BIG IDEA:
DESPITE HIS IMMINENT DEPARTURE, CHRIST PROMISES ONGOING REVELATION / ILLUMINATION TO THOSE WHO DEMONSTRATE THEIR LOVE BY OBEDIENCE
INTRODUCTION:
Problem the disciples faced:
– If Christ was the one to reveal God the Father to them . . .
– and Christ was about to die on the cross and return to heaven . . .
– How would they continue to behold God and grow in their knowledge of Him?
One of the greatest passages to reveal the doctrine of the Trinity – special emphasis on the person and role of the Holy Spirit
cf. Doctrines of Revelation vs. Illumination; some things promised directly to the apostles here with respect to revelation that we receive more by illumination; same power and presence of God at work
Continues the theme of Reassurance from first half of John 14
Immanuel means “God with us” – much here about the Abiding Presence of God
I. (:15-17) PROMISE OF THE ABIDING PRESENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
A. (:15) One Condition for Blessing: Demonstrate Love by Obedience
“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”
How different from the legalism of the Pharisees!
B. (:16) One United Triune God at Work:
Emphasis: Abiding Presence of God the Holy Spirit – this is the major emphasis in this passage – explaining the upcoming new and expanded role of the Holy Spirit
1. Intercessory Ministry of God the Son
“And I will ask the Father”
What type of response does Christ receive from His petitions of the Father? What had He just promised us in Chap. 14 about asking and receiving?
2. Gift of God the Father
“and He will give you”
3. Nature of God the Holy Spirit
“another Helper”
Proves the Personality of the Holy Spirit – distinct from Christ; yet another of the same kind.
Ryrie: The Holy Spirit is called the Helper (Greek: paraclete, as also in 14:26; 15:26; 16:7). In the root of this word are the ideas of advising, exhorting, comforting, strengthening, interceding, and encouraging. The only other occurrence of the word outside this discourse in the N.T. is in 1 John 2:1 applied to Christ and translated “Advocate.” Here and in the other passages in John cited above, Christ teaches that the Holy Spirit (1) will indwell Christians (vv. 16-17); (2) will help the disciples recall the events of His life (14:26); (3) will convince the world of sin, righteousness and judgment (16:7-11); (4) will teach believers the truth (15:26; 16:13-15).
4. Eternal Scope
“that He may be with you forever.”
Another support for Eternal Security and Perseverance of the saints.
C. (:17) One Dominant Function of the Holy Spirit
1. Proclaimer of Truth
“that is the Spirit of truth”
2. Accessible only to Believers
(chiastic structure: A B B A — Behold / Know / Know / Behold)
a. Unknown by the world
“whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him”
b. Intimate with Believers
“but you know Him because He abides with you, and will be in you”
II. (:18-21) PROMISE OF THE ABIDING PRESENCE OF CHRIST HIMSELF
A. (:18) Separation is Only Temporary
“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”
Westcott: The fulfillment of the promise began at the Resurrection, when Christ’s humanity was glorified; and the promise was potentially completed at Pentecost. The life of the Church is the realization of the Pentecostal coming of the Lord, which is to be crowned by His coming to Judgment. No one specific application of the phrase exhausts its meaning.
B. (:19) One Dominant Function of God the Son
1. Accessible only to Believers
a. Unknown by the world
“After a little while the world will behold Me no more;”
b. Intimate with Believers
“but you will behold Me;.”
2. Provider of Life
“because I live, you shall live also.”
C. (:20) One United Triune God at Work:
Emphasis: Abiding Presence of God the Son
1. Significance of Pentecost
“In that day you shall know”
Some debate over what “day” is referred to here.
2. Son Abides in the Father
“that I am in My Father,”
3. Believers Abide in the Son
“and you in Me,”
4. The Son Abides in Believers
“and I in you.”
