Jesus Sends You His Divine Helper!

Pentecost, 6/4/17
John 16:5-11


Jesus Sends You His Divine Helper!
I. To comfort you
II. To convince the world



Life has a way of coming full circle. For instance, you enter this world with nothing and you leave with nothing.

It also has a way of coming full circle in our reliance on others for help. For the first few months of our lives we were completely dependent on others for everything. A few decades later we were proud to proclaim that we were dependent on no one. In fact, we may have even felt invincible, as if we had the world by the tail. But the time may come when we are once again dependent on someone else for everything. I’ve stood by the bedside of people like that. I’m sure you have, too.

The disciples of Jesus came to realize how dependent they were on him. They became so accustomed to having him visibly and physically in their daily lives that they couldn’t imagine life without him. So, when he spoked to them very plainly about his plans to return to his Father in heaven, they were distraught. Even more so as they realized they were going to have to carry on his kingdom work without him.

But he promised them a Helper. And not just some helper, but a divine Helper. He promised to send them the Holy Spirit. That’s what we’re celebrating today. On Pentecost Jesus poured out his Holy Spirit into the hearts and lives of his disciples in order to help them.

Could you use a little help? Of course you could! Jesus sends it you. He sends you his divine Helper. Join me today in seeing how the Holy Spirit helps each one of us.

Part I.

Loneliness. Have you ever felt alone? You probably have, even when other people are around you. It can happen when a person who is very close to you moves far away. It can happen when a loved one passes away. Suddenly, you’re facing life without that person.

The disciples of Jesus could feel that sense of loneliness coming on as Jesus spoke these words of our text. This event occurred on the night before Jesus’ death. Not only had Jesus repeatedly informed them that he was going to Jerusalem to suffer and die, which has hard enough for them to process, now he told them, “I am going to him who sent me.”

Those words rocked their world. Jesus states what they were feeling, “Because I have said these things, you are filled with grief.” They were deeply concerned—not for Jesus, but for themselves. How would they carry on their daily lives without Jesus? They had come to depend on his presence so much that they couldn’t envision life without him. Can you blame them? If you had your loving Lord and Savior—the very Son of God in human flesh and blood—in your life visibly with all the blessings that would bring, could you imagine life without him?

Even more so, they knew what plans he had for them. The disciples weren’t simply groupies that followed Jesus to watch his every move and listen to his every word. They knew that Jesus was training them to carry on his work. He had even sent them out on short mission trips to get them used to doing that work. He carefully explained to them what they could expect as they did that work. There would be fierce opposition and yet the gospel would prevail. So, without Jesus visibly present with them, without his daily guidance and encouragement, without his divine analysis of what they faced each day and his omniscient advice on how to handle it, how could they possibly accomplish the kingdom work assigned to them?

Jesus sent them the Holy Spirit. That was always the plan. Jesus would do his work of redemption. He would pay the price of his holy blood to buy back every sinner from sin, death and hell. And then he would turn things over to the Holy Spirit. You heard Joel’s prophecy earlier. This was always God’s plan. Jesus would finish his work and then pour out the Holy Spirit. And that’s exactly what he states here in our text, “But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.” Jesus uses a peculiar name for the Holy Spirit. The Greek word is “Paraclete.” Our version translates it as “Counselor.” It means someone who speaks on behalf of someone else, an advocate. That advocate helps another person. In this instance, the Holy Spirit would help the disciples carry on the work Jesus assigned them. They wouldn’t have to worry about what to say as they went about their work, because the Holy Spirit would give them the words to speak. Consider Peter immediately after the Holy Spirit filled him. He boldly proclaims the message of Jesus crucified and risen and 3,000 people come to faith.

How comforting that must have been to the disciples as they tried to wrap their minds around the idea that Jesus would be returning to his Father! He would not be with them as he had been, but he was sending them the Holy Spirit, his divine Helper.

He has sent that same divine Helper to you. The Holy Spirit who brought you to faith in Jesus lives in you. You’re never alone! Jesus sends you his divine Helper to comfort you.

So, what troubles you? What things in your life interrupt your happiness and contentment? What keeps you awake at night? What makes you uneasy or puts you on edge? Perhaps it’s insecurity regarding your future or a loved one’s future. Perhaps it’s guilt over not being the person you should be. Or, it could be fear of the unknown. Perhaps feelings of being inadequate are paralyzing you. You’re not alone. Jesus’ disciples were plagued with the same feelings and emotions. And what did Jesus do about it? He comforted them by sending them the Holy Spirit, the same Holy Spirit that lives in you. That Spirit brings us the forgiveness Jesus won for us and wipes our guilt away. He fills us with certainty about our loving relationship with our God. He empowers us to meet whatever challenges arise in our lives as God’s people. He fills us with his presence and uses us to share his saving wisdom. In other words, he’s exactly the Helper we need, sent by Jesus himself.

Part II.

OK. So we’re good with the divine Helper living in us and comforting us. But what about the world we live in? Look what’s happening. A local mother does the unthinkable to her children. We’re dealing with national unrest and international chaos. What can we possibly do about any of it?

Imagine if you were one of the twelve disciples. You’re just one of twelve average Jewish men. There’s no earthly organization to support you and yet Jesus is sending you out to literally change the world. How can you possibly accomplish it?

With the divine Helper. It wasn’t up to the disciples to change the world or even a single human heart. They couldn’t do that work if they wanted to. That’s the work of the Holy Spirit. Jesus stated, “When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.” Jesus speaks of the Holy Spirit doing three things. Let’s look at each one.

Our version uses the word “convict” to describe the Holy Spirit’s work. It has the connotation of “convince.” He uses his word to prove that something is true.

First, he will convict or convince the world of guilt in regard to sin. The greatest sin is not believing that Jesus is the world’s only Savior. The Holy Spirit’s work is to use his word to convince sinful humans that Jesus is their Savior. We see him doing that gracious work today!

He will also convict or convince the world of guilt regarding righteousness. Sinful people do not make themselves right with God by their own efforts. The righteousness God demands he gives us by faith in Jesus. His righteousness is the only righteousness that saves us.

Finally, he will convict or convince the world of guilt regarding judgment. Jesus is here speaking about his victory over Satan which he would accomplish by his death and resurrection. In doing so, he eternally condemned Satan and all his hellish lies. The Holy Spirit uses the word of God to share the truth—that there is only one true God and the only way to eternal life is through faith in Jesus.

Immediately on the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit began using the disciples to do that work and he’s still doing it today through us. Through the words of God’s truth that we speak, through the missionaries, pastors and teachers that we support with our offerings, the Holy Spirit is doing his work of convincing the people of this world of their guilt and bringing them to faith in Jesus.

Jesus sent his divine Helper on Pentecost and the saving blessings of Pentecost still roll on today! He is still convincing the world of its guilt and convincing the world that Jesus is the only solution to guilt.

More than once I’ve succumbed to a defeatist attitude when it comes the present condition of our world. It seems things have gotten so evil and so tragic that there’s nothing I can do about it anymore. Have you reached the same conclusion? Shame on us! The world is no worse today than it was on the day of Pentecost. And what did Jesus do about it? He poured out his Holy Spirit who began convincing sinful people of their sin and their Savior from sin, Jesus Christ. And he’s still doing that work, one sinful soul at a time, through you and me. Jesus has sent you and me his divine Helper. Let’s get busy unleashing his saving power on our dark and evil world. He promises to bless our efforts because the Holy Spirit is our divine Helper. Amen.