The Promise Of The Comforter John 14 15-31

by G.K. Kennedy, Sydney, Australia | Category: In The Shadow Of Calvary | Jul 1986

One of the unsearchable beauties of the Lord is how He showed His love toward His disciples in that night when He was betrayed. "Having loved His own which were in the world, He loved them unto the end" (John 13:1) and manifested that love in service, teaching and prayer. He who was soon to say, "My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death" (Mat. 26:38) and who Himself would be looking for comforters, but would find none (Psalm 69:20), spoke for the comfort of His eleven disciples, and for our comfort as well. The great Comforter spoke to them of another Comforter like Himself.

This Comforter (14:16) the Lord identified as the Spirit of truth (v.17), even the Holy Spirit (v.26). He is elsewhere called the Spirit of Christ (Rom. 8:9; 1 Pet. 1:11) who is now the believer's Advocate or Comforter with the Father (1 John 2:1). All such comfort and advocacy has strength because of truth and holiness. Much of this world's comfort is wishful thinking and sentimentality. Why? Because the world cannot receive the Comforter (v.17). The whole world lies in the evil one (1 John 5:19) in whom there is no truth, because he (Satan) is a liar and the father thereof (John 8:44). The child of God has a unique and blessed Person dwelling within, the Holy Spirit of God (Eph. 4:30). We receive this Comforter when we receive the Lord Jesus as our personal Saviour (John 1:12; Eph. 1:13).

The world, said the Lord, does not behold the Spirit of truth, neither does it know Him. The word "behold" is translated "perceive" in several places and "consider" in Hebrews 7:4; while the word "know" means to take in knowledge, to come to know, to recognize (W.E. Vine). For the Christian this wonderful Comforter is no unperceived Stranger but a Witness with our spirits that we are children of God and He is the Helper of our infirmity (Rom. 8:16,26).

It should be evident that the Lord was promising His disciples another Person, not an influence nor an abstract, impersonal power. I have before me a letter from a Jehovah's Witness (so called) who writes - "Surely these instances speak of the Holy Spirit as a tool of god, rather than a being having its own initiative" (quoted as written). Truly the world beholds Him not, neither knows Him. While it is true that the word "Spirit" (Greek: Theuma) is neuter gender in the original language, the Lord Jesus used the masculine personal pronoun seven times when speaking of the Holy Spirit. The first occasion is in verse 26

- "He shall teach you all things". The other occasions are 15:26 ("He shall bear witness"), 16:7 ("I will send Him unto you"), 16:8 ("And He ... will convict), 16:13 ("When He ... is come" and "shall not speak from Himself'), and 16:14 ("He shall glorify Me"). Usually the personal pronoun is implied by the form of the verb, but significantly the Lord uses a separate word for "He", specifying not only third person, but also masculine gender, to put beyond reach of doubt the Personality of the Comforter.

Four times the Lord spoke of the Holy Spirit as the Paraclete, and indeed He is the only One to do so. Literally it means "one called alongside", that is, to aid or help, to succour and to console, to plead another's cause. It is interesting to note that the Holy Spirit would be sent from alongside the Father (15:26). The Holy Spirit was already abiding (not "1ives" as the N.I.V. translates) alongside the disciples (14:17). The wonderful new reality was to be that the Holy Spirit would be in you" and "with you for ever". Never again would any child of God need to pray as David did, "Take not Thy Holy Spirit from me" (Ps. 51:11). The indwelling Spirit brings great blessing, "the love of the Spirit" (Rom. 15:30); and great responsibility: "grieve not the Holy Spirit of God" (Eph. 4:30).

In the New International Version the word parakletos is translated "counsellor". Although "paraclete" could have a legal application, this did not apply to the Lord in His earthly ministry. When the Lord spoke of another Comforter, He was referring to One like Himself as He had been among them, and perhaps no more clearly seen than in that night before He died. Its general meaning is that of a Comforter or Helper, One who cheers on, encourages and exhorts. A legal connotation may be seen in 1 John 2:1. The work or service of the Paraclete is paraklesis which is consistently expressed in the New Testament as comfort, consolation, exhortation and encouragement. In Acts 9:31 the early church is recorded as walking by the comfort (or exhortation) of the Holy Spirit coupled with the fear of the Lord. This is the secret of growth.

The Lord told the disciples that He would make request of the Father (not "pray"; the original word suggests equality and/or familiarity) for the gift of the Comforter (14:16). Martha had recently said to the Lord, "I know that, whatsoever Thou shalt ask of God, God will give it Thee" (John 11:22). Although she used the inappropriate word for "ask" in respect of the Lord's speaking to His Father yet she knew with a perfectly accurate perception that God would grant His Son's request. If the disciples that night shared Martha's faith it must have been a great comfort to them when the Lord said that He would make request of the Father. The response would be assured. Thus, "the promise of My Father" is the promise to the Lord by the Father that He would send the Holy Spirit upon them (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4). It was the Lord who received the promise of the Holy Spirit as Acts 2:33 makes clear and He poured forth Him whose power and presence were seen and heard on the day of Pentecost. The Paraclete is the Holy Spirit of promise by whom every believer is sealed (Eph. 1:13) and we receive Him through faith (Gal. 3:14).

Concerning the coming of the Spirit of truth the Lord says, firstly, that the Father would give them another Comforter. He gives precedence to the Father. In the next reference He says that the Father would send the Holy Spirit in His name (14:26). Then in the third reference the Lord says that He will send the Comforter from the Father but also declares the Holy Spirit's activity, saying that He proceeds from the Father (15:26). Here is unity of purpose and action by the three Persons of the Godhead.

The Holy Spirit is God's gift, even as is His Son. Both were given, both sent forth (Gal. 4:4,6). Peter preached that his hearers would receive "The gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38). "God giveth His Holy Spirit unto you" (1 Thes. 4:8) and through this gift God has shed abroad His love in our hearts (Rom. 5:5). What a Comforter! "God gave us the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts" (2 Cor. 1:22; 5:5). The Holy Spirit has been "sent forth from heaven" (1 Peter 1:12) and yet He "has deigned to make His dwelling place these mortal bodies frail". He is indeed "a Guide, a Comforter bequeathed, with us to dwell".

In that solemn yet blessed night the Lord spoke of the Comforter who was yet to come. That night is past as is the cross with its suffering and death. He is risen and exalted and glorified (see John 7:39), and we have received by faith (Gal. 3:2) the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father (Rom. 8:15), having received, "not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us by God" (1 Cor. 2:12). How very much indeed He is the Paraclete - the Comforter!

G.K. Kennedy, Sydney, Australia | Jul 1986
In The Shadow Of Calvary