The promise…

Of the Spirit 

In one sense it must have been frustrating for Jesus to have to quit his earthly ministry just when his disciples were beginning to grasp what he was all about (John 16:29-30). 

But his ministry was about to “up” to a whole new level, when he told his disciples in John 14:16, “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counsellor to be with you forever – the Spirit of truth.” 

Jesus’ ministry, therefore, would be continuing through another living Being he calls the Paraclete, which John later translates as Advocate. It can also mean Comforter, Strengthener, and Helper, because Jesus wants his disciples to know that “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you,” verse 18. But not come to them in his own person; instead it would be “the Counsellor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, who will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you,” verse 26. It would still be Jesus’ teachings, but taught to them now by the Spirit.

The Spirit, then, would take over the work that Jesus had been doing with his disciples. And the Spirit would be desperately needed too, because the disciples were fine when Jesus was with them, but when he was gone they fell apart. So Jesus wants them to know that this Spirit will be “another” (verse 16) – the Greek meaning “another of the same kind” – just like himself. The Spirit, therefore, would do for them what Jesus had done for them, only much, much better, because the Spirit will be “with you forever,” always present in their lives, “for he lives with you and will be in you,” verse 17.

It would be like having Jesus with them for the rest of their lives, continuing to teach them as he always had, so they’d come to know more and more about him (16:14-15) and sense more and more his immense love for them too (14:21). Which, of course, is what we can expect too, because as Jesus said to his disciples back in John 14:15, “If you love me, you will obey what I command,” and straight after that he tells them about the Spirit they will receive. So anyone taking Jesus’ teachings seriously are promised the same Spirit for the rest of their lives too…(more about this tomorrow…)