D. (:21a) One Condition for Blessing: Demonstrate Love by Obedience
“He who has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me”
E. (:21b) Blessing From the Triune God
1. Loved by God the Father
“and he who loves Me shall be loved by My Father”
2. Loved by God the Son
“and I will love him”
3. Enlightened by God the Holy Spirit
“and will disclose Myself to him” (through the abiding Holy Spirit which continues to be the main emphasis of this passage)
Stedman: Now, if it takes love to obey, what produces love? That is really the question, isn’t it’? That is the issue. If you see a Christian disobeying Christ, or you yourself are tempted to disobey, what is it that will turn you around and make you obey? It is love. Well, how do you produce love? What will make you love him? This is what ties together Verses 20 and 21. It is that basic secret of our identity which creates love — the Spirit in us, releasing to us the love of Jesus, awakens love from us in return.
Stedman: That is, occasions and circumstances will arise in which Jesus will be very near, very real, very dear to you. Increasingly you will learn to know him, and to enter into the understanding of the being and character of the Son of God. This speaks to the hearts of all who are Christians. The one thing we want more than anything else is a deeper knowledge of Jesus. This he promises to those who love him and thus obey him: He will manifest himself to them. I can testify that there have been times in my own experience, particularly of recent days, when the Lord Jesus has been more real to me than any other person — so real, it seemed, that I could touch him! This is the manifestation of his response to love from us.
III. (:22-24) PROMISE OF THE ABIDING PRESENCE OF GOD THE FATHER
A. (:22, 24b) One Dominant Function of God the Father
1. (:22) Accessible Only to Believers – Question of Accessibility Introduced
“Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, ‘Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us, and not to the world?”
2. (:24b) Prime Mover
“and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me.”
B. (:23a, 24a) One Condition for Blessing: Demonstrate Love by Obedience
1. (:23a) Stated Positively
“Jesus answered and said to him, ‘If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word’”
2. (:24a) Stated Negatively
“He who does not love Me does not keep My words”
C. (:23b) One United Triune God at Work:
Emphasis: Abiding Presence of God the Father
1. Abiding Love
“and My Father will love him,”
2. Abiding Presence
“and We will come to him, and make Our abode with him.”
primarily through the indwelling Holy Spirit
IV. (:25-31) SUMMARY OF REASSURANCE
A. (:25-26) Consistent, Ongoing Revelation / Illumination / Enlightenment Promised
1. (:25) Ministry of Christ
“These things I have spoken to you, while abiding with you.”
2. (:26) Ministry of the Holy Spirit (work of the united Triune God)
“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.”
B. (:27-28) Encouragement to Peace and Joy (vs. Anxiety/Fear and Discouragement)
1. (:27) Encouragement to Peace – Totally different from what the world can offer
“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.”
Stedman: We can have that peace under any circumstance, because, as he says, it is not given as the world gives. If you are all upset over something that keeps eating away at you, and you ask a doctor for help, he will give you a tranquilizer — chemical peace! But as soon as it has worn off you are right back where you were before. You will have to take more tranquilizers until your mind is dulled and you are half-sedated. That is how the world gives peace. Or it resorts to escapism — take a trip to Hawaii, go off to the mountains, lose yourself in some activity. When you return, the trouble is still there, of course. But here Jesus speaks of what Paul calls “peace that passes understanding,” {Phil 4:7 RSV}. Events do not affect it. It is internal, not subject to external pressure. Circumstances may not have changed, but there has been imparted to you a consciousness that the One who indwells you is able to handle your problem and you are at peace because of that.
2. (:28) Encouragement to Joy – Contingent upon Jesus returning to the Father
“You have heard that I said to you, I go away, and I will come to you. If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced, because I go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.”
C. (:29-31) Final Words of Encouragement
1. (:29) Encouragement of Fulfilled Prophecy
“And now I have told you before it comes to pass, that when it comes to pass, you may believe.”
2. (:30) Encouragement Regarding Limited Power of Satan
“I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me.”
3. (:31) Encouragement of His Own Obedience — Fulfilling His Mission
a. Testimony to the World
“but that the world may know that I love the Father”
b. Obedience to His Father
“as the Father gave Me commandment, even so I do.”
c. Let’s Go
“Arise, let us go from here.”