The Spirit of truth

May 15, 2021

15:18 – 16:33 Sent into the world, just as Jesus was sent

Read John 16:12-13

In the teaching which Jesus gave to his disciples that night, there are five important passages about the Holy Spirit who Jesus will send to them after his return to the Father (14:16-17; 14:26; 15:26; 16:7-11; 16:12-15). In each of the first four of these passages, the Spirit is called “the Counsellor” (the one who comes alongside to help) but he is also twice referred to as “the Spirit of truth” and that’s the particular title given to him here (13; 14:17; 15:26). The Spirit is the one who reveals the truth about Jesus to people.

Jesus had already emphasised this aspect of the work of the Spirit in regard to unbelievers. It is the Spirit who witnesses to the truth of Jesus (15:26) and who convicts the world about that truth (16:9-11). But the indwelling Spirit witnesses similarly to believers too, enabling us to believe and to understand what Jesus said and taught. Jesus had earlier told the disciples that “the Spirit of truth… will be in you… He will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you” (14:17,26). That’s the theme which he returned to and expanded here.

The disciples were not yet ready to receive all that Jesus wanted to teach them (12) but the Spirit would lead them into all truth (13). God’s truth has been fully revealed in Jesus who is the truth (1:14,17; 14:6). And now the Spirit takes that truth (and only that truth) and speaks it to us. This includes truth about the work of Jesus which was “yet to come” i.e. his imminent exaltation as Lord and the gospel then going out throughout the world, as well as the still-awaited final resurrection and judgement. It’s the Spirit who guides us into understanding all this with faith and excitement.