The Work of the Holy Spirit (John 16:5-15)

Jesus is going away and His disciples are sorrowful. To encourage them, Jesus speaks to them once more of the Holy Spirit. Jesus is very clear that He will not send them the Holy Spirit until He has left. Jesus said in John 14:26, that the Holy Spirit (the Helper) will be “sent by the Father in My name.” The Holy Spirit is the third person (Father, Son, Spirit) of the Trinity who exists forever. We have discussed the Holy Spirit previously in our study of the Gospel of John. In John 7:37-39, we looked at the promise of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” John understood Jesus to mean that the Holy Spirit would indwell His followers and have a profound impact on their life (e.g., remembrance and rejoicing). In this sermon we will take this time to recap the work of the Holy Spirit in the Old Covenant. Next, we will discuss the work of the Holy Spirit in the ministry of Christ. Last, we will discuss the work of the Holy Spirit in the New Covenant. Our goal in this sermon is the same as Jesus’ in John 16:5-15: encouragement to greater faith!

In the Old Covenant

In the Old Covenant, the Holy Spirit had a restricted role. The Holy Spirit was active in the Old Covenant, but not in the same way as in the New Covenant. In the Old Covenant, the Holy Spirit would temporarily come upon specific persons in order to equip/empower them for specific tasks. A few examples include: 1) the Spirit of the Lord filling Bezalel to design the tabernacle (Ex 31:1-11), 2) Samson having “the Spirit of the Lord came upon him mightily, and he went down to Ashkelon and killed thirty of their men…” (Judges 14:19), and 3) Saul anointed king of Israel and “the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them” (1 Sam 10:10). It must be noted that in the Old Covenant the Holy Spirit would come upon and depart from individuals. We are told in 1 Samuel 16:14 that “the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and a distressing spirit from the Lord troubled him.” Also, when Samson’s hair was shaven, he awoke to shake himself free only to find “that the Lord had departed from him” (Jud 16:20). The work of the Holy Spirit in the Old Covenant was restricted, but there was an anticipation of a wider work of the Holy Spirit. In the Old Covenant, there is the anticipation of an outpouring of God’s Spirit with the coming of the Spirit anointed Messiah (Jeremiah 31, Ezekiel 36, Joel 2).

In the Ministry of Christ

In the Ministry of Christ, the Holy Spirit had a relational role. The Holy Spirit was active in Jesus’ birth, life, and death. The angel Gabriel told Mary that she would give birth to the Messiah when “the Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35). There was not a physical union between God and Mary, but a supernatural conception through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit descended on Jesus at His baptism (John 1:32) and filled Him throughout His earthly life and ministry. The Holy Spirit was the One who sent Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted (Matt 4:1). Jesus performed miracles through the Holy Spirit (Mat 12:28). The Lord spoke through Isaiah to prophesy of Jesus: “I will put My Spirit upon Him, and He will declare justice to the Gentiles” (Is 42:1-4). The Holy Spirit was at work in Jesus’ death and resurrection as the plan of redemption was carried out. Jesus spoke of the person and work of the Holy Spirit numerous times during His earthly ministry and the role He would play in the New Covenant.

In the New Covenant

In the New Covenant, the Holy Spirit has a redemptive role. After Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension, the role of the Holy Spirit changed. Whereas in the Old Covenant, the Holy Spirit would temporarily come upon specific persons in order to equip/empower them for specific tasks; in the New Covenant, the Holy Spirit permanently indwells persons enabling them to know and love God. Jesus stressed that He must go away so that He can send the Spirit to His disciples (John 16:7). When Jesus offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for sin (Heb 9:28), He poured out, as Mediator, the Spirit in a new way. The Holy Spirit, therefore, becomes our Helper (John 14:16) in the New Covenant. Because of Jesus’ work of redemption, the role of the Holy Spirit is active in the redemption of sinners. To be saved, you must be born of the Spirit (John 3:8). 

The Holy Spirit Restrains and Convicts. The Holy Spirit restrains evil (Is 59:19). He does not restrain all sin and evil, but He restrains evil according to the good will of the Father and prevents us from being tempted beyond what we are able to bear (1 Cor 10:13). In John 16:8-11, Jesus says that the Holy Spirit “will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me not more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.” Only the Holy Spirit can convince someone that they are a sinner who is in danger of damnation. He works to convict sinners and to draw them to Jesus so they may be saved.

The Holy Spirit Secures and Nourishes. The Holy Spirit secures Jesus’ followers. He is the downpayment (guarantee) promised to us by God (Eph 1:14). The Holy Spirit indwells (1 Cor 6:19), fills (Eph 5:18), sanctifies (Rom 15:16). The Holy Spirit works in the life of Jesus’ followers. We are to keep in step with the Spirit so that we may bear fruit for God and not gratify the desires of the flesh (Gal 5:16-26). The Holy Spirit produces fruit (Gal 5:22-23) and imparts gifts (Rom 12:6-8) to believers. The Holy Spirit prays on our behalf (Rom 8:26-27), He guides us in all truth (John 16:13), and gives us eternal life (John 6:63). 

The Holy Spirit Glorifies Jesus. The Holy Spirit glorifies Jesus. In John 16:14-15, Jesus said, “He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.” The fulfillment of Jesus’ promise to give the Holy Spirit was at Pentecost (Acts 2). At this particular Pentecost, Peter makes it clear that this is the fulfillment of Joel 2:28-32. This was the moment Jesus spoke of in Acts 1:8, “you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Scott Swain notes, “The Spirit does exist or act independently of the Son…He comes from Jesus Christ to glorify Jesus Christ (John 16:7,14).” 

Jesus spoke of the Holy Spirit in John 16:5-15 because He saw that His disciples had become sorrowful. They could not imagine life without Jesus with them. Jesus assured them that this was part of God’s plan of redemption. He encouraged them to trust Him and receive another Helper.