Clear Vision — Bible — Andrew Forrest

John 16:4b-15

4b “I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. 5 But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 7 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. 8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 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 he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

Forty days after the resurrection, Jesus ascended to be with the Father. This ascension is recounted in the Apostles’ Creed. (I’ve bolded the relevant portion, below.)

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth;
And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord:
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, dead, and buried;
he descended to the dead.
The third day he rose again from the dead;
he ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father
Almighty;
from there he shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic* church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.

*universal, of or belonging to the whole

The ascension is a good thing, because before He ascended, Jesus could be bodily present only in one place at one time, but the Spirit whom He has sent can be with all the church at all times.

One of the things the Spirit now does is show the sinfulness of the world.

8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged [John 16:8–11].

This is one of the ways that the Spirit helps God’s people walk in truth, by showing them the errors of the world.

QUESTION OF THE DAY
Where do you need the Holy Spirit to guide you into truth (v.13) today?

P.S. The Gospel of John is filled with deep trinitarian language. For example: the Spirit glorifies the Son (16:14), who glorifies the Father (17:4), who glorifies the Son (8:54).