John 15:26-27 26When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, that one will bear witness about me. 27And you yourselves also bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.
This is the third mention of the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ last meal with his disciples before his arrest, trial, and crucifixion. He Jesus several significant attributes of the Holy Spirit in these verses. First is the repeat of the Holy Spirit as the Helper, Advocate, and Counselor (paraklētos; 14:16–17, 26). The Holy Spirit is God’s resource for dealing with persecution. The world responded to Jesus with hatred and would do the same to the disciples, but they would not be left alone to deal with opposition to them or their message of truth. The Holy Spirit stands along side of believers, offering peace when they face with threats, chaos, or uncertainty.
Second, Jesus sends the Spirit from the Father. The Spirit comes from the Father through the Son as the Son’s gift to his followers. Jesus was born by the Spirit and received a special anointing of the Spirit at baptism. Jesus as the “enfleshment” of the invisible Spirit. Through faith in Jesus, a person experiences new life through the work of the Spirit. The connection between the Son and Spirit is obvious throughout the Gospel accounts. Everything Jesus did was guided by the Spirit. Jesus is the only one qualified to pass this Spirit on from the Father to disciples, and this qualification comes through his perfect obedience, which reached the point of dying on the cross as an innocent sacrifice for sin.
Third, Jesus repeats the description of the Spirit of truth (14:17). The Spirit will guide and convict people of the same message Jesus preached. The Spirit does not deceive, trick, or speak falsehood. The devil is the liar and wars against the truth spoken through the Spirit. Truth is found in Jesus (Ephesians 4:21). The Bible, as the written word, bears witness to Jesus as the Living Word. Anything contradictory to what the Spirit has inspired through the Bible is a lie.
Fourth, the Spirit proceeds from the Father. Jesus once again claims the answer to his prayer in 14:16. The verb proceeds (ekporeuetai) poses some challenge theologically. Theologians have wrestled for many centuries about the relationship of the persons of the Trinity. All three persons are mentioned in verse 26. The verse indicates that the Father is the source of the Spirit, so the Spirit is the Father’s. Moreover, Jesus is the one who sends and so have the say on who will receive the Spirit. Those who believe in him and obey his teachings will receive the gift of the Spirit.
As the author and authority behind this Gospel, John does not seem to be attempting to unpack the ontology of the Trinity, trying to work out the relationship between Father, Son, and Spirit. The context seems to indicate that the primary meaning is about the mission and person of the Spirit. The Son came from the Father, and so did the Spirit. Both share in the same mission of revealing the truth of God. The Spirit is not an thing or “ghost,” like the Old King James translates and gives the wrong idea to modern people. Significantly, the word behind that one (ekeinos) is a masculine pronoun, while Spirit (pneuma) is neuter. This suggests the Spirit shares the same identity as with the Father and Son, which are both masculine words in Greek. The reason behind the masculine nