JOHN 16:5-15 (ESV)

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.

Reflection Questions

John 16:8-11

• How have I experienced the Holy Spirit’s work of convicting me of sin, righteousness and judgment?

John 16:12-15

“Jesus told his disciples directly that the revelation to date was incomplete. They were not sufficiently mature to understand all he wished to impart. A second function of the Holy Spirit would be to lead them into the full comprehension of all he could give them.”^[1]

• What can I learn about Jesus from the fact that although he had so much to say to the disciples, he told them only what he knew they could bear?
• Are there some situations where I need to cling on to the fact that “when the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide [me] into all the truth”? How does this provide encouragement for the work God is asking us to do in ministering to people in all stages of their spiritual journey?

[1] Gary M. Burge, “John 16:4b–33” In The NIV Application Commentary: John (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 2000), 433-457.