John Lesson 42

Introduction

As we continue our verse by verse study of the Gospel of John, we’ve come to John chapter 16, beginning in verse twelve. You may remember that actually this chapter begins, the context begins back in chapter 13. And it is at the Last Supper, the time that Jesus was with his disciples just shortly before his betrayal and of his trial and then his crucifixion. And at this last meeting with his apostles, he has been giving them various words of comfort that would encourage them as they faced the many trials that were before them. That would encourage them even as they would realize that his betrayal was foreknown by the Lord, even his crucifixion, and the persecution that they would suffer. He would not come as a surprise.

For Jesus said, I’ve told you even before they happen. He knew they would happen, and yet he was preparing his disciples that they would not stumble, that they would not be offended. Furthermore, Jesus was telling them in these verses that they would have another who would come be with them, another comforter, even the Holy Spirit, whom he called the Spirit of Truth. And as we read from John chapter 16, beginning in verse 12 through verse 15, Jesus said, I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth, for he shall not speak of himself. But whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak, and he will show you things to come.

He shall glorify me, for he shall receive of mine and show it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine. Therefore said I that he shall take of mine and shall show it unto you. These are very important verses in the scripture that tell us concerning the Holy Spirit, his work, and actually concerning the word that has been inspired or revealed by the Spirit, inspired of God and revealed by the Spirit of the Apostles. When you think about the Bible, what do you think it is? Is it simply the work of men? Is it from the minds of men like Peter and John and James and Paul and others? Or is it from the mind of God? Actually, Jesus Christ said that it is the Spirit of Truth that would guide them into all truth.

1. He Will Guide You Into All Truth

Now there are three major points that I want us to grasp from these passages. First of all, in verse 13, when Jesus described him as the spirit of truth, he will guide you into all truth. He didn’t say some of the truth, part of the truth, most of the truth, but rather that the Holy Spirit was going to guide them into all truth. Now that really leaves no place for latter-day revelation. There are those today who make claims that they have some truth that is not in the Bible.

That it was revealed from God, and they say it’s a latter-day revelation. Our Mormon friends say they believe the Bible, but they believe the Bible plus the Book of Mormon and Pearl of Great Price and Doctrine and Covenants. They have some other books that they say are inspired. And really on and on we could go with others who claim to be prophets or prophetesses, such as Ellen G. White and Mary Baker Eddie, and even in our modern times, there are men who claim to have had dreams or visions from God, and they say that God has spoken unto them, and they have convinced people to send them money and to do this or that that they say has been revealed to them of God. But really, Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would guide the apostles into all truth.

The word of God is complete, it is sufficient. And there is no room for any other message than what we can read right here. If you want to know what is truth, it is not new. Anything new is not true. Anything true is not new. In Jude verse 3, for example, the inspired writer said, Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you and exhort you that you should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. And one translation renders that once for all time delivered unto the saints. The word of God was delivered in the first century, one time for all time. There is no need for a latter-day revelation.

In fact, in Galatians chapter 1, verses 6 through 8, at a time when in the first century churches there was another doctrine being taught than that which had been revealed by the apostles. And Paul addressed these churches and said, I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that calls you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel, which is not another, but there be some that troubled you and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we are an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. Don’t have anything other than that which we have preached unto you. You see, the apostles were not speaking their own mind, but rather they were speaking the word of God.

And it cannot be changed. And in fact it was all truth that had been revealed unto them, cannot be added unto, cannot be substituted with anything else that is true. In 1 Corinthians chapter 2 and verses eleven through 13, he there said, For what man knoweth the things of a man save the spirit of man which is in him. Even so the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God. Now we receive not the Spirit of the world but the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. The apostle said the things they were speaking were inspired of God.

They were from the mind of God. They were not men’s mind, but they were God’s wisdom and God’s mind. And so what we have are God’s words. Now there are those who say well you know the Bible’s outdated or they say well parts of the scriptures have been lost and we have need for a latter day revelation to supplement what has been lost. But in first Peter chapter one verses twenty three through twenty five the apostle Peter said that wouldn’t happen. He said being born again not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible by the word of God which liveth and abideth forever. For all flesh is as grass and all the glory of man is the flower of grass. The grass withereth and the flower thereof falleth away but the word of the Lord endureth forever.

