Five Truths About the Spirit (John 15:26)

What is the most remarkable verse in the Bible? In one sense, this is a strange question to ask because there are many remarkable verses. Perhaps in answering the question, our minds go to John 3:16 and its wonderful description of the love of God the Father in giving his Son for the salvation of sinners. Or we might think of the shortest verse in the Bible which tells us that Jesus wept (John 11:35), giving us great insight into his fellow feeling with us in our sadnesses. Or we might wonder if the saying of Jesus on the cross about him being forsaken by his Father is the most profound, given that it is exceedingly difficult for even the best of expositors to explain what he meant.

The list of such verses would be long, but among them, I would say, should be John 15:26: ‘But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.’ Why would that be so? For a start, Jesus mentions each person of the Trinity, with each of them having certain roles. The roles reveal their interest in believers because each role is engaged in for their spiritual benefit.

We can see that in this verse addressed to his disciples for their information and encouragement, Jesus mentions five specific matters connected to the coming of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. First, he describes what the presence of the Spirit will be like – he will help the disciples. Second, he states that he will send the Spirit from the Father to them – why should the Father be involved? Third, he says that the Spirit is the Spirit of truth, which can describe his character and his message, but in what ways would the disciples need him? Fourth, he says that the Spirit proceeds from the Father, and we might wonder why the present tense is used rather than a past tense or even a future tense. Fifth, when he comes, the Spirit will witness to Jesus, but where and how will the Spirit do so? We can explore each of these five details briefly.

The Helper

The word translated helper is capable of other renderings. For example, it has been translated elsewhere in the New Testament as comforter, counsellor and advocate. Literally, it means someone who comes alongside another person to be with him, so it also includes the meaning of companionship. But that person is not merely present. In addition, he does something for the person he is beside. When used of an advocate, for example, the helper would speak on behalf of his client in whatever way that was required. The context indicates that advocate is a good translation because later in the verse Jesus says that the Spirit will testify of him.

Obviously, it is important to know what the capabilities of the person helping would be. Jesus told the disciples about this aspect when he said in a previous verse that he would send another helper to be with the disciples (John 14:16). That word ‘another’ means another of the same kind, and the use of this word would reveal exactly what the coming Helper would be like – he would be like Jesus. This similarity would have been a tremendous encouragement to the disciples had they attempted to list the variety of ways in which Jesus had helped them. Jesus had been their teacher, guide, leader, and defender. As he had said, with the coming of such a Helper, the disciples would have no reason to feel abandoned or powerless once Jesus had left them at the ascension. Someone exactly like him, the Holy Spirit, would be with them and in them for ever.

The Gift

Jesus then says that he will send the Holy Spirit from the Father. He does not mean that the Spirit was not already with them, but that he would be with them in a greater manner than previously. To appreciate the difference, we must consider the significance of the future event referred to by Jesus concerning his ascension and glorification.

The Saviour was looking ahead to his own return to heaven after his death on the cross and his subsequent resurrection. He told his disciples during the forty days between his resurrection and ascension that they would need to wait in Jerusalem until the Father’s promise to send the Holy Spirit would be fulfilled (Acts 1:4-5), which took place on the Day of Pentecost.

The occasion of the making of the promise has been given different meanings. One suggestion is that the promise was made in the Old Testament, and there are several promises there concerning a great outpouring of the Spirit that would be global in extent in connection with the last days (for example, Joel 2:28ff.). Yet, in a sense, that answer is only partial because it does not say why Jesus would be able to send the Spirit in this way.

When and why would the Father make such a promise to the Son? The most likely occasion is what is termed the covenant of redemption in which the divine persons eternally agreed certain responsibilities in connection with the plan of salvation. Put this way, it means that the Father promised the Son that should the Son pay the penalty for the sins of his people on the cross the Father would reward him with great exaltation. The exaltation would include his resurrection from the dead, his ascension to the throne of God, and his reception of the Spirit to pour out on his people so that they would grow in number and experience.

