“And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever, the Spirit of truth… But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” John 14v1-2
On the night of his betrayal, just hours before his crucifixion, Jesus gathered with his disciples for one final meal. They were bewildered and fearful – their Master had announced that He would soon be leaving them, and they were struggling to process the implications of this.
Against this background Jesus seeks to re-assure them. Part of the encouragement He provides involves the promise that the Father will give them His Holy Spirit, whom Jesus calls the Spirit of truth. This title is significant, for through His character, His works and His words, Jesus had revealed the truth about His Father to the disciples; indeed, He is Himself the image of the invisible God and the exact representation of His being. However, in all of their confusion and misunderstanding, much of this revelation had been lost on the disciples. Nevertheless, Jesus now assures them that the Spirit of truth will teach them all things and remind them of all that He had said to them. It was the fulfilment of this promise that would later enable them to proclaim the gospel of Christ with clarity and power. Indeed, it was through the revealing and illuminating work of the Spirit that they were able to write the New Testament Scriptures, which reveal and testify to the person and work of Christ.
But that is not the end of the story. It’s the same Holy Spirit that opens our spiritual eyes today to understand and receive the revelation of Christ in the pages of the Bible. Without Him we would remain spiritually blind and lost in our sins, but through Him we can now see and savour the glory of our Saviour and His redeeming work. Indeed, He is still the Spirit of truth. Praise God for the work of His Spirit!
Bryan Marx
Grahamstown Baptist Church
