In John 6: 12-15, to comfort the disciples, Jesus emphasizes the coming of the Comforter and the continuity between the Father, Jesus and that comforter. It occurs in the context of Jesus giving his final words to his disciples. He will soon experience arrest, trial, and crucifixion. In fact, Jesus has warned the disciples that he will depart from them to be with the Father. If you were to read the whole chapter, you would read of the dominant theme of the grief of the disciples. They cannot imagine life without his physical presence. Of course, we know they will lead lives of witnessing through the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives. Such a life is difficult for them to imagine. In these verses, Jesus assures them while he is leaving, the Father will send another to be their companion and guide. 12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. See 14:26 as well, where the Spirit, whom the Father will send in the name of the Son, will teach them, and remind them of all that Jesus has taught them.[1] The language is that of the Psalms. A psalmist will ask the Lord to lead him into the truth of the Lord and teach him.[2] A psalmist asks the Lord to teach him the ways of the Lord so that he can walk in the truth of the Lord.[3] The Spirit will glorify the risen Christ, because the Spirit will take what belongs to the risen Christ and declare it to them. The Gospel of John says of the witness of the Spirit is that he will not speak of himself but will take and proclaim what Jesus is in verses 13-14.[4] Such a statement suggests the disciples will receive deeper insight after the resurrection. They will not be able to understand the power of the resurrection until after it occurs. Only by faith can we grasp the promise that the Spirit will lead us into all truth.[5] The Spirit leading the disciples into all truth means the truth of God as shown in the Son.[6] It was mystery religions of the Greek and Roman worlds that believed the gods could give new revelations. Such insight helps followers of Jesus to gain better understanding of what Jesus means for one’s own time. These verses suggest the personal relationship that existed between Jesus and his disciples. The disciples are pivotal as the core witnesses to the good news of what God has done in Jesus Christ. Given the closeness of the disciples to Jesus, and given the fact that Jesus chose them, will lead to the world hating them. Yet, the disciples will also receive this Advocate or Paraclete because of their friendship with Jesus. The Spirit is not bringing a message from some new or unknown source. The Spirit's words, like Jesus' own words, have their beginning in the Father. This common source -- God's own storehouse -- guarantees that the Spirit's words will always continue, never contrast with or contradict, Jesus' previously spoken words, or God's earlier prophetically declared messages. The power of the Spirit will give them victory over principalities and powers. The Spirit's role will be twofold. 14 First, the Spirit will glorify me, because the Spirit will take what is mine and declare it to you. A main point of distinction is that the Spirit will show the disciples the true significance of Jesus.[7] Proclaiming the glory of the risen Christ will be the hallmark of those who have received the Spirit. The purpose of the sending of the Spirit by the Son is to continue the work of Jesus in revealing, here, by the Spirit glorifying the Son.[8] In the life of the Church, the church must always have a way of recalling the foundation of the church in the gift of the Spirit. This recalling and reviving can come through the many-voiced glorifying of Jesus Christ in the light of creation and also of the eschatological future of God and the destiny of those who belong to Jesus and hence also to the Father.[9] The glorifying of the Father by the Son will come to fulfillment, an event mediated by the work of the Spirit who will glorify the Son in believers by bringing to their remembrance Jesus and his message and therewith the Father.[10] To extend the rule of God among us requires the Spirit, who glorifies Jesus.[11] In 17:1, 5, the Father will glorify the Son, but that refers to what John says here about the Spirit glorifying the Son.[12] The theological significance of this passage is profound. In his prayer in 17:1, Jesus has desired that the Father glorify him. The answer of the Father is to send the Spirit. The Spirit manifests Jesus as the Son. The Spirit completes the revelation of the Father by the Son. Glorifying the Son, the Spirit also glorifies the Father and their indissoluble fellowship. This theme opens the door for a discussion of the notion of the self-distinction of the Trinity. Jesus glorifies the Father, thereby showing himself to be the Son of the Father. The Spirit glorifies the Son. He shows himself to be the Spirit of truth by bearing witness to Jesus and reminding us of his teaching. For Augustine, the Spirit is the love that unites the Father and the Son. The Spirit is the condition and medium of the fellowship of Father and Son. On this basis, the imparting of the Spirit to believers is also an incorporation into the fellowship of the Son with the Father. Since the work of Jesus has as its goal the glorifying of the Father, one can view it as the work of the Spirit in him. John explains the way this glorification will happen in the rest of the verse. Because the Spirit will take from what belongs to Jesus, his words and his presence, and report or pass on these things to the disciples, this will result in a glorification of Jesus.