We should note the great confidence with which Jesus speaks here despite him knowing what was ahead of him when he would suffer on the cross. Later that evening in Gethsemane he would react in great distress as he considered the awful experience of the cross. Nevertheless, he was willing to proceed with the experience of the cross because of the joy that was ahead of him (Heb. 12:2), and part of that joy would be his role in sending the Holy Spirit to work on his behalf in the lives of sinners, whether by regenerating them or by sanctifying them. It was a great privilege that Jesus promised his disciples in this remarkable verse.

The Teacher

Jesus identifies the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of truth. In speaking about the Spirit in this way, he is saying what the Spirit is like and what he will say and do. Since he is the Spirit of Truth, he cannot tell a lie. Moreover, since he is divine, he cannot make a mistake. He knows every detail about the truth that he will convey. What is that truth?

The Saviour tells us what the Holy Spirit will do as the Spirit of truth? Later in the upper room, he said this: ‘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. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you’ (John 16:13-15).

Spurgeon, on one occasion, summarised the work of the Spirit in this sentence: ‘Observe that the Holy Spirit glorifies Christ by showing to us the things of Christ.’ That sentence is both simple and profound. In thinking about it, we are led to ask where and how he does this. The Holy Spirit’s truth that he will bring to our attention is the same as the provision of grace stored by Jesus in the heavenly storehouse for the benefit of his people. So we should expect the Spirit to teach us about Jesus accurately, we should expect him to teach us about Jesus appropriately depending on what details we need to receive at a given time, and we should expect him to teach about Jesus abundantly because there are vast amounts of truth to be opened up for us.

How does the Spirit do this? The truths about Jesus are revealed through his Word, which the Spirit enabled the original authors to compose as he guided them infallibly regarding what to include. When his people read the Word or hear it expounded, or when they meditate upon it, he enlightens them regarding the truth they are considering. The goal is to display the centrality of Jesus, the Saviour and Lord of his people, who is also the food of their souls.

The One who Proceeds

Jesus mentions two movements of the Spirit in this statement. The first movement describes the coming of the sent Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. It happened on a particular date and involved the Father and the Son sending the Holy Spirit in fulfilment of their eternal plan.

The second movement, stated as an ongoing activity, does not describe a particular event that can be dated. This procession of the Spirit refers to an internal and constant expression of the life of the Trinity, which is impossible for us to understand. But we can say that there is a similarity between what occurs in the inner life of the Trinity when the Father and the Son send the Spirit and what occurred when the Father and the Son sent the Spirit to believers on the inaugural day of the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost. It was inaugural because it commenced a greater experience for the subjects of God’s kingdom.

We are not to assume, however, that Pentecost and church life are the only occasions when this divine activity will be experienced. The apostle John assures us that in the eternal world the river of life (the Holy Spirit) will flow from the throne of God and the Lamb for ever and ever, so ensuring that the inhabitants of the heavenly city will receive life eternally.

The Witness

The fifth activity of the Spirit that Jesus mentions is that he will bear witness to Jesus. In what ways will he do this? Generally, an objective and a subjective answer are given. The objective answer is that he bears witness through the Scriptures which he inspired chosen authors to compose. He bears witness subjectively in the hearts of sinners who are informed about Jesus, convicted of their need of Jesus, and constrained by the Spirit to believe in Jesus. And we can see from verse 27 that he enables believers to witness to Jesus. Regarding the objective and the subjective witness, he testifies they are true.

Lessons

An obvious lesson for us is to recognise the astonishing interest and intention that the triune God has in blessing the sinners who enter the kingdom of God. If we are Christians today, we should remind ourselves that the Father and the Son sent the Holy Spirit to us to convince us of the truth of salvation.

Moreover, we should recognise the incredible power that is at work within us as Christians. The power of the almighty Spirit is within us conveying truth to our minds and giving us genuine experiences of divine grace as we make our way through this world. 

The presence of the Spirit as he witnesses to the truth of the work of Jesus and to the truth of salvation in all its aspects should enable us to have comforting assurance as we face the issues of personal sin and other concerns connected to life in a sinful world. As the apostle John reminded his readers, greater is he who is in us that he who is in the world.