The memorable discourses, after the Supper was eaten and before the departure to Gethsemane, are continued. In chap. 14, the Lord spoke of going away and some of the reasons of his departure; in chap. 15, he declares that he will continued to abide in the hearts of those who love him, so that they will still enjoy his presence/ He names the Comforter, or Paraclete, which shall dwell in believers, and in chap. 16, he describes more fully the manifestation and work of the Spirit. He is about to fall into the hands of his enemies and be smitten and slain; the time will come when men will think that they do service to God by slaying his disciples. When taken before human tribunals for trial they need not study their defence beforehand, but the Spirit that shall be given them will speak in them. He has given them full warning of their trials, and now he will describe more fully the work of the Spirit.

      5, 6. Now I go my way to him that sent me. To the Father, by way of the Cross, the Sepulcher, the Resurrection and the Ascension. None of you asketh me, Whither goest thou? They had asked this question, but in the stupefaction of [209] their sorrow they had ceased to ask. Their thoughts were fixed more upon their own disappointment and bereavement than upon what was before their departing Lord. He desires to turn their thoughts to the grand results that are to be accomplished "because he goes to the Father." They had, however, failed to look into these matters because sorrow had filled their heart.

      7. It is expedient for you that I go away. What seemed then a crushing sorrow was a real blessing. His mission could never be accomplished unless he went away. These same apostles who were now so overwhelmed with sorrow, forty days later, saw the Lord depart, and a cloud receive him from their sight, and yet "they returned to Jerusalem with great joy" (Luke 24:52). How often the "dark clouds break in blessings on our heads!" For if I go not away, the Comforter will not come. By the Comforter is meant the Holy Spirit, which was first shed forth on the day of Pentecost. The Greek word (Paraclete) is also rendered Advocate, or Helper. The Holy Spirit fills all these offices. This Spirit, given only to a few inspired men, under the Jewish dispensation, was now to become the heritage of the church that Christ would soon establish on the earth. While Christ was present in person, in bodily form, the Holy Spirit, the representative of the Godhead, could not come. Christ, as King, must send it, and on the day of Pentecost Peter declared, "He hath shed forth the things ye do see and hear." For a universal kingdom, in which the King should everywhere manifest his presence by abiding in his subjects, it was needful that be go away in person and send, instead of his personal presence, the "omnipresent Spirit." Hence, ten days after his ascension, the saints, "waiting for the promise of the Father, that they should be endued with power from on high," enjoyed the fulfillment in the outpouring of Pentecost.

      8. Will reprove the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. The Revision more correctly renders, "Will convict the world of sin." There are three points concerning which the world would be convicted, concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment. The Holy Spirit would effect these important results through some means. If we would understand its methods we have only to turn over to the fulfillment of these predictions recorded in the Acts of the Apostles. In Acts 2:38, the Holy Spirit fell upon the eleven apostles and they spoke as "it gave them utterance." The words that they spoke were the words of the Holy Spirit. In the record of what it said by the mouth of Peter we find that it convicted (1) of sin, in that those who heard had rejected the Lord of life and glory; (2) of righteousness, in that it was demonstrated by the manifestations of that hour that God had exalted the Lord whom they had condemned to his own right hand, of which they had the proof in that "he had shed forth" what they saw and heard; (3) of judgment, in that they were assured of the "wrath to come" and warned to "save themselves from this untoward generation." Thus has the [210] Holy Spirit, in every age, convicted; by the words of Holy Writ that it has spoken, or by the earnest stirring words of the saints, either spoken or written. It "convicts" by acting through those into whose hearts it is sent, "because they are the sons of God."

      9. Of sin, because they believe not on me. In naming sin, the chief of all sins is singled out. All sin springs from unbelief. There was a lurking unbelief in the heart of Judas when he sold his Master; in Peter's when he denied him; in that of Ananias when he lied to the Holy Spirit. It was unbelief that rejected Christ and nailed him to the cross; unbelief that rejects him still; unbelief that fills the land with vice. To destroy sin, the heart of man must be pierced with the sword of the Spirit. Hence the aim of the Spirit on Pentecost, and always, is to destroy unbelief. When the three thousand, convicted before their consciences of unbelief, cried, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" then the answer of the Holy Spirit was ready, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins."