[13] Jesus summarizes his preceding discourse (and highlights elements of his following prayer) in which he shows the direct relationship between himself and the Father and himself and the Spirit. Even though Jesus is departing from them, they can receive comfort because the Spirit, who is not a rogue Spirit, but the gift of the Father and the emissary of the Son, will guide them and reveal to them the things of Jesus. Verses 13-14 are significant for the Lord's Supper as well, for the Spirit glorifying Jesus presupposes recollection of Jesus in his person and history. As “remembrance,” then, the Lord's Supper makes the risen Lord present in the community.[14] Statements in the Gospel of John about the Spirit are helpful because they share with Luke an interest in the Spirit as an independent entity. Yet, they also deal with the theme of the link between the work of the Spirit and Jesus Christ. The work of the Spirit is to lead to knowledge of Jesus as the truth of God. Thus, in these two verses, the Spirit will not speak of the Spirit, but rather, will glorify Jesus.[15] 15 Second, all that the Father has is mine. For this reason, I said that the Spirit would take what is mine and declare it to you. If this verse clearly establishes the relationship between Jesus and the Spirit, the next verse draws in the Father as well. John expands on the theme again in Jesus’ prayer, which comes in the following chapter. There he asserts, “All things [that are mine are] yours and yours, are mine,” (17:10). In chapter 17, those people who belong to God and to Jesus seem to be in view, but here in chapter 16, Jesus is talking about the words or the teachings of God. In some way, this mutual sharing between Jesus and the Father provides the basis upon which Jesus can assert that the Comforter will speak only that which is in the possession of Jesus. Thus, in verses 13-15, we find an emphasis on the fellowship of Christians with God and each other resting on their participation in the one Jesus Christ to whom each of them relates by faith and baptism.[16] By baptism, believers come into relation to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ as the Spirit of Christ reminds Christians of Jesus.[17] This verse has affected Trinitarian debates. The text refers to revelation communicated to people. The verse clearly defines what is accessible to the promised Spirit from Jesus. The Holy Spirit's work, then, is to remind the disciples of what Jesus has said and done (cf. 14:26). The Spirit "declares" in the Spirit's own way, in the way of the Paraclete, but the content of these declarations is taken directly from what Jesus describes as "what is mine." However, since God has given Jesus complete access to God's own storehouse, the Word of God is what the Spirit declares. Thus, Jesus' words are contiguous with God's own treasury, making Jesus the "Word" that John had described at the outset of his gospel as being "with God" and "was God" from the beginning. When John says that the Spirit will take what belongs to the Son and proclaim it, the reference is not just to the history and words of Jesus. Rather, all creation is to glorify the Son, for all that the Father has belongs to the Son. In the last analysis, the glorifying of the Son by the Spirit serves the glory of the Father.[18]
Jesus’ discourse might have gone on longer, for the text notes that he had many things he wanted to say to them. However, at that moment they were not able to bear it. Either their flesh was weak, and they could not continue to attend to the lengthy sermon, or they simply did not have the capacity to understand what Jesus had already said, much less more instruction. However, we can think of it as the rest of the New Testament. They had much more to learn, and only life in the Spirit would teach it to them. Most obviously, the apostle Paul was not yet among their number. They had much to learn about who Jesus is, about the Spirit, about God, and about the witness of the church in the world. John Calvin reminds the reader of the debate between Protestant and Roman Catholic at this point. For the Roman Catholic of his day, this passage justifies the Pope disclosing truths that the disciples were not able to learn. His answer is to quote Augustine on this passage. If Christ is silent, we should remain silent. It seems more likely, then, that they did not have the capacity to understand yet, especially since the questions raised by the disciples reveal their lack of understanding. Peter misunderstands exactly where Jesus is going and overestimates his own ability to follow (13:37). Thomas misunderstands the way to follow Jesus (14:4-6). Philip misses the fact that in seeing Jesus, they have seen the Father (14:7-8). Judas does not perceive the difference between those who keep the commandments of Jesus and those who do not (14:22). Finally, after all that Jesus teaches them, they still do not understand what Jesus means by his departure (16:17). It seems clear from the way that John has portrayed the disciples in the interchange that they are not yet ready to receive any more teaching from Jesus.