2. He Shall Not Speak of Himself

Now listen to this and this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you. That which is preached in the first century is that which would endure forever. It would not perish. If God had the power to reveal it, he has the power to preserve it. And he promised in the scriptures that the word that was preached was for all time delivered, and anything different was a perversion of it, that it was from the mind of God, and we cannot improve upon it. I say to you that any latter-day revelation is a false revelation. According to the word of Jesus Christ to his apostles, the Spirit would reveal all truth. But let’s notice a second fact. In John 16 and verse 13, he said, Habit, when he, the Spirit of truth has come, he will guide you into all truth, for he shall not speak of himself.

He would not speak of himself. Now that’s a second important lesson, that the Holy Spirit can speak, and that he has in himself that he could speak from, but he chooses not to. The Holy Spirit is able to guide them. And as he goes on to say in verse 13, what he shall hear is what he shall speak. You know, these are terms that describe a person, as though one of individual personality. Now again, that’s contradicted by some in the religious world of day. There are those, for example, our Jehovah’s Witness friends who would say that the Spirit of God is simply a characteristic of God or an influence of God, not a person. But the scriptures here that Jesus described the Holy Spirit as being another comforter, someone different from the Christ.

Someone who can hear and speak, and has in himself that he could speak from, but he chooses not to.

The Greek supports the translation here, and even the description that Jesus gives of the Spirit. Both describe the Spirit as an individual personality. Indeed, when we talk about God, we must talk about the Father, about the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. For all three are individual personalities. They are not one and the same person. There is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, even the baptism of Jesus in Matthew chapter 3, verses 16 and 17. Even as the Son was being immersed, the voice from heaven saying, This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. And then he saw the Spirit descending in the form of a dove. All three were present at the baptism of Jesus Christ. They’re not one and the same person.

When Ananias and Sapphira had sinned, as they pretended to bring in more than money than they actually did. And Peter said, You’ve not lied to men. You’ve lied unto God. You’ve lied unto the Holy Spirit, he said. And so the Holy Spirit even there is described as being God. Now that doesn’t deny the fact that God is one. Some have ridiculed that when you say there’s Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, that you have three gods. And that really is contradictory to the scriptures. They’re not three gods. But there are three persons of Godhood. There are three persons, but together they work as one. Together they work as one in purpose, in aim, in everything they do. They are so agreed and close in agreement. In fact, notice what he says in verses 14 and 15, when he said, He shall glorify me, for he shall receive of mine and shall show it unto you.

All things that the Father hath are mine, therefore said I that he shall take of mine and shall show it unto you. In other words, when you glorify the one, you glorify the other. I believe the very revelation of the word of God is an example of the unity, of the oneness of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Spirit didn’t speak of Himself. But rather He came to reveal the Word of the Father. Jesus Christ said in many places in the Gospel of John, He did not come to please Himself. He came to please the Father. But the three work as though they are one. Like Jesus prayed in John 17, verses 20 through 23. All who believe on him should be as one. Now, you and I may both be believers.

3. What He Shall Hear, That Shall He Speak

We’re two different individuals. We’re two persons. And yet we are to be united. We are to be as one in agreement, in purpose, in work, in aim. And that’s the sense in which God is one. And yet there are three personalities Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And the Spirit will not speak of himself. But what he shall hear, that shall he speak. He will guide you into all truth. But a third great lesson that we need to learn from John chapter 16 and verse 13 is that what he shall hear, that shall he speak, and he will show you things to come. To say what he shall hear is to say that the word of God is inspired of the Father. It is God breathed. It is not the work of man, but rather it is the word of God.

In 1 Corinthians chapter 2, we quoted from a moment ago, where Paul said that who knoweth the mind of a man save the spirit of man that is in him. I cannot know what is in your mind. You cannot really know what my motives are except I tell you. And only each individual is able to read his own mind. He says, Just like we don’t know the mind of another individual, neither can we know the mind of God. The only way we can know the mind of God is by the Spirit of God revealing it. And the only way you’re going to know the mind of God is through reading that which has been revealed. People may say, Oh, I just know God will be pleased with this.

