In Jesus’ last words to his disciples in John 13 to 17 he speaks clearly about them praying to himself and to the Father, but no mention of them praying to the Holy Spirit.
Which is surprising, because the Holy Spirit would be playing the crucial role of carrying on where Jesus left off. That’s why Jesus would be asking his Father to provide “another Counsellor” (14:16) who would – in the meaning of the Greek word for ‘Counsellor’ – comfort, strengthen and guide his disciples.
Up to that point, Jesus’ disciples had drawn their strength, comfort and guidance from being with him every day, but when he was gone, then what? Well that’s when the Spirit would fill the gap beautifully, by living Jesus’ strength, comfort and guidance IN them. And filling that gap “forever” in their lives too (16), so at all times and in every situation the disciples would always have Jesus with them, but not just “with” them, he’d now be living “IN” them.
For a while, Jesus’ disciples would feel lost without him being present with them. But “unless I go away,” he told them in John 16:7, “the Counsellor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.” And why was that so important for his disciples to know? Because “when the Spirit comes he will guide you into all truth” (13). That’s quite a statement; imagine knowing “all truth.” So did Jesus give any hint as to what that truth was, or what it was based on?
Yes he did, back in John 14:26, when he said “the Father will send the Holy Spirit in my name.” But why in Jesus’ name? Because, as Jesus goes on to explain in verse 26, the Spirit “will teach you all things, central to which is reminding you of what I taught you.”
The root of all truth, therefore, was based on Jesus. Or as Jesus phrased it in 15:26, “the Spirit of truth will speak plainly about me,” and in 16:14, “the Spirit will bring glory to me by telling you the truth about me.” And again, in 8:31-32, “you’ll know the truth if you hold to my teaching.”
So “truth” by Jesus’ definition was based on him and his teaching. But does he then explain how the Spirit will make that truth real? Yes, in John 16:8-11, in what happens “When the Spirit comes”….(next blog)
