Pastor’s Pen Pulpit

April 10, 2005

WHAT THE HELPER WILL DO

John 14:25, 26

Today we will continue our study in John 14 where Jesus has been preparing His disciples for the time when He will be leaving them and returning to His Father in Heaven. Jesus tells His disciples: These things I have spoken to you, while abiding with you.

“These things” is a reference to what Jesus had been teaching them beginning in John 13:31. Now He reminds them that He is leaving them. However He makes a promise to them:

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.

Another Helper who is the Holy Spirit would replace Jesus. The word “another” is a key word in this text. The Greek word Allos means “Another of the same kind.” So this allos Helper would be a helper just like Jesus: He would be a Person and He would be God! He said the Father would send Him in My name. So the trinity is involved in the work of the other Helper. This teaches us that the Helper can be trusted. Also this other Helper would be IN them (John 14:17). While Jesus was with them on earth, the Helper was also with them. Verse 17 states “He abides with you and shall be IN you.” This indwelling would take place at Pentecost where the Holy Spirit initially took up His permanent residence within the new church forever.

Today, when an individual believes in Jesus Christ, thus receiving salvation, the Helper, the Holy Spirit, takes up residence within that person (John 7:39; Romans 5:5; 8:9; Ephesians 1:13,14). Jesus told His disciples that the Spirit would teach them all things. However, the “all things” must be qualified. He would not literally teach them all things without qualification or exception, as only God knows that. The “all things” must be in reference to the truth regarding whom He came to represent (John 16:13,14). He also teaches us the deep things of God (I Corinthians 2:9-12).

We need to discuss the word “teach”. To teach means to communicate truth so that truth can be understood. In other words to - bring truth into focus or perspective. In using the old overhead projectors, they would often get out of focus. When that happened everything written on the overhead became a blur. The projector would have to be refocused in order to read what was on the overhead. Biblical truth is like that unfocused overhead. When we try to read and understand the meaning, the passage or verse becomes a blur. The Holy Spirit works in our minds to refocus truth so that we understand its meaning. He removes the blur from the truth. The Helper enables the believer to comprehend truth within the Divine realm.

Also, He would bring to their remembrance all that Jesus had taught them. In their case it was a reminder of what Jesus taught. In our case it is assistance in understanding and applying the Word of God to our lives. When you immerse your minds in God’s Word, The Helper will give you recall in times when you need certain references to apply to a particular problem. He can do this because He has a vast reservoir from which He can draw. In John 16:13 Jesus promised that the Spirit would guide the Apostles into ALL the truth. In the lifetime of the Apostles, all of the New Testament was completed. Also the Lord Jesus seems to have presented in capsule form all the teaching that is developed by the Holy Spirit in the rest of the New Testament.

Just remember that you cannot understand the spiritual truth of Scripture on your own. So, when you sit down to read God’s Word, ask the Helper, the Holy Spirit to help you to understand and apply the truth of God to your heart. God bless and have a good week.

Suggestions for prayer: Pray for clear understanding of God’s truth when you read the Scriptures – also that you have the true meaning of the truth you are reading.

For further study: Psalm 119:18; John 16:12,13; I Corinthians 2:10, 11; I John 2:27