It takes time to grow a human being. It takes time to grow a follower of Jesus. I wonder how often in our lives God has wanted to tell us more, but knew we were not ready to hear. Peter misunderstands exactly where Jesus is going and overestimates his own ability to follow (13:37). Thomas misunderstands the way to follow Jesus (14:4-6). Philip misses the fact that in seeing Jesus, they have seen the Father (14:7-8). Judas does not perceive the difference between those who keep the commandments of Jesus and those who do not (14:22). Finally, after all that Jesus teaches them, they still do not understand what Jesus means by his departure (16:17). The disciples are not yet ready to receive any more teaching from Jesus. Fortunately, Jesus has not left us alone. We have a divine companion in the Holy Spirit, who will lead us into the truth when the time is right. Of course, we will need to do our part. We will need to listen prayerfully.
I invite you to pause for a moment. How do you receive wisdom and guidance when you face a difficult decision? Do you think you give the Holy Spirit the time and space necessary to guide you? How will you know if the Spirit guides you? I offer a few observations on this passage that I hope will help.
First, this passage reminds us that Jesus continues to speak to us. The language is that of some Psalms.
Psalm 25:5
Lead me in your truth, and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all day long.
Psalm 86:11
Teach me your way, O LORD,
that I may walk in your truth;
give me an undivided heart to revere your name.
The disciples will receive this Advocate, Comforter, or Counselor/Consultant because of their friendship with Jesus. He is the one who will accompany them in life, and be at their side, to guide them into truths, as they need them.
We may think we do not need such a companion. In The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, Frodo decides to go on his quest alone, without his companions, and he sets off in a boat to cross the lake. However, his faithful friend, Samwise, finds him:
Frodo: Go back, Sam. I’m going to Mordor alone.
Sam: Of course you are. And I’m coming with you.
Sam jumps in after him, even though he cannot swim. Sam almost drowns as he crosses the river, but Frodo saves him. He tells Frodo, “I made a promise, “Don’t you leave him, Samwise Gamgee. And I don’t mean to. I don’t mean to.”
Frodo says, “Come on, then.”
We are not in the Christian life alone. Some of us have extraordinarily little confidence in ourselves, so we are constantly seeking what other people think we should do. Some of us have so much confidence that we instinctively think we know what is best for us. Yet, the Spirit is a constant reminder that we do not have the resources in ourselves. We need to look away from ourselves and give time and space for new guidance to emerge. The Spirit is the one who helps the church and individual Christians to navigate a world so different from the one Jesus knew. The Spirit helps us navigate this world in a way that still brings glory to Jesus.
The second valuable thing that Jesus’ words about the role of the Spirit tell us is that no one of us understands all at once all that Christ has for us. If you think of it, the New Testament is itself testimony to how much more the disciples had to learn.[19] They were not yet ready for all that we read in the New Testament. The Spirit would teach them at the appropriate time. God takes our time, our history, seriously. God knows we need to grow, sometimes dramatically, and sometimes in subtle ways, in order to receive the truth.
