Sermon Notes + 2.18.2024

The Helper
John 16:5-24
Dr. Tony Chute, Lead Pastor

Overview: Jesus prepares the disciples for His departure by acknowledging their sorrow and anticipating their joy. The disciples do not fully understand why Jesus is leaving or where He is going, so Jesus reassures them that His departure is temporary and ultimately to their advantage. His initial absence will be difficult for them, but upon seeing Him again, they will rejoice forevermore. Moreover, the Holy Spirit will apply the work of Christ to those who once hated Christ, unfold the teachings of Christ to those who are growing in Christ, and make the presence of Christ real to those who abide in Christ. So, far from leaving the disciples on their own, Jesus promises to extend the Father’s kingdom through the once saddened but now joyful disciples. We, too, can experience the joy of the first disciples by trusting in Christ and living for Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit.

01. We seldom understand how our sorrow can be turned to joy, but let us trust the Father who gives us His Son and His Spirit, knowing He works all things for His glory and our good.

02. We are not at a disadvantage worshiping Jesus, whom we have never seen; let us draw near to Him by the Holy Spirit, who brought us to faith and also builds us up in the faith.

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION & DISCOVERY

1. Consider what the disciples had given up to follow Jesus, what they had experienced with Jesus, and what they were facing apart from Jesus. How difficult was their sorrow upon learning that He was leaving? In what ways can you acknowledge the sorrow in the lives of others while pointing them to God’s goodness in Christ?

2. What does Jesus mean when He tells the disciples that His departure is to their advantage? Do you think it would be more advantageous to see Jesus in person rather than have the presence of the Spirit? What advantages do we have now that the Spirit is with us and within us?

3. In what ways does the Holy Spirit make Christ real to us? How does the Spirit bring us to Christ, unite us to Christ, and preserve us in Christ? How does the Spirit illuminate God’s Word for us?

4. What does this passage teach about the work of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit with respect to the plan of redemption? How is each person of the Trinity involved in our salvation? See Ephesians 1:3-14 for further insight.

5. What encouragement can we derive from this passage as it relates to evangelism? How does the promise of Jesus in this passage find partial fulfillment in the apostolic preaching of Acts 2:14-41? In what ways have you seen the Spirit of God open hearts that were once hardened against the gospel? Pray that God will give you opportunities to share the gospel in the power of the Spirit.

For Further Reading: Gregg Allison and Andreas Köstenberger, The Holy Spirit (B&H Academic, 2020)