      10. Of righteousness, because I go to my Father. Human tribunals convicted him of blasphemy because he said he was the Son of God, and put him to death. God exalted him to a throne, thereby showing that the condemnation was wrong and that he was righteous. Of this the Holy Spirit bore witness in words and by miracles. Hence, when they "saw him no more," the Holy Spirit "convicted of righteousness." Now, all the world, Saint and sinner, believer and infidel, admit that he was the sinless One.

      11. Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. In chapter 14:30, he declared, "the prince of this world cometh." It was the prince of this world, the spirit of the world, Satan as the ruler of the world, who slew him. When he rose from the dead and all power was given into his hands, this was a judgment in the court of the universe against the prince of the world, a decree that he should be shorn of his power, and that all the kingdoms of the earth should become the kingdoms of the Lord and his Christ.

      12. I have yet many things to say . . but ye cannot bear them now. All wise teachers give out truth as the minds of people are prepared for it. Jesus did not at once announce himself as the Christ, nor that he would be crucified. He added new lessons as the minds were prepared. Even yet there were lessons, after three and a half years teaching, that his apostles could not bear.

      13. When the Spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all truth. He is about to [211] go away and his own personal teachings will be ended, but those things that he desires them to know will be taught them still. The Spirit of truth will guide them into all truth; the Holy Spirit will not be sent to testify of himself, but to represent Christ, as he represented the Father, and to continue his work. He will speak, not only what he has heard about Christ and his work, but of things to come. In the Acts, Epistles and Revelation we have recorded those things which the Spirit of truth taught the apostles, and to which Christ referred. Through John, especially, he showed "things to come" in Revelation.

      14, 15. He shall glorify me. "All things that the Father hath are mine," and the Spirit "shall receive of mine and shew it to you." "These three are one;" a striking illustration of the unity of the Godhead. They are so united that what proceeds from one proceeds from all.

      16, 17. A little while, and ye shall not see me: again, a little while, and ye shall see me. On the morrow he would die at the ninth hour; that evening he would be buried, and for "a little while," three days and nights, they would not see him; then he would rise, and for another "little while," a space of forty days before "he went to his Father," they would see him, while he remained on the earth. When he ascended to his Father they, in a spiritual sense, would "see him coming in the kingdom of God." This is all very plain to us, but the apostles, to whom it was yet future, could not understand it.

      18, 19. What is this that he saith? They were so awed and amazed by the mysteries that were gathering around them that they hesitated to ask, but the Lord, observing their whispered words, took up their question. [212]

      20. Ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice. This was, in a few hours, fulfilled. How sad were the broken hearted disciples, as they wept at the tomb! "We trusted that he would restore the kingdom to Israel," is the wail of buried hopes. At the same time their enemies were gloating over their triumph. Soon all was changed, for your sorrow, shall be turned into joy. The glad news came, "The Lord is risen." Then they heard that "all power was his," then they saw him ascend into heaven, then they "returned to Jerusalem in great joy." Their sorrow was turned into joy.

      1. Often our sorrows are big with blessings. They that sow in tears, reap in joy. The sorrow of the heart-broken disciples was soon turned into joy.

      2. Often we do not know what is best. The disciples thought it a great misfortune for Christ to die. But it behooved him to die and to rise again from the dead. His rising was the burst of sunrise on a world dark with the shadow of death.

      3. It would be a delightful thought that by going to Palestine we could look upon the face of Christ. It is a far sweeter thought that he is with us, wherever we are; "abides" with us. It was needful that he go away that all in every land might have his presence by the Spirit.

      4. The Spirit is not only a Comforter, but a Conqueror. The Sword, by which he subdues, convicts and conquers to Christ, is "the Word of God." Every preacher, teacher and Christian should pray for the presence of the Spirit and that he may speak through him with power, as he tries to impart the word to sinners. Paul may plant, Apollos water, but God gives the increase. The words of the preacher need to be "in the Spirit" to have power.

      5. "Resist not the Spirit." He who does, fights against God. The Spirit is resisted when idle and rebellious ears are turned to the words of the Spirit. When your teacher or preacher pleads with you to accept the Redeemer, it is the Spirit's voice, for he impelled them to speak. The Holy Spirit still by the word and testimony "convicts of sin, and righteousness, and judgment."

      6. As the body without the spirit is dead, so a church, or a professor of religion, without the Spirit is dead. The prayer should ascend, all over the land, from the inert, lifeless churches and Christians, that they may be endued with power from on high. Then, and then only, can they have power to convert men to Christ. [213]

[CLC01 209-213]