of the synagogue.
In fact,
the time is coming
when anyone
who kills you
will think they are
offering a service
to God.
They will do
such things
because they have
not known
the Father
or me.
I have told you
this so that
when their time
comes,
you will remember
that I warned you
about them.
Wow.
First,
the comfort,
the promise
of the Spirit,
but then Jesus
has more to say
about how things
are going to get
difficult for them.
Earlier,
he told them
that the world
would hate them,
verse 18.
Then,
that the world
would persecute them,
verse 20.
And now,
Jesus tells them
just how difficult
it's going to get
for the disciples
in the days ahead.
He says in verse 2,
they will put you
out of the synagogue.
You know,
this is something
that's difficult
for us to imagine
what it would be like.
But in Jesus' day,
there in Israel,
before the church
became a thing,
the synagogue
was at the heart
of each community.
to be kicked
out of the synagogue
would signal
to everyone
that you are not
to be trusted.
You're not to be
associated with.
It would be like
social alienation.
Your reputation
would be ruined.
It would make it hard
for you to go about
your ordinary affairs
of life.
Because anybody
who saw you,
they wouldn't want
to be seen
having dealings
with that guy
who's been
excommunicated
by the ruling
council of the Jews.
But then Jesus
goes on to tell them
the full extent
of the persecution
they will face.
Not just excommunication
and social ostracism,
but they will hunt
you down
and kill you.
In fact,
the time is coming
when anyone
who kills you
will think
they are offering
a service
to God.
Surely Jesus
would have had
a tear in his eyes
as he said this.
Can you imagine
a service
to God?
This is how
self-deceived
some of the
religious leaders
in Israel
are right now.
Jesus' opponents,
they think
they will be
helping God
bring justice,
bring truth,
bring righteousness
on the earth
by hunting
these men down
and killing them.
how could they
think that way?
Jesus says
they will do
such things
because they
have not
known
the Father
or me.
And as we
heard last week,
this is not
ignorance,
it's that they
do not have
that close
favorable
relationship
with the one
true God
like they should.
They claim
to worship Yahweh,
they claim
to know
the God
of Abraham,
Isaac,
and Jacob.
But the reality
is,
says Jesus,
they don't
know him
and they
don't know
me.
Verse 4,
Jesus says,
I'm telling you
all this
now so that
when it happens,
you'll know.
You'll know
because I gave
you warning.
You'll know
what's happening
and you'll
understand
some of the
why.
And if
you know
the story,
as the story
goes,
none of
these 11
men will
be killed
right away.
In fact,
some of
them will
go on
to testify
about Jesus
all over
the place
for decades
before they
are finally
caught and
killed.
You could
think back
to the
stoning
of Stephen
in Acts.
He wasn't
one of the
12,
but he was
a spirit-filled
member of
the early
church.
He was
the first
one that
we know
of to be
killed for
his faith
in Jesus.
And then
later in
Acts,
we see how
some of
the Jews
came to
come up
with this
plot to
assassinate
Paul,
another of
the apostles.
So if
you're one
of the 11
men with
Jesus this
night,
aren't these
difficult words
to hear?
Here's the
Messiah,
the Savior,
Savior,
but he's
telling you
that you
are soon
to be
hated,
excommunicated,
and even
killed.
Right about
now you're
probably
wondering,
why didn't
you tell
us that it
was going
to get
this bad?
Why didn't
you let us
know way
before that
this was
coming?
Jesus sort
of answers
this question
here in
verse 4.
He says,
I did not
tell you this
from the
beginning
because I
was with
you,
but now
I am
going to
him who
sent me.
This is
sort of the
last opportunity
for Jesus
to warn
them about
what is
ahead.
Before,
it wasn't
needed.
The target
was on
Jesus'
back,
back.
But now
that Jesus
is leaving,
the target
is about
to be
on the
disciples'
backs.
Again,
Jesus tells
them,
I am
going to
the one
who sent
me.
And I
imagine at
this point
in the
conversation,
the disciples
are all
just kind
of sitting
there,
speechless,
shocked,
trying to
process
these words
of Jesus.
And it
seems from
the text
that Jesus
is kind
of just
waiting for
them to
respond.
He told
them,
I am
going to
the one
who sent
me.
It seems
this is
supposed to
be a
teachable
moment
because
Jesus
looks at
them and
he says,
none of
you asks
me,
where are
you going?
This is
kind of a
curious question
that Jesus
asks.
It has
been thoroughly
debated and
some point
to this
as a
contradiction.
in the
Bible
since
Peter
asked
back in
chapter
13
verse
36,
where are
you
going?