Or I just think God will accept that. But don’t listen to them unless they can give you, thus saith the Lord. The only way you can know the mind of God is to have Scripture for it. Get a person to have his Bible open and to give you book, chapter, and verse for what he says God is telling you. Or else it isn’t the truth. In fact, in 1 Corinthians 2 and verse 10, the scripture says, God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit. For the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. The Spirit searcheth the deep things of God, and now, having heard those, speaks them. The apostles have written them. And today what we have is the inspired word. As in 2 Timothy chapter 3, verses 16 and 17, all scripture is given by the inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, completely furnished unto all good works.

This inspired word is perfect, and it will make the man of God completely or perfectly furnished unto all good works. Furthermore, in 2 Peter chapter 1, verses 20 and 21, the apostle contends that the word spoken is not the word of men. Peter said, knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scriptures of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man, but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. These men spake as the Holy Ghost moved them. They were inspired of God. Do you believe that the Holy Spirit has revealed all truth, and that we now have it preserved by God? Do you believe that the Holy Spirit is an individual person of Godhood who could speak, who could hear, who could guide them into truth?

4. A Little While, and Ye Shall See Me

Do you believe that the word we reap, the Bible is indeed of God and not the word of men? That’s what Jesus Christ claimed would be the work of the Holy Spirit. And it gives us some insight into who he is. We’ll be back in just one moment and continue our study in John chapter 16. As we continue in John chapter 16, reading in verse 16 through about verse 22, Jesus said to his disciples, A little while, and ye shall not see me. And again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father. Then said some of his disciples among themselves, What is this that he saith unto us, A little while, and ye shall not see me, and again a little while, and ye shall see me, and because I go to the Father.

They said, therefore, what is this that he saith? A little while. We cannot tell what he said. Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him, and said unto them, Do ye inquire among yourselves of that I said a little while, and ye shall not see me, and again a little while and ye shall see me? Verily, verily I say unto you, that ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice, and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come. But as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembers no more the anguish for joy that a man is born into the world. And ye now therefore have sorrow, but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.

Now Jesus said a statement that was puzzling to his disciples. Actually, he was giving a summary of his mission in the earth. When he said, A little while, and she ye shall not see me, perhaps he was certainly talking about his death. For literally it was only a matter of a few hours after Jesus was with his disciples at this last supper, that he was betrayed by Judas as they went out into the Garden of Gethsemane. And then, as he was tried through that night, and then on the next day brought before Pilate, and the next day was crucified. It was a matter of hours until Jesus was put to death and they would not see him. So a little while was literal. And then he said, A little while, and ye shall see me.

Well, that I believe was talking about the resurrection of Jesus Christ. For on the third day after these things, he did arise from the grave, as was predicted by Scripture, and as Jesus told them himself during his lifetime. And then he said, Because I go to the Father. Now the disciples were puzzled by this statement. Jesus had said several things at this last meeting that they didn’t fully comprehend. Perhaps they thought they understood some of the things even better than they really did. And so they began to question what does he mean by a little while? And they sort of repeat the statement of verse 16. Jesus, knowing that they were puzzled by it, said in verse 19, Do ye inquire among yourselves concerning this? And then he began to explain in verse 20 by saying, You shall weep and lament.

There is going to be great sorrow in your hearts at the crucifixion of the Lord. They went back, and as you read in in the book of Luke, for example, in chapter 24, even when the women first came from the grave to say that Jesus was not there, they didn’t understand about his resurrection at that point. The scripture says that the words of the women seemed as idle tales. They didn’t fully comprehend it. There was weeping and there was sorrow at that point. But Jesus said, Your sorrow shall be turned into joy. Just like a woman who has great pain in giving birth to a child, and great sorrow at that moment. Yet after the child is born, there is such joy that that joy supplants the sorrow in her mind.

