12 “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. 15 All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you.
Message: The Spirit's Guidance
Time: John most likely wrote between A.D. 85 and 90. John's purpose in writing was, "that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name (John 20:31)."
What the Lord is Saying: Jesus continues to provide comfort to the disciples and encouragement and confirmation to their ears that while He is leaving to the cross, and eventually to be with the Father, the comforter, the Helper, our Holy Spirit will be with us. In the last passage, I learned the Holy Spirit will be with us and convict the world of sin, of Christ's innocence and of Christ being the victor over Satan. The Holy Spirit is there to convict sinners of their need for God.
In verse 12 Jesus mentions He has more to say, but people are not ready to hear. Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, "He has made everything appropriate in its own time." Some things we are to understand but some things we are not, possibly never, or possibly at another time. While Jesus was not communicating to them now, it is possible the Holy Spirit would in the future communicate with them the things that He was not ready to tell them from verse 12. Perhaps the Holy Spirit's communication to them would be over a period of time, as a Christian can handle what needs to be said. Verse 13 says, "He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth." What a wonderful word of encouragement. I think of where I am in my walk with God and it seems that each day that goes by I because more understanding of the things of God. I hope that I am always going forward and not back. But I appreciate the understandings of truth. I think I am on a lifelong journey to understand the things of God.
Jesus says, "He will not speak on His own initiative." The Holy Spirit is guided by the Father. The Spirit receives from what the Father illuminates Him to speak. He reminds people of truths from Jesus. And in this verse we hear that His truth is directly in line with the Father. Again, John, is making something clear to the Jewish audience who is of the mindset that only God is their Father and their is no one else. He is letting them know that Jesus and the Holy Spirit are in direct communication with God and so their are to both to be on the same plain or have the same level of significance regarding spiritual things.
Jesus has promised that despite Him leaving to be glorified, the Holy Spirit will be there and I think He lets them know here in the words, "He will disclose to you what is to come" that this means that the Holy Spirit will help give them understanding of the meaning of the days ahead when Jesus dies on the cross and then resurrects and then returns to the Father. Again, the Holy Spirit is speaking to us always and shedding light and truth into our lives.
Verse 14 -- He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. Verse - The work of the Holy Spirit is toward Jesus. "The whole design of the Spirit's office is to glorify Christ" (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary).
As a side note, I wonder if we pray to the Holy Spirit. It seems in my prayer life, it is most often to God which I know includes Jesus and the Holy Spirit, but I am also sometimes specific in my words to the Father, so am I also specific in my words to the Holy Spirit and Jesus. It seems it doesn't come natural, but it seems like I could and should at times. And maybe I should more because it is the Spirit that is speaking directly to me. But I think I pray like I do because of the words of Jesus in telling me how to pray through what we know of as the Lord's prayer.
Verse 15 -- "All things that the Father has are Mine (Jesus Christ); therefore I (Jesus) said that He (Holy Spirit) takes of Mine and will disclose it to you." -- I've added those descriptors to denote who is speaking. This to me is a verse of conclusion for it confirms all that I have recorded previously. All the Father has are in Christ as well. Words of significance to the Jewish audience. And then to further multiple or carry out the work of the Father, the Holy Spirit takes of what is of Jesus and shares it with us.
Summary: Jesus confirms that the Holy Spirit will speak of the truth of Jesus, glorifying Him, giving us more insight as days go by into the future, and the Holy Spirit is also from the Father.
Promise: The Holy Spirit continues to guide the church into the understand that Jesus has provided us and even words Jesus was not ready to give to the Disciples, further comprehension of Jesus and His work.
Prayer: Lord, it has taken me a few extra days to get through this lesson. I think some of it is my own doing and getting busy or distracted with things. My own brain I think has struggling concentrating, but also getting up on time, having time with my wife in the morning, getting on with other activities, these things have sidetracked me and yet as I return to this study and you, perhaps there is a new freshness and the ability of my now to concentrate. I am thankful for this morning and the rain that occurred last night and so the morning is wet and overcast, so that gives me rise as well to slow down and rest in You. I thank you for this. I am also hit hard this morning over a mistake I made yesterday with the car and feeling embarrassed and upset of that sort of freak accident. Yet, as I have been learning, these events, these tough situations of life, are to cause me to focus on my eternal home all the more. You are good, so good. And I do look forward to the day when I am no longer of this world. I thank you for these words today God you have sent me about the Holy Spirit speaking things of Jesus and also being sent by You to disclose truths to me. Lord, one thing that I am struggling with was words from Jesus in the last lesson about how the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, of Christ being the victor over Satan, of Christ's innocence or his perfect life for us in atoning for us - it feels like that message Lord is not resulting in changed lives in America. It seems like the words of truth are not as compelling to people and instead we have people moving from You rather than moving close to You and Your ways. People leaving churches more than new people being added to churches. And our land seems to be conforming more to the ways of the world. What does this mean God in relation to this verse? Are you giving these people over to their sinful wants as Paul speaks of in Romans 1? Are we a nation now wandering in a wilderness and now expecting a future time of being restored to You? There are pockets of revivals that we hear but overall it seems we are remaining in exile - waiting for truth to be at the forefront again. Lord, change our nation, our world to surrender themselves to You. Selfishly I want you to come quickly, but for the sake of others I pray that people would be awakened to the Gospel and turn their lives over to You. May you be an active agent again in people's lives, guiding them into all the truth of who you are. Don't let me give up though. Keep me faithful and doing what you lead me to do in Your power. Thank you for the continuous joy of knowing You and learning of You and fellowshipping with the saints.
Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's.
No comments:
Post a Comment