Gospel of John - Upper Room Discourse - The Advocate Will Come - Part 4

       

The Advocate will come

John 14:25-31

Jesus knows that the disciples needed to be assured of what was about to transpire, so he tells them what will come as proof he is the truth. Let’s look at the first portion of the text, “All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” 

The Holy Spirit from God is the advocate: the protector, helper, comforter, and teacher/guide for the disciples. Jesus promises the disciples that the Father will send the Holy Spirit to all who believe in him. 

They had learned that the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth (Jn. 14:13), and they will learn that He has many more titles: the Spirit of God (Ex. 31:3), the Spirit of witness (Acts 5:32), the Spirit of conviction (Jn. 16:8), the spirit of power (2 Tim. 1:7), the Spirit of holiness (Rom. 1:4), Spirit of light (1 Jn. 1:5), the Spirit of Adoption (Rom. 8:15), the Spirit of help (Jn. 14:15), the Spirit of liberty (2 Cor. 3:17), the Spirit of wisdom (Isa. 11:2), the Spirit of Revelation (Eph.1:17), the Spirit of promise (Lk. 24:49), the Spirit of love (Gal. 5:22), the Spirit of meekness (Isa. 29:19), the Spirit of sound mind (2 Tim. 1:7), the Spirit of grace (Zech. 12:10), the Spirit of glory (1 Pet. 4:14), and the Spirit of prophecy (Rev. 19:10). 

All of this is to show them the Holy Spirit is God whom the Father will send in Jesus’ name. As Jesus said, “I will not leave you or forsake you.” He sends the Holy Spirit who will be inside of the believers, whereas Jesus lived in the external world and could only speak to those living around him. The Holy Spirit is able to teach them all things because he is the Spirit of God within them, “These are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit.The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us.” (1 Cor. 2:10-12)

And the Holy Spirit will bring back to their memories the words of life and wisdom Jesus had spoken and taught in order for the disciples to live a Christ-like life.

Application -  Jesus’ words are never more sure and true. The Holy Spirit is our advocate sent from the Father, and all the other titles that describe the Holy Spirit’s authority and dominance. What is remarkable is that mankind in both the Old and New Testaments and the church age today, are privy to the power and presence of the Holy Spirit, yet there are a great many who don’t recognize the Holy Spirit. He seems to have departed from their lives. Jesus told us that the Holy Spirit was given to us to protect, to help, to comfort, and to teach/guide us all as the Advocate from God. Yet many in the church have not recognized this, they are seeking others and man’s creations to protect them, to help them in their time of need, to comfort them when they fear or are overcome by anxiety, and they seek their own wisdom and knowledge to teach and guide them. They seem to have no sense of desire or want of the Holy Spirit in their lives. We claim to be the church yet quench and grieve the Holy Spirit by choosing our own selfish desires over the Holy Spirit’s love, faith, and intimacy with God. We operate the church like the corporate world, and lack the godly wisdom, guidance and power of God the Holy Spirit. So where are the manifestations of the gifts of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the church today? God is still offering the gift of the Holy Spirit to all who will seek him.

Next, Jesus gives the disciples the one trait that will still their hearts and calm their fears, the peace of God. Let’s look at the next portion of text, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” 

Jesus taught the disciples, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” (Matt. 5:9) Jesus gave them his word, and his promise of the Holy Spirit. In this promise is the fruit of the Spirit, peace. A peace that surpasses all understanding, “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus…and the God of peace will be with you.” (Phil.4:7,9)

It is also a peace that the world cannot give because it doesn’t know God nor love him. The world’s peace is built around self, prosperity, and compromise. Individuals in the world seek peace through separation from any type of conflict, even to the withdrawal from all persons. Then there are those who seek peace through the world’s riches. They believe that the wealth of riches will placate their fears until there are no struggles and they can live and do as they please (Luke 12:16-21). Then there are those who compromise for peace. They make pacts and alliances with those who have warred against God and with them (Ex. 34:12). And then there are those who appease the spiritual world to have peace from the stresses of failures in life and work. They mollify their anxieties by surrender to and yield their lives to deities in various spiritual realms by sacrificing their souls and by conceding to the evils of the world. 

Jesus’ peace comes when you surrender your life to him by believing in him for salvation. Jesus’ peace fills us, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Rom. 15:13)

Application - There are those in the church who look for happiness as a requirement for peace. They have created idols or things of God’s creation to give them happiness and peace. Tim Keller explains, “When anything in life is an absolute requirement for your happiness and self-worth, it is essentially an ‘idol,’ something you are actually worshiping. When such a thing is threatened, your anger is absolute. Your anger is actually the way the idol keeps you in its service, in its chains. Therefore if you find that, despite all the efforts to forgive, your anger and bitterness cannot subside, you may need to look deeper and ask, ‘What am I defending? What is so important that I cannot live without?’ It may be that, until some inordinate desire is identified and confronted, you will not be able to master your anger.” (Tim Keller, Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope that Matters)

Jesus knew that the world’s peace, happiness, and security would be fleeting at best, and it is hollow compared to the promise of the peace Jesus gave to all those who believed in him. For his peace surpasses, overflows, and is beyond our understanding. Jesus said it is simply yours by believing in him and yielding your life to the Holy Spirit who dwells in you. “May the Lord of peace himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with all of you.” (2 Thes. 3:16)

Last, Jesus again reminds the disciples of his departure and return for it will bring them what they will need, the promised Holy Spirit of God. Let’s look at the last portion of the text, “You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe. I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me, but he comes so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me. “Come now; let us leave.”

