The Spirit brings glory to Jesus

16:14-15

Jesus continues to explain to the disciples the way that the Holy Spirit will carry out his work. In particular, everything he does has the aim of bringing glory to Jesus. In this, he is like Jesus himself, who had stated, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me” and which is therefore for the honour and glory of the Father (7:16-18; 17:4). Likewise, the Spirit always looks to bring glory to Jesus, by taking what he has received from Jesus and making it known (14).

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So the Spirit’s work is not to bring new revelation of his own. Rather, he communicates to us and to the world the same truth which Jesus himself brought from the Father. The claim of Jesus, “all that belongs to the Father is mine” (15; 17:10), is another amazing indication of the unity of the Father and Son.

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The Spirit shares in that unity. He takes from what the Son has with the Father and makes it known to us (15). Once again, the work of the Father, Son and Spirit cannot be separated (14:16-17; 14:26; 15:26). And once again, we are reminded of what Jesus has emphasised to his disciples throughout these chapters, that though he is going away the Spirit will be with them and in them, and will be Jesus to them.