And
Philip
kind of
asked the
same
thing
back in
chapter
14
verse 5.
Lord,
we don't
know where
you're
going,
so how
can we
know the
way?
Well,
there's
several good
guesses about
this.
Most of
them are
speculation.
My best
guess is
that Jesus
is not
saying that
they never
asked the
question
before,
but that
now is
the time
to ask
the question.
And instead
of asking
it,
instead of
seizing this
teachable
moment,
they're so
focused right
now on
themselves and
on this
despair that's
creeping in over
the things that
Jesus has just
told them.
None of you
asked me,
where are you
going?
Rather,
you are filled
with grief
because I
have said
these things.
Perhaps the
grief has
become something
so all
encompassing,
so overwhelming
that they're
just distracted,
they're just,
they can't even
think straight
anymore.
Whatever the
case,
one thing is
sure,
the disciples
were deeply
rocked by
the warning
that Jesus
gave them
about being
hated,
persecuted,
and killed.
You are
filled with
grief,
quite literally,
but because I
have spoken
these things
to you,
grief has
filled your
hearts.
But very
truly,
I tell you,
it is for
your good
that I am
going away.
Unless I
go away,
the advocate
will not
come to
you.
But if I
go,
I will
send him
to you.
Now,
I'll be
honest,
if I'm
one of the
eleven
apostles here
with Jesus,
I'm thinking,
it's hard
to imagine
anything
better
without
Jesus
here.
I'm
thinking,
how could
it be
good for
you to
leave us?
But this
is one of
those moments
where Jesus
seems to be
calling them
to just
trust,
to believe
him.
Yes,
somehow,
it's actually
for your
advantage,
it's for
your benefit
that I'm
going away.
Again,
if I'm
honest,
I kind of
scratched my
head here.
Why can't
you stay
here with
us on
earth,
Jesus,
and send
the Spirit
too?
Why not
both at
the same
time?
them?
There's
mystery
here.
Whatever
the reason,
Jesus
knows that
he must
go,
he must
leave,
he must
go to
the Father
and join
with him
in sending
the Spirit
to them.
It's for
their good,
it's for
their benefit,
it's the
best plan,
whether we
understand it
or not.
So let's
reflect for a
moment on
what we've
heard so
far.
Jesus has
told the
disciples that
they will be
hated and
persecuted,
but Jesus
is going to
send the
Spirit to
them from
the Father.
He's going
to be with
them, he's
going to
counsel them
and help
them just
like Jesus
has been
doing.
He will
help them
through the
trials and
difficulty
ahead.
And Jesus
has expanded
on what
those trials
will include,
excommunication
and even
death.
But do
not be
filled with
grief, do
not be
troubled about
all this.
My going
away is
needed and
it is for
your good,
it is for
your benefit
to send
the Spirit
and he
will make
all the
difference
in the
difficulties
ahead.
So that's
what Jesus
had to
say to
them.
Hated,
yes,
even worse,
killed,
but you
will not
be alone.
God
himself
will be
with you
through all
of it
and he
will help
you testify
about me.
now probably
most of us
are wondering
here,
so what
does this
have to
do with
me?
How does
this apply
to my
life today?
Well,
this is one
of those
moments where
I hate to
break it to
you,
but not
everything in
the Bible
is about
you or
about me.
me.
This is
God's story.
This is the
story of his
son.
And at this
point in the
story, it's
about the
father and
the son and
these eleven
men with him
that evening.
But there are
things that we
can take from
this.
First of all,
we should care
deeply about this
part of the
story.
We should love
this part of the
story because this
is the story of
how the church
got started.
Jesus is
preparing them
for the work,
the testifying
work that
will see the
good news of
Jesus and
salvation go
around the
globe.
You and I
wouldn't be here
today worshiping
Jesus if it
wasn't for that.
As Paul says
in Ephesians
chapter 2,
verse 19,
consequently you
are no longer
foreigners and
strangers but
fellow citizens
with God's
people and
also members
of his
household.
And I
didn't get the
second part of
the verse on
there.
Built on the
foundation of
the apostles and
prophets with
Christ Jesus
himself as the
chief cornerstone
on the foundation
of the apostles.
What these men
would go on to
do with God's
help laid the
foundation for
us today.
And so we
should appreciate
this part of
the story because
this right here is
our spiritual
heritage.
Another thing we
see here that's
precious is Jesus'
truthfulness.
We live in a
world where all
too often people
beat around the
bush or where
people are trying
to sell you
something but
you're not getting
the truth with it.
maybe it's a
car that you
bought that
just wasn't in
as good of
condition as
the dealer or
owner led you
to believe.
