“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear
them now. 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 16:12–15, ESV)
“I’ll explain it to you later, but right now we need to deal
with something more urgent.” It is so easy in our conversations with others to
get ahead of where we should be and lose sight of what it most important at the
moment. Jesus knew that this was not the time to tell His disciples all that He
had to say or all that was to happen to them or through them in the days and
years to come. He knew that there would be a time for this to be shared and He
knew who would share it accurately. If He told them then and there all that He
had for them it would be way too much, so much that they could not bear it. As
a result He metered out to them just what He needed to in order to assure them
that the Father had not lost control, that Jesus had not failed, and that the
Spirit would indeed come to them so that they might continue in what they were
called to do.
This was not the time for all of the “what about” questions
or panic. Jesus was intent on steeling them for His leaving and building hope
in them for the coming of the Spirit. Having told them that He was not finished
and that there was still things to say, Jesus assured His disciples that when
the Spirit came the Spirit would come as truth just as Jesus had. Just as we
read in John 1:14 and 17 that the Word (Jesus) became flesh and was full of
grace and truth, so also will be the Spirit when He comes. There is no
diminishing of truth with the Spirit, for the Spirit is fully God speaking with
full and accurate authority. Jesus did not speak for Himself, but spoke what He
had heard from the Father. Similarly the Spirit would (and does) not speak for
Himself, but speaks what He has heard also.
Included in the things spoken was even to be words about the
things that are to come. As Scripture has fully be given to us we see that the
Word of God does indeed contain much that has already happened, but also that
to for which we are still waiting to see completed. For us who are in Christ it
includes our entrance into the presence of God. It also includes what Scripture
declares concerning the last days. It speaks about how God works in and through
believers, and as it was unfolded it even includes how God sent the gospel to
the whole world (and not just the Jews). Peter said that there was no prophecy
that was on man’s invention, but men who were moved by the Holy Spirit spoke
from God (2 Peter 1:21), and this is what the Spirit did for Jesus’ disciples
who were eyewitnesses to all that happened and who Jesus had just told them
would hear more later.
The Father had given everything into the hands
of the Son, and the Spirit took what was His and declared it to them who
recorded it for us. Now we have that message to share in the power of the
spirit who works to convict/convince them of its truth. Paul wrote of this
process in Romans chapter 10. “For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord
will be saved.” How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed?
And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are
they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they
are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the
good news!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord,
who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from hearing, and
hearing through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:13–17, ESV)
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