The Promised Helper

Could you imagine how devastating it was for the disciples to see Jesus go? But the Holy Spirit needed to be sent to us.

I can not imagine the pain and uncertainty the disciples felt when Jesus ascended to heaven after His resurrection. Knowing they would face these feelings, Jesus prepared His disciples before His crucifixion. He told them He needed to go away and send the promised helper, the Holy Spirit. It actually was to their advantage that He go away and send the helper (John 16:7-15). The Holy Spirit is with us now, dwelling within every born-again believer. He does so much to encourage, equip, protect, and guide His people.

Jesus responded to the sorrow that had filled His disciples’ hearts. He had shared with them that He was not just going away, but they were going to experience some extremely difficult days of persecution even unto death. Nevertheless, in spite of this Jesus told them. Even though they would feel alone they were going to suffer, the Holy Spirit would be there to help them along the way.

Because Jesus in His humanity restrained Himself to time and space, it was to the advantage of His disciples then, and now they He goes away and sends the Helper, the Holy Spirit so the disciples might experience His presence and power with them always, and everywhere. While I’m sure it was terribly upsetting and disheartening to witness what was about to take place, it was better for them if Jesus went away, or the Helper would not come.

The Holy Spirit could not come until Jesus was exalted. Since the work of atonement must first be accomplished for Jesus to be glorified, and since the Helper represented the presence of Jesus. Jesus by definition must depart before the Holy Spirit (helper) can be given. It was only through the internal presence of the Jesus Spirit (the Holy Spirit )will the disciples and we could truly understand Jesus.

John 16:8-9 lays out the basic role of the Holy Spirit. “And when He comes, He will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment, concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me.”

There is only one question when it comes to sin and judgment. Do you believe in Jesus? If you have saving faith in Jesus, then your sin is atoned for in full. Your debt is completely paid. But to reject Jesus in this life will result in judgment in the next.

Thankfully while we still have breath, the Holy Spirit‘s work regarding sin is conviction, not judgment. He will convict the world concerning sin. The conviction of the Holy Spirit is intended to lead us to repentance and confession, not guilt and shame. Our default status as sinners is to reject Jesus, to not believe in Him. So, we need the Holy Spirit to convict us of our sins in order to bring us to repentance and belief in Jesus.

The Holy Spirit is making us more like Jesus. There comes an increasing righteousness in our lives if we have the Holy Spirit within us. The Holy Spirit uses the Word of God to bring change to our lives of born-again believers.

Jesus promised in John 16:24 that when the Holy Spirit comes, “He will guide you into all the truth and will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears (from God) He will speak.”