Maybe it's a
friend who's
staring at that
mustard on your
face and just
doesn't have the
love and the
guts to tell you
about it before
you embarrass
yourself all over
town.
Isn't it
refreshing to see
and hear Jesus
speak the truth
in love to his
disciples?
He doesn't
sugarcoat it.
He tells them
the full extent
of what they
will suffer for
his sake.
And that's
hard.
But what a
comfort to know
the truth about
what's really
coming.
I don't know
about you but I
would rather know
the hard truth
than be lied to
and misled.
I'd rather know
what's really at
stake, what the
consequences will
be, than be led
to believe that
everything's just
going to be fine
and then find out
later that it
wasn't.
Along with the
truthfulness of
Jesus we see
his grace.
We see his love
here in this
conversation with
the disciples.
His tender care
for them.
Yes he tells them
the hard truth but
you can hear, you
can feel his
tenderness and
compassion throughout
this.
He's deeply
sensitive to how
they're feeling,
what's going on in
their hearts.
He knows that
they're troubled by
this.
He knows just
how hard this
is going to be
when it comes.
But verse 1,
all this I have
told you so
that you will
not fall away.
There is love
in the heart of
Jesus here.
Tender,
compassionate love
for the
disciples.
And it comes
by giving a
warning.
Sometimes we
need a warning.
We need a
heads up.
Jesus doesn't
want to leave
them just
guessing and
wondering when
all this stuff
comes to pass.
He cares about
the fears in
their hearts.
And he brings
the tender comfort
that they need.
It's this perfect
mix of grace
and truth.
Something Jesus
always got just
right.
Yet another
thing we see
here which I
mentioned earlier
is Jesus'
deep and
mysterious
connection to
the Spirit
and to the
Father.
Now this
isn't a
practical thing
but I love
to learn as
much about
Jesus, as
much about
God as I
can.
I love to
find myself
put in my
place thinking
about how
God is so
other, so
different than
I am.
He doesn't
have the
limitations that
I do.
He's got this
mysterious
interconnectedness
within his
tri-personal
being.
It moves me
to reverence
and awe
and worship.
Finally, what
Jesus lays out
for the
apostles here
is a similar
framework for
all of us.
Whenever
followers of
Jesus meet
opposition,
disdain,
persecution,
ridicule,
we are
reminded by
these words
that God
is with
us.
The Spirit
of God
is God's
gift to
all of
Jesus'
followers.
We see
that clearly
declared,
Acts 2,
verse 38
and 39.
God's
promise to
us.
God's
promise to
us,
His precious
promise is
that we're
not alone.
We don't
have to go
through that
by ourselves.
He is
with us.
His Spirit
lives in
us.
Just as
He did in
the disciples.
Now,
we aren't
apostles like
they were.
We haven't
been given
the same
responsibility
of testifying
authoritatively
on Jesus'
behalf like
they did.
Notice what
Jesus said to
them.
He said,
You also
must testify
for you
have been
with me
from the
beginning.
That's
something that
we can't
say.
There was a
uniqueness to
the role that
they had been
given.
They would
go on to
speak for
Jesus just
like the
prophets of
old did
and write
scripture,
inspired
scripture,
God breathed
scripture,
but each
one of us
here today
has been
gifted and
given a
role to
play in
the body
of Christ
according to
God's
determination
and His
Spirit works
powerfully in
us as well
for the benefit
of each other
and to make
Christ known
in our
world.
So let's
take encouragement
from this.
You know,
as we
hear about
the things
going on
in our
world,
it's easy
to just
get bent
out of shape
by that
and concerned
and worried,
but we are
not alone
in this
world.
The Spirit
of truth
has come.
He is
with us.
He is
in us.
And God
will help
us through
whatever
comes our
way because
just like
the eleven
men there,
we are
precious
and dear
to Him.
Let's
pray.
Lord
Jesus,
we bow
before you
now and
we thank
you for
these words
that you
spoke to
the eleven
and through
them you
speak them
to us.
And we
pray and
ask that
they would
sink deep
into our
hearts.
We pray and
ask that in
this week
ahead we
would be
more conscious
of your
presence in
us and
with us
than ever
before and
that we
would just
grow in
that knowledge
and understanding.
We pray and
ask that the
fears and
anxieties and
concerns in
our hearts
would just
melt away
with the
realization that
you, the
creator of
the universe,
are with us
and in us.
Go with us
this week,
we pray.
In Jesus'
name,
amen.
Amen.