Lesson 237 - Senior

Memory Verse

"Verily, verily, I say unto you.  He that be­lieveth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father" (John 14:12).

Cross References

I Words of Caution

1. Jesus warned His disciples not to be offended in Him because of coming difficulties, [JHN:16:1];[JHN:15:11]; [MAT:11:6];[MAT:26:31]; [MAK:14:27]; [ZEC:13:7].

2. Persecutions unto death were predicted by Jesus for their future, [JHN:16:2]; [MAT:10:17];[MAT:10:18]; [MAT:24:9-10];[1COR:4:11-13]; [REV:2:10].

3. Jesus told His disciples they would be persecuted because of wicked men who knew not God, [JHN:16:3];[JHN:15:21]; [2TM:4:14-15].

II The Promise of the Comforter

1. Jesus promised He would send the Comforter from the Father, in His stead, after He was gone, [JHN:16:7];[JHN:14:16-17]; [JHN:14:26]; [JHN:15:26]; [LUK:24:49].

2. The Comforter would guide, comfort, and instruct the Church of God; and carry on God's plan of salvation in the world, [JHN:16:8-15].

3. The Comforter shall take of the things of God and show

Notes

Parting Advice

As the climax of Jesus' life approached, which was His death and resurrection, it became necessary for Him to further enlighten His disciples concerning that momentous event. He had told them previously that He must die, but they did not yet realise the full significance of such statements. They became sorrowful at such persistent talk by Jesus that He must die, and consequently Jesus sought to alleviate somewhat their misgivings and sadness. He had been the expounder of the doctrines regarding the Kingdom of God to them; He was their Lord and King; and without Him all hope and inspiration was gone, so far as they were concerned. Jesus knew the proper method of helping them, and so instructed them in that which soon must transpire.

He told them the truth of what must transpire and what they must endure in the days ahead. "To be fore-warned is to be forearmed," and such forearming is what Jesus sought to accomplish in His disciples. Jesus went to some length to tell them what to expect, and said, "These things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them." (Read [JHN:16:4];[JHN:15:18]; [JHN:15:27].)

The sailor at sea, warned by his barometer of a coming storm, prepares his ship for heavy weather. His foreknowledge of a coming storm enables him to prepare for it, whereas without such knowledge, his lack of preparation might cost him his ship and his life. It is so with the child of God. Warned by the Word of God of the wrath of God that will soon come against the world, he prepares himself for that which will come.

The foreknowledge and truth of what is coming to pass upon the earth, as it is revealed through the Word of God, does not frighten the Christian. On the contrary, his faith in God is increased because God has revealed the truth to him, and he is emboldened and strengthened by it. Life may become exceedingly difficult, even for the Christian; yet he knows that God's Word is true and that if he remains faithful, God will bring him into a safe place. (Read [PS:107:23-30]).

The Promise of the Father

Jesus knew it would take more than just the letter of truth to sufficiently encourage His people in the trials ahead, so He told them of the "Comforter" who would come to comfort the people of God. (Read [JHN:16:7]; [2CO:3:6]:) This Comforter is the third Person of the Godhead -- the Holy Spirit. He would be their source of inspiration and comfort in the absence of Jesus. Jesus told His disciples that it was expedient that He go away, for if He did not go, the Comforter would not come to them. Therefore, while the disciples were saddened by the prospect of no longer having the fellowship and presence of Jesus with them, they were comforted by the knowledge that they would not be left alone. The promise of the Comforter, combined with the foreknowledge of what must transpire in their lives, became a great source of strength and inspiration which enabled them to resist all persecutions and in the end obtain eternal life. The knowledge that Jesus had previously told them of these things was a bulwark no discouragement could tear down.

Divine Teacher

God's Word informs us that the Holy Spirit has the responsibility of guiding, leading, and instructing the body of Christ through God's ordained leaders. No earthly church, group, organisation, or individual has ever instituted any of those divine instructions -- or ever will. This has been the sole responsibility and privilege of the Holy Spirit, and none other. The Holy Spirit is the infallible Teacher and Revealer of God's great plan of salvation to His ministers and to His saints.

John the Beloved says of this One who would teach God's people: "But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him." (Read [1JN:2:27]; [ISA:8:20]; [NEH:9:20]; [1CO:2:13].)

It should be remembered that the primary and most important method the Holy Spirit uses to instruct the people of God is through the medium of the Bible. God has exalted His Word above His name, and we read of this matter, "For thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name" [PS:138:2]). God's Spirit is not in conflict with the Word of God, and the Scriptures bear this out. "To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them" [ISA:8:20]). Furthermore, the Spirit and the Word must agree: "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one" ([1JN:5:7]).

