John: The Spirit’s Presence

John 16:4-15 

I've been a Christian for many years, and yet there’s still one thing I can’t quite grasp. Well, many things are hard to grasp, but today I’ll focus on one—God, the Holy One who is omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent, lives inside me and interacts with me. That blows my mind! 

Jesus had been telling his disciples that he would soon be leaving them, yet not completely abandoning them. They only heard the part where he said, “I am leaving you.” Their hearts were full of sorrow (John 16:6). At this point, they weren’t even that worried about where Jesus was heading (John 16:5). Instead, they focused on his coming absence and how it would affect them personally. They had given up everything to follow Jesus. Would they go back to their old lives? Were these three years with Jesus just a brief dream coming to an end? What would their friends think when they told them they had followed Jesus and seen incredible things? 

Then one day, he was gone, and they were... alone. But Jesus was not going to leave them by themselves.

Right before the cross, Jesus had an important truth that he needed to explain. He said, “I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you” (John 16:4). Since Jesus had been present with them, God also was present with them. But how would they still have God’s presence with them after Jesus left?

Here’s how Jesus explained it:

John 16:7-11
Nevertheless, 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. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. 

On earth, Jesus revealed that he was God in the flesh. While fully God, he chose to experience the limitations of a human body—such as being in only one place at a time. I know your employer and family expect you to be in several places at once, but that’s another story.

Jesus told the disciples that it was to their advantage that he was going away (John 16:7). Jesus’ departure would enable the Holy Spirit, the “Helper,” to come. As mentioned earlier, in his human body, Jesus’ presence was physically limited; however, the promised Spirit will dwell in every believer (John 14:16-17; 14:23; Rom. 8:9). 

One of the roles of the Holy Spirit is conviction. To convict means to present or reveal the facts and persuade someone of the truth. Here, Jesus explains that the Spirit will convict or convince the world about the truth regarding sin, righteousness, and judgment. 

What does Jesus mean by this? 

Convincing the world of the truth about sin. Most people struggle with accepting the reality of sin in their lives. We are too often adept at rationalizing our shortcomings. We’re willing to discuss our accidental failures and mistakes, but tend to reserve calling out actual sin for particularly heinous acts, like murder, sexual assault, terrorism, adultery, fraud, etc. But in J. I. Packer’s words, sin is not social error; it is “rebellion against, defiance of, retreat from consequent guilt before God the Creator….”[1] All of us have sinned and fall short of God’s holy standard (Rom. 3:23). We don’t become sinners because we sin; we sin because we are sinners. 

The work of the Spirit is to open our minds and hearts so we understand our desperate situation and consequently desire a relationship with God. The Spirit reveals to us that God considers sin so serious that he sent his Son to die on a cross, pouring out the wrath for all sin for all time on Jesus. We can’t even fathom that. But Jesus took on sin’s penalty as our substitute. Through his work on the cross, and only through his work on the cross, can we be spiritually healed. 

Convincing the world of righteousness. When Jesus was crucified, most people saw it as a sign that he was not the Messiah. They thought the one who might be the Christ was unrighteous after all because, according to the Law, those who are hung on a tree are cursed by God (Dt. 21:23; Gal. 3:13). 

But everything changed on the third day. The resurrection proved that Jesus was God’s righteous Servant (Acts 3:14-15; Isa. 53:11).

The Spirit is the one who convinces people of the righteousness of Jesus[2], who became sin for us so we could be made right with God. The apostle Paul says, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor. 5:21).

As believers, when we sin, Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, is there to advocate for us. John states in his first letter, “But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1). 

Convincing the world of judgment. The death and resurrection of Jesus condemned the prince of the world (John 12:31; Col. 2:15). One scholar likens Satan to a sentenced criminal. He remains active (1 Pet. 5:8), but his final punishment is coming (Rev. 20:2, 7-10).[3]

Satan’s defeat at the cross should motivate people to repent and avoid facing the final judgment. Here’s how the apostle Paul explained it to the Greek philosophers in Athens:

Acts 17:30-31
The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead. 

Jesus said that he still had many things to tell his disciples that they weren’t ready to hear (John 16:12). But “when the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak” and Jesus said the Spirit “will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you” (John 16:13-14). 

Jesus was leaving, but he was sending the Holy Spirit to carry on his powerful ministry through his followers. 

PERSONAL TIME WITH GOD
Time in the Word: Read and reflect on John 16:4-15.  Focus on the Spirit’s convicting work in your life.

Talking to God:  Are you listening and responding to the Spirit’s conviction in your life—or ignoring it? Ask God to help your heart be tender to the Spirit’s work.

Have Questions?
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