Jesus emphasizes the promise of God. it is greater than the disciples could even imagine, and Paul reiterated in a prayer for the Ephesians “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” Eph. 3:20-21

The disciples needed to know that “value is judged from experience”, and when they experienced the power of the Holy Spirit, they would understand the value and believe the truth of Jesus’ words, for the Father is greater. 

Jesus again warns the disciples about Satan’s plan to “kill, steal, and destroy.” For they would see firsthand the acts of Satan in the actions of the high priests and the Romans. Satan would become the prince of this world for a time, but he was powerless against the power of God. John would later write, “But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.” 1 Jn. 4:4

 Jesus told them that though Satan is given some power, yet God is using it to fulfill his purpose and plan. Jesus would bring salvation through his death on the cross for all mankind who chose to believe in him. The world and Satan believed killing Jesus would rid him of his power, authority, and influence, but Jesus knew it would show the love of God (Jn.3:16) to the world and true salvation to all who believe through the Son.    

Last, they finished their time in the upper room and now it was time to go.

Application: We have the promised Holy Spirit, and we know that the prince of this world is still reeking havoc, spreading lies, fear, anger, and planting seeds of sin and doubt in the world. But we know he has been defeated at the cross and his time is near an end. But like the disciples we have Jesus’ peace in our hearts and lives. “Don’t be anxious about anything; rather, bring up all of your requests to God in your prayers and petitions, along with giving thanks. Then the peace of God that exceeds all understanding will keep your hearts and minds safe in Christ Jesus.” (Phil.4:6-7)

We are overcomers because of the work of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit in us. “Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world…For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 Jn. 4:4, 5:4-5) “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” (Rom. 8:37)

In Closing, Jesus again tells them of God’s promise, and how they will be glad that Jesus fulfilled the plan and purpose of the Father, so that he would send his Spirit. God’s Spirit is powerful and he is the Spirit of Truth and the Advocate sent by Jesus. We need his fresh infilling very much today, especially since the prince of this world’s plan seems to be building up to a crescendo. We have nothing to fear for greater is the Holy Spirit in us, than Satan is in the world. But without Jesus as Lord and Savior of our lives and the Holy Spirit’s presence and power in us, we are lost and susceptible to Satan's schemes.

I’m again including the ABC’s of salvation (JD Farag). Please, Jesus, God the Son, came to this world to save all who would believe and trust in him. He desires to reveal himself to you, He is the Light that overcomes the darkness of this lawless world. He hears your prayers, and all authority in heaven and earth have been given to him. He will answer you if you will truly believe. And he wants to empower you with the Holy Spirit. If you haven’t asked him to be your Lord and Savior, today could be that day.

 First, A - Admit that you are a sinner. This is where that godly sorrow leads to genuine repentance for sinning against a righteous God and there is a change of heart, we change our mind and God changes our hearts and regenerates us from the inside out. Romans 3:10 - As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one." Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (We are all born sinners which is why we must be born spiritually in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven). Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. The bad news is that the wages of sin is death, in other words our sin means that we have been given a death sentence, we have the death penalty hanging over our heads, that's the bad news. But here's the good news: The good news is that the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Ephesians 2:8-9 - For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith —and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. Second,

 B - Believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and that God raised Jesus from the dead. This is trusting with all of your heart that Jesus Christ is who he said he was. Romans 10:9-10 - That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. Third, 

C - Call upon the name of the Lord. Every single person who ever lived since Adam will bend their knee and confess with their mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, the Lord of lords and the King of kings. Romans 14:11 - For it is written: "As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God." Don't wait until later — do this now. Romans 10:13 - For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." "O God, I am a sinner. I'm sorry for my sin. I want to turn from my sin. I believe Jesus Christ is Your Son; I believe that He died on the cross for my sin and that He was buried and You raised Him to life. I have decided to place my faith in Jesus Christ as my Savior, trusting only in His shed blood as sufficient to save my soul and to take me to heaven. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for saving me. Amen."

Please share this with someone this week, the Lord knows that we and they need it.

If you would like other lessons, please go to http://pmdinhisservice.blogspot.com 

Until next week, In His Service Mike Davis

I am developing a new webpage on Spiritual warfare. Please give it a look. I’m adding answers each week to questions that pertain to our time today.  Thank you

http://uss-warfare3.webnode.com