When the Spirit of Truth Comes

Lesson #262

In the last lesson we looked more deeply into the three words: sin, righteousness, and judgment. The things Jesus has been telling his disciples were not really understood and were causing a certain amount of anxiety. What Jesus says next is not going to help: “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now” (John 16:2 ESV). What those things are that Jesus would like to tell them is unknown and it is therefore foolish for anyone to try to guess what they are because there is no way to prove their guess is right. Whatever they were, Jesus felt his disciples were not ready to hear them. This reminds me of some extraordinary event that may have occurred that affected or relates to a small child that cannot be told until the child has matured enough to understand and be able to accept it emotionally.

For the disciples there are four events yet to come that will propel them in to a powerful ministry. Those events will be the crucifixion, resurrection, ascension, and Pentecost. The first three will provide some understanding, but it will be Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within them that they will then become a new creation in Christ with understanding and power. As an example, compare Peter before and after Pentecost and you see two different people; before Peter denied he knew Jesus three times in a row, but after Pentecost, he was willing to stand up before a great multitude of people and risk his life to preach about Jesus, leading thousands to salvation.

In the next three verses, Jesus tells the disciples what to expect when the Helper comes: “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come” (John 16:13 ESV). Unlike the devil, who is the father of lies, the Holy Spirit can bear witness of only that which is truth and as a result he is referred to as the Spirit of truth. Jesus is trying to encourage them by ensuring them that the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, will in some way guide them, or lead them like you would lead a small child by the hand, into understanding of what now eludes them.

We will finish this lesson with some comments on the meaning of “all the truth” and finish the verse in the next lesson. “All the truth” is like “all things” you encounter in various verse. It is critically important to understand the range of “all” as it relates to the context in which it is found. I regularly teach about context in My Faith Notes blog. The context at this point relates to Jesus preparing his disciples to establish the Christian church, which had its beginning at Pentecost. “All the truth” would then refer to what the disciples need to understand to teach and lead people in the process of establishing the church. This body of truth is revealed by the Holy Spirit, as needed, through those teaching and writing the New Testament. Looking at the first and second chapters of Acts, we find the disciples learned more in just a few days about the true nature of the Christian plan than they would have done in months or even years under the teaching of Jesus himself. This was the fulfilment of the promise Jesus was making to his disciples at this time.

Prayer

Father, I find this promise being fulfilled in my life. As I sit to write these lessons, I am learning about an important partnership. In prayer I seek the Lord’s mind and heart on what is to be said and ask that I will be guided by the Holy Spirit in writing down what he want said. I find this to be a learning process, but as I grow in this partnership, I believe my lessons improve and my readers benefit all to the glory of the Father. As I die to self and allow Jesus to live through me, I find this partnership of Jesus, the Spirit, and me to be a beautiful thing to the honor and glory of our Father.