Book: John
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John 15:26
Intro. Jesus basically has been telling His disciples that it is going
           to be rough. You are to take the gospel into all the world, but
           the world is going to hate you, persecute you, and for the most
           part not receive your words. The servant is not greater than
           his Lord.

I. The promised help. "But when the Comforter is come."
        A. The Greek word parakletus which literally means one who comes
           along side to help.
                1. You do not have to go it alone, I am sending someone
                   along side of you to help you.
                2. We could never make it apart from the help of the Holy
                   Spirit.
        B. This is the third mention of the Comforter in this discourse
           with His disciples.
                1. In 14:16 He said that He would pray the Father and He
                   would give them another Comforter, to abide with them
                   forever.
                2. In 14:26 He said, "But the Comforter which is the Holy
                   Spirit whom the Father will send in My name, He shall
                   teach you all things and bring all things to your
                   remembrance that I have said to you."
                3. Here the Comforter is mentioned in the context of
                   sharing the truth of Jesus with a hostile world.
                4. In 16:8 it is said that when He comes He will reprove
                   the world of sin, righteousness, and of judgment.
                5. In 16:13 He is said to be the guide into all truth.
                        a. Of things to come.
                        b. He will glorify Jesus.

II. The One sending the help. "Whom I will send to you from the Father."
        A. "And I will pray the Father and He shall give to you another
            Comforter."
                1. But the Comforter which is the Holy Spirit, whom the
                   Father will send in My name.
                2. Here He said that He would send Him.
                3. Again in 16:7 He said that He would send the Holy
                   Spirit. If I depart, I will send Him unto you.
        B. This as might be expected has created a division in the church.
           The Roman Catholic church and the Eastern Orthodox church is
                   divided over this issue.
                1. Did the Father send the Holy Spirit, or did Jesus?
                2. What difference does it make?
                3. To me it only further demonstrates the unity of the
                   Godhead.
        C. He is called here the Spirit of truth.
                1. Three times in this discourse is He referred to as the
                   Spirit of truth.
                        a. 14:17
                        b. 16:13
                        c. In I John he speaks of the Spirit of truth and
                           the spirit of error.
                        d. It is recognized by the teaching concerning the
                           divinity of Jesus.
                2. He is said to proceed from the Father.
        D. When Peter was explaining to the wondering crowd on the day of
           Pentecost just what was happening, he said, that God had raised
           Jesus from the dead and therefore being exhalted, and having
           received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has
           shed forth this which you now see.
                1. So that the Holy Spirit has come to us from the Father
                   through the Son.
        E. Jesus said, "He will testify of Me."
                1. When He reproves the world of sin, it is the sin of not
                   believing on Jesus.
                2. When He testifies of righteousness, it is pointing to
                   the righteousness of Jesus that is the necessary
                   requirement to entering the kingdom of heaven.
                3. His testimony of judgment is that the prince of this
                   world has been judged by Jesus at the cross.
                4. When we are told to test the spirits to see if they are
                   from God, we are told that every Spirit that testifies
                   that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God."
                5. The Holy Spirit is not here to exhalt Himself, or to
                   testify of Himself, but of Jesus.
                6. I imagine that when He sees these big banners or
                   advertisements of a Holy Ghost Revival, that He must
                   feel that He has failed in His task to point men to
                   Jesus.

III. The result of the power of the Holy Spirit. "And you also shall bear
        witness of Me, for you have been with Me from the beginning."
        A. When Peter spoke of the necessity of appointing someone to take
           the place of Judas, one of the requirements was that they
           needed someone who had been with them from the beginning.
                1. This must be the reason that Peter made this
                   requirement.
        B. When Jesus promised that the gift of the Holy Spirit to be
           given to the disciples, He said, "But you will receive power
           after the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be
           witnesses unto Me."
                1. One of the main purposes of the Holy Spirit is to give
                   us power to be effective witnesses of Jesus Christ to
                   this doubting world that hates Him and hates you
                   because you are bearing witness of Him.
                2. We see the fulfillment of this in the book of Acts.
                3. On the day of Pentecost when Peter addressed that vast
                   throng of people, He courageously witnessed to them
                   about Jesus Christ.
                4. After the miracle of the healing of the lame man, when
                   they were arrested and began to experience the hatred
                   and persecution for their witness of Jesus Christ, they
                   realized the need of more power, so they prayed that
                   God would give the boldness to speak His word.
                5. When they were through praying the place was shaken,
                   and received sort of a recharge of their batteries, and
                   they spoke the word of God with boldness.