5. Whatsoever Ye Shall Ask the Father in My Name

She doesn’t really remember the grief and the travail that she went through because of the great joy of the new one. And so it is when Christ would be raised from the grave, the disciples would be so filled with joy that they would forget the hardships and the moments of sorrow that they would suffer at his death. So he says in verse 22, you now therefore have sorrow, but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you. Now continuing in verses 23 through verse 27, Jesus said, In that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have you asked nothing in my name.

Ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. These things have I spoken unto you in Proverbs. But the time cometh when I shall no more speak unto you in Proverbs, but I shall show you plainly of the Father. At that day ye shall ask in my name. And I say not unto you that I will pray the Father for you. For the Father Himself loveth you because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God. Now Jesus, knowing that he was about to go to the Father, also encourages the disciples that if they would pray unto the Father, anything they would ask in his name, that the Father would give it unto them. Now he said, up until this time you’ve really not asked in my name.

In fact, Jesus had asked in their behalf as though they were children who knew not how to ask. And he really said in in verse 25 26, he said, I say not unto you that I will pray the Father for you. It’ll no longer be necessary for me to pray, as for little children who do not know how. But rather the time is coming, or in that day, you’ll be able to pray yourself. And you’ll be able to approach the Father, and He’ll know you because you love me and because you believe in me, Jesus is saying, then the Father will hear your prayer and will answer whatever you ask. Jesus is not really just giving them a formula of words to say, to ask in my name, but rather he’s telling them about the comfort and the assurance that they would have that God would answer their prayers whatever they ask in his name.

Unfortunately, passages like this are sometimes abused by those today who would say, as though anything you ask, God will answer. Well, Jesus has promised that there will be answer because of the mediatorship of Jesus Christ, as Hebrews chapter 2, verses 17 and 18 so described, Jesus Christ is one who is able to succor us in time of need. And in Hebrews chapter 4, verses 15 and 16, we can we can approach the throne of grace with boldness because of Jesus Christ. In Hebrews chapter 9, verses 24 through 28, he has made a sacrifice once for all, and we can enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus Christ. We can approach the Father by Christ Jesus. And what he’s really talking about is by the authority of Christ, by the mediatorship of Jesus Christ.

But that doesn’t mean that just any selfish notion we may ask for that the Lord is going to answer us. We can pray in his name, and when we do so we can pray with assurance. But it’s because we ask according to his will. Listen to the passage in first John chapter five and in verse fourteen, where the apostle says this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us. And if we know that he heareth whatsoever we ask, we know have or we have the petitions that we desire it of him. If we ask anything according to his will that’s rule number one. But secondly, if we obey his will in first John three and verse twenty two, whatsoever we ask we receive of him, because we keep his commandments and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

6. I Have Overcome the World

A man who would pray selfishly will not have his prayer answered. Or a man who would ask for things that God hasn’t promised, ask for forgiveness of sins in a way that God hasn’t promised, you won’t have that prayer answered. But when we do his will and pray according to his will, then we have assurance that our prayers will be answered, even as the apostles had assurance by Christ Jesus that the Father would hear them. Now let’s conclude chapter 16 as we begin reading verse 28. Jesus said I came forth from the Father and am come again into the world I again I leave the world and go to the Father. His disciples said unto him, Lo, now speakest thou plainly and speakest no proper. Now are we sure that thou knowest all things and needest not that any man should ask thee.

By this we believe that thou came as forth from God. Jesus answered them Do ye now believe Behold the hour cometh yea is now come that ye shall be scattered every man to his own, and shall leave me alone, and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. These things I have spoken unto you that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world. Jesus Christ had spoken in Proverbs or Baal sayings, and they hadn’t fully comprehended them. But now he said, I don’t question the fact of your faith, but rather the hour is coming that your faith is going to be tried. But you can find comfort and assurance in the knowledge that just as Jesus Christ has overcome the world, so you too can overcome through him.

Conclusion

In the world is tribulation. In Christ there is peace. Have you found that peace in Christ, even as the men of the first century who served him and believed in him. May God help you to find it. May his grace and peace be with you until we study again.