In this chapter, Christ continues to pour forth comfort for His church. He doesn't hide the trouble and difficulty that awaits them; He doesn't want them to stumble because they are unprepared for what will happen (v. 1). He tells them how it will all work out for great good for them and the whole world, despite the anguish and travail that awaits. A new world is coming forth out of this pain and suffering, and that perspective will enable the disciples to endure. They will have all that they need in the triune God. The Spirit, who is the Comforter, will work in them, teach them, and be with them. The Father, to whom Christ is going, will give them what they ask for in Christ's name. And Christ Himself is Heir of all things. He is Victor over all. There is no comfort higher, deeper, or broader than the comfort of a triune God.

The Spirit, The Comforter⤒🔗

We need to be clear: suffering and persecution are part and parcel of what it means to follow Christ in this darkened world. It's not just persecution with words or angry looks; people will kill Christians, thinking they are honoring God while they are doing that (v. 2). We see this to be true throughout the ages, and still today, as many Christians lose their lives doing good or are being murdered by those who think they are serving God. Christ makes clear that we should pity the persecutors: they don't know the Father or the Son (v. 3).

In the midst of their suffering, the Comforter will come to the aid of the disciples. From their enemies there will be persecution; from the Spirit, will come persuasion. Notice that the Spirit will not use physical force in this battle that rages, but truth! "When he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment" (v. 8). That means that the Spirit will work in the hearts and in the consciences of people fights a battle in the mind – a force greater and more powerful than that of physical power.

Christ must leave the disciples now, for otherwise this Comforter can't come. Instead of Christ walking among them, He will be in their hearts, filling their minds, teach­ing in their hearts. It is Christ who tells His disciples: "I will be with you through My Spirit, and wherever you are, the Spirit will help you as you witness of Me." In a way, Christ never leaves, but He stays with them in a different way.

What Christ says to the disciples here is very important for us as well. Sometimes we can wish that Christ were with us physically like He was when He was on the earth. But things are actually much better now. If we are Christians, we don't just have Christ with us now, but Christ is in us through His Spirit. He dwells in our hearts and teaches, comforts, and helps us whenever we need.

In the middle of this teaching we find a statement from Christ that looks strange on the surface. He says to the disciples: "None of you asketh me, Whither goest thou?" (v. 5). What is strange about this is that the disciples had asked this question in a way. For example, in John 13:36, Peter asked: "Whither goest thou?" And in John 14:5, Thomas had said: "We know not whither thou goest." So what does Christ mean? The best understanding of Christ's statement is that His disciples are looking at Christ's departure in a wrong way. They had asked this question concerned about what Christ's departure would mean for them, not what this would mean for Christ or the Father. The pain and loss they anticipated shaded their focus as they asked this ques­tion, whereas the way Christ tells them they should ask it puts all the emphasis on what it means for Christ and for His Father. In other words, the disciples are being selfish. They should be thrilled for the Father and the Son, that they will be together again because Jesus will accomplish His mission! Ironically, if they had asked it that way, they would have seen much benefit accruing to themselves.

The Spirit will benefit the church, but only because He glorifies the Father and the Son. He is named here as the Paraclete – the Comforter or Advocate. Literally, the word means: someone who stands next to you in a court of law and takes your side. So the Spirit is not a Comforter simply in the sense of bringing about nice feelings or emotions. He is a Revealer of the truth that sets us free (John 8:32). The Paraclete is a Prosecutor of the wayward and murderous world and a Defender of the people of God. He comes alongside them in a way that will truly help them and bring comfort, not simply with "quiet whispers" or "sweet nothings," but with truth. "He will guide you into all truth" (v. 13). This truth corrects, teaches, and guides, but most of all this truth comforts; it reassures believers of God's presence and His care even though He has physically left. What comfort lies in the Spirit of Christ!