In another place in Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Frodo looks down at the ring in his hand. He wishes that the ring had never come into his possession. Wise Gandalf says, “So do I, and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for us to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”
Time is basic to understanding our lives. What we know at the age of 50 and did not know at the age of 20 is incommunicable. Most of what we need to know about life we heard somewhere along the way to 20. Someone has taught us the basics of life. Yet, we have not lived them. Formulas and words are not enough. We need the experience of people, places, actions that give us the knowledge we can gain through touch, sight, sound, victories, failures, sleeplessness, devotion, and love. We need the human experiences and emotions gained through the process of time. I also hope that we will learn the value of a little faith and a little reverence for things we cannot see.[20] Hegel famously said in his introduction to his History of Philosophy that every truth has its time. We ought not to beat up on thinkers of the past because they did not have truths we now possess. The same is true for us as individuals. We ought not to beat up on ourselves for not having insights or truths sooner than we did. It is simply impossible to anticipate all that we will need from Jesus as we mature and encounter the twists and turns of life.[21]
Third, our responsibility is to listen faithfully. We might think we would like to have every step in the journey of life marked out clearly to its end. Yet, few human beings receive the truth by instant illumination. Most of us require truth to come to us fragment by fragment.[22] Wisdom is not a state of being, or a destination at which one finally arrives; rather, it is bread for the journey -- a companion for one's pilgrim walk. The beauty of the Christian life is that through the various twists and turns of life, we have a divine companion. We need to clearly hear a word of caution against thinking of uncertainty in this life as a dreadful thing. We are uncertain of what God is going to next. Yet, the nature of spiritual life is that we have the illusion of certainty amid our uncertainty. For example, if our certainty is only in our beliefs, we develop a sense of self-righteousness. We become overly critical. We experience the limiting view that we have completed and settled our beliefs. However, when we are in relationship with God, life is full of spontaneous, joyful uncertainty, and expectancy. Jesus invited us to believe in him (John 14:1), not believe certain things about him. If we can be at the point in our spiritual lives when we leave everything to Christ, it will be gloriously and graciously uncertain how Christ will come, but we have the assurance that, through the Spirit, Christ will come.[23]
You do have a personal Counsellor/Consultant. We often want this Consultant, the Holy Spirit, to tell us magically and obviously what to do next. God graciously and wonderfully takes time with us and for us. God will teach us and guide us. Will we take time for God? Will we pause long enough to allow the wisdom of the Spirit to emerge and impress itself upon us? Friends, that is where you and I complete this passage as we live our lives. Our assignment is simple. Give the Spirit time and space to speak to you.
[1] John 14:26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you.
[2] Psalm 25:5 Lead me in your truth, and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all day long.
[3] Psalm 86:11
Teach me your way, O LORD,
that I may walk in your truth;
give me an undivided heart to revere your name.
[4] Pannenberg, Systematic Theology Volume 2, 288.
[5] Barth, (Church Dogmatics, I.1 [1.3], p. 17)
[6] Pannenberg, (Systematic Theology, Volume Two, p. 395)
[7] Pannenberg, Systematic Theology Volume 2, 454.
[8] Pannenberg, Systematic Theology Volume 3, 5.
[9] Pannenberg, Systematic Theology Volume 3, 19.
[10] Pannenberg, Systematic Theology Volume 3, 625.
[11] Pannenberg, Systematic Theology Volume 2, 394.
[12] Pannenberg, Systematic Theology Volume 2, 395.
[13] Pannenberg (Systematic Theology, Volume One, p. 315-316)
[14] Pannenberg (ibid., Volume Three, p. 307)
[15] Pannenberg, Systematic Theology Volume 3, 16.
[16] Pannenberg, Systematic Theology Volume 3, 15.
[17] Pannenberg, Systematic Theology Volume 3, 275.
[18] Pannenberg, Systematic Theology Volume 2, 395.
[19] The four gospels are differing ways of telling the story of who Jesus is. Before the cross and resurrection, they would not have had this awareness. The writings of Luke and Paul are still ahead. The growth of communities that follow Jesus into Greece and Rome happened quickly. These disciples would suffer and most would die for living their lives bringing glory to Jesus and living in the name of Jesus.
[20] Inspired by Adlai Stevenson.
[21] But the Holy Spirit, operating by the primary rule of usability, declares to us what is Christ’s, as we need it, as our experience of people, places, actions, touch, sight, sound, victories, failures, sleeplessness, devotion, love, faith and reverence makes us capable of hearing it.
[22] Anaïs Nin
[23] Oswald Chambers, in the classic devotional, My Utmost for His Highest
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