The Comforter is the One who opens the Word of God to that person who will listen, and so encourages his faith in God that he will believe unto salvation. The disciples had Jesus to strengthen their faith with His counsel, encouragement, and mighty miracles; the believer has the Holy Spirit to do the same for him today.

No doubt, most Christians have thought at some time or other that they would have liked to have lived in the days of Jesus Christ, and to have been a witness of the great things that He performed. They thought of the great inspiration they would have obtained from such a contact with Jesus. That such inspiration would not be lacking in the days following the ascension of Christ, God sent the Comforter to dwell with men. The Spirit has been the inspiration for us of the Christian dispensation, as Jesus was the inspiration for those of His day. Jesus said of the Comforter: "He shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you" [JHN:16:14];[JHN:16:15].

Thomas doubted the witness of the other disciples that Jesus had risen from the grave. Only after Thomas met Jesus face to face did he believe Jesus was indeed alive. Jesus told him, "Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed" [JHN:20:29]). While we have not seen Jesus with our mortal eyes, we have heard the voice of the Spirit of God, and have believed that which the Holy Spirit hath revealed to us of Christ.

The Earnest of Our Inheritance

It should be realised that the knowledge of sins forgiven -- a state of justification before God; and even the blessedness of entire sanctification -- the second work of grace in the believer's heart; do not bring the indwelling Comforter whom Jesus promised. The Spirit of God is a witness to the believer that he is saved and has been adopted into the household of faith. (Read [ROM:8:14-16]; [2COR:1:22]; [1JN:5:6-10].) The Spirit of God likewise bears witness to our sanctification, and we then possess more of the Spirit's power and presence with us. (Read [1CO:2:12-13]; [2TS:2:13]; [1PE:1:12].) But it is at the time of the Biblical experience of the baptism of the Holy Ghost that the Comforter comes to abide in the temple of the human body and soul. This is clearly shown by the command Jesus gave to His disciples after His resurrection: "Behold. I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high" [LUK:24:49]). The disciples obeyed this command; and while tarrying in prayer on the Day of Pentecost, they received the Comforter. (Read [ACT:2:1-21].)

The receiving of the Holy Ghost by the 120 gathered in the upper room was in accordance with the prophecy of Joel. (Read [JOE:2:28-29].) Jesus said He would come to all who desired Him, and Peter reaffirmed this in the sermon he preached on the Day of Pentecost, from which we read: "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call" [ACT:2:38-39]).

It is this receiving of the Holy Spirit that Paul was referring to when he wrote: "In whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory" [EPH:1:13-14]).

Promise of Return

Jesus did not leave His disciples without hope of seeing Him again after His death. He comforted them with the statement: "Ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you" [JHN:16:22]). This statement can be called a double prophecy or promise. Not only were the disciples to see Jesus again after His resurrection, but they would see Him again as He will appear in the great day of resurrection.

They were indeed to have sorrow, and that very soon, for Jesus was soon to suffer death on the cross. That event, which was so tragic to them, plunged their hearts into much grief as He had warned them it would; but they already had His promise that their joy would return, and that that joy would not be taken from them. That promise was fulfilled; for when they saw the reality of His resurrection they were filled with a supreme joy because of His triumph over death. That joy has ever since been the hope and the backbone of the Gospel.

No man can take away that joy from a child of God, for he knows that his Lord does live. He will return again for those of His own who are yet alive and for the righteous dead. Of all the religions in the world today the Gospel of Jesus Christ stands alone in its irrefutable proof of the resurrection of its Founder. Infallible proof of the truth of God's Word and of the life and resurrection of Jesus Christ is given by God through the Holy Spirit to those who will believe. Herein is the joy that shall come to all who believe the Gospel, even as it came to Jesus' disciples as He had promised.

Asking and Receiving

Jesus said, "Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you." So we have the wonderful privilege of going to God in prayer, and in the name of Jesus asking and receiving our petitions from Him. This marvellous and inspiring discourse was closed with the words that have since been a great source of hope and strength for the people of God: "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."

Questions

1. Why did Jesus warn His disciples not to be offended in Him?

2. From what source did He say persecutions would arise against them?

3. Why was it necessary for Jesus to go away?

4. Who is the Comforter? and what does He do?

5. To whom will the Comforter come?

6. Why were the disciples sad?

7. When would their joy return? and for what reason?