Present • John 15:26-16:33
By Clay Anthony
Whatever the job you have, no doubt it involves a job description. There are expectations for you to meet. There are regulations for you to understand and certain duties that are required. Usually, this information is shared prior to accepting a job. Both employer and employee agree that the description best fits the needs for the tasks that are to be accomplished.
One of the most important items on a job description is the start date. There is work to be done and a need to be met. Often, we hear the question, “When can you start?”
John includes a job description for the Holy Spirit in today’s text. Keep in mind that these verses are found between the latter part of John 15 and Passion Week. The disciples have just been warned that they will be hated because of Jesus, and just a few days later these same men are in hiding after the death of Jesus.
It was only then that they realize they indeed need a Helper to get them on with the mission that Jesus has left them. This moment for them proves crucial in looking back and recalling Jesus’ claims of what the job of the Holy Spirit entails.
This group of nobodies is given the task of spreading the word of Jesus to the world. How are they to do that? How are they to recall all that He had said and done? They have a three-year degree in ministry from being with Jesus but on a practical side, just what are they supposed to being doing?
In verses 26-27, Jesus promises to send the Helper to testify all about Him. John 14:26 is a great verse that builds on this thought. All that they need in power to accomplish the task of evangelizing the world is hand delivered to them via the testimony of the Holy Spirit. That is part of His job.
Verse seven at first reading seems out of sync with the rest of the story. Is it good for Jesus to leave? When He is present, all seems right with the world. He taught and strengthened His followers as no one in history ever had.
Jesus leaving can never be a good thing, right? That is, unless His goal is to reach beyond one physical spot at a time. Yes, Jesus preached, healed, encouraged, and pointed people to God as only He could but what was birthed in Bethlehem and centered around Jerusalem needed to be released to the world.
The disciples would receive the third person of the Trinity as a unique and separate person to carry on the work of Jesus everywhere their feet would travel. What the world needed then is exactly what the world needs now: conviction. All that word means is to be shown where you are wrong.
Did the people of that time need to be shown where they were wrong over sin and where they were living right, along with a reminder of the coming judgement? (vv. 8-11). That is part of His job.
Moving from Easter into Acts, would the disciples need further assistance in carrying out the Great Commission? Yes, and for the remainder of their lives the Holy Spirit is seen revealing direction to their words and work.
Simply glance through your Bible’s concordance for, “Holy Spirit,” and you will discover the moves that He made in and around these men and the Apostle Paul, whose work came later.
We read in verses 12-15 words like authority, declare, and guide. These people are expected to speak clearly and loudly of the truth that they have learned from Jesus
The Holy Spirit would bring to mind all that they were to recall. He also gave them the power they needed to get their message across (Acts 1:8). This is part of His job.
Again, when will this begin? When will the Holy Spirit start? The need is great, and the work needs to begin presently. Rereading these verses, we see that the word, “comes,” appears often. When Jesus is speaking here, the Holy Spirit is residing in the presence of God the Father. The lives of the disciples were forever changed for the better when Jesus left and sent the Helper (Acts 2).
At that point they knew what to say, knew how the world needed convicting, and were guided in where to go and what to do for the Kingdom.
That was their job and today, through that same Holy Spirit, it is now ours.
Anthony is missions pastor at Harrisburg Church, Tupelo. He may be contacted at claynell@aol.com.
