26 “When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me, 27 and you will testify also, because you have been with Me from the beginning. John 15:26-27, NASB[1]
We have already discussed the three relationships Jesus teaches His followers in John 15 that they will have. The first relationship, John 15:1-11, Jesus teaches his disciples about the relationship they must have with Him. The second relationship, John 15:12-17, Jesus explains to His disciples the type of relationship they must have with each other. The third relationship, John 15:18-25, is the one the world will have towards his disciples. The remainder of John 15, verses 26 and 27 explains how His followers will be able to maintain or withstand all three relationships, through the power of the Advocate.
The Helper will come when Jesus leaves. (26) Jesus explains this to His disciples when He explains why He must leave in John 16:6-8, “But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 7 But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. 8 And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.” This is the reason why the world will hate Jesus’ followers; because the Helper will convict the world of its own sin and unrighteousness, thereby judging the world. But, the Helper will help Jesus’ followers to withstand that hatred. More importantly, the Helper will convict Jesus’ followers of their unrighteousness and sin. “5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true; 7 but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” (I John 1:5-10, NRSV)
The Helper, the Spirit of Truth will proceed from the Father. “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever;17 that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.” (John 14:16-17) The Helper will testify about Jesus and remind the disciples of what Jesus commanded. Because of the Helper, the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, the disciples will have the power to testify about Jesus. ” But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.” (John 14:26)
The Helper will make it possible for Jesus’ followers to abide in Him and stay connected to the vine because the Helper will abide in them. (John 15:1-11) Because of the love His followers for Jesus, they will not be left vulnerable and helpless. 18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also. 20 In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. 21 He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him . . . If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. 24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me.” (John 14: 18-22, 24) The Helper will keep Jesus’ followers connected to the vine.
The Helper will make it possible for Jesus’ followers to love one another. The two greatest commandments are: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the greatest and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Matthew 22:36-39, NRSV) The Helper not only convicts the world, but Jesus’ followers. The Helper will convict us if we do not love our brothers and sisters in Christ. “7 Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word that you have heard. 8 Yet I am writing you a new commandment that is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. 9 Whoever says, “I am in the light,” while hating a brother or sister, is still in the darkness. 10 Whoever loves a brother or sister lives in the light, and in such a person there is no cause for stumbling. 11 But whoever hates another believer is in the darkness, walks in the darkness, and does not know the way to go, because the darkness has brought on blindness.” (I John 2:7-11)
The Helper, the Holy Spirit, the Advocate, the Spirit of truth will keep us connected to Jesus, will show us how to love one another, will convict us of our sin and unrighteousness and will help us to withstand the hatred of the world.
[1] All texts are from the New American Standard Bible from Biblegateway.com unless otherwise noted.