Christ, The Heir←⤒🔗

At the same time, the Spirit will disciple believers and lead them into the truth of Christ. He will show them how precious Christ is and how glorious a Savior He is. Christ anticipates this moment with great eagerness. "He shall glorify me" (v. 14). How happy Christ must have been at this prospect. He sees it already happening because His Father has promised it. His disciples will know God in their hearts and they will learn to live completely for Him. Their hearts will be filled with happiness, and no one can take that happiness away. They will be healed from the life of sin they had been living. They will radiate with joy and love for others. None of this will be superficial in God's children; it will be a deep well of joy and love.

Another thing that makes Christ very happy is what He says in verse 15: "All things that the Father hath are mine." Here is Christ's shout of triumph. It's like an heir who looks on the testament that is left him, and finds a glorious estate that he will inherit. The Son, who will suffer greatly, sees all that He inherits and it is massive: everything will be His! All the people chosen by God will be His, as will the glory be that comes from His saving work. His triumph is sure and secure. The Father doesn't hold back anything; He gladly makes everything that is His belong to the Son. All the glory of the Father is the Son's. All the throne of the Father is the Son's. All the beauty of the Father is the Son's. All the designs of the Father are the Son's. All the angels of the Father are the Son's. All the men and women of the Father are the Son's. All the boasting of the Father is the Son's!

Christians need to remember this inheritance, especially in the midst of trials and tribulations. We can only be of good cheer and of good courage when we remember what Christ said: "I have overcome the world" (v. 33). It's not a question of whether He will overcome: He has overcome the world. Believers are not fighting towards triumph; they are fighting out of His triumph on the cross! The world is His, and therefore we know that all battles and all trials in this world are already won by Him. It makes us certain that the power of our God conquers forever. Victory is a certainty!

The Father, Who Himself Loves You←⤒🔗

How easy it is to lose sight of victory in the midst of difficulty. Is it any wonder we need the Spirit to show us "the things to come" (v. 13)? The Spirit redirects our focus to the future when we lose perspective and are distracted by circumstances around us. He points our gaze to heaven, from where the Father rules this world.

Christians are not people who pretend that difficulties aren't real. But they also discover that difficulties are productive of future blessing for those who believe! The sufferings of the present time are not worth comparing to the glories which shall be (Rom. 8:18). Scripture compares it to what women experience as they experience labor pains in the birth of a child (see John 16:20-21; compare Isa. 26:17). The anguish comes in waves and the pain may seem unbearable at the time, but after the delivery there is great joy. So it is when Christ is formed in the hearts of untold numbers of people.

Praying directly to the Father is made possible only through Christ (v. 26). The Father sees His people through His Son, and through His Son, they may see the Father. When Christ was on the earth, even the disciples didn't generally pray to the Father. Even though Christ taught the disciples to say: "Our Father, which art in heaven" (Matt. 6:9), we don't read them doing that much. They prayed to God and cried to Christ in their need, for He was physically present among them. But after Christ's ascension, we have many examples of praying to the Father (e.g., Eph. 1:22; 1:17; 3:14).

Christ says it so astonishingly: "At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you: For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out form God" (v. 27). That means that the Father Himself looks upon His people with the same love that He has towards Christ. He regards them as He does His Son. He answers them as He does His Son. As sons and daughters of God, they have direct access to the Father, and He loves them.

The Comforter is still here to comfort believers in the difficulties of life. Christians often struggle in their battle with them self, a fight against sin. We feel like strangers on earth – like we don't really belong, that people look down upon us for believing. But we know that we only suffer a short time, and that one day we will be with Christ, where all the struggles of this world will be forgotten as we receive and enjoy the inheritance promised to us.

Questions←⤒🔗

1. What forms of persecution can believers suffer? Can the comfort of this chapter be known in ways other than direct persecution?
2. How is the Holy Spirit a comforter? In what ways does He comfort? Name the three tasks of the Spirit in verses 7-14. Can you see the Spirit at work today?
3. How is verse 15 a shout of triumph? What sig­nificance should this truth have for the Christian (compare 1 Cor. 3:21-22)?
4. What roles does the Trinity have in prayer? Does this mean we address the Father, Son, and Spirit differently in prayer?
5. What is the importance of praying "in Jesus's name" (v. 26)?
6. In what way is verse 33 a summary of the whole chapter? In what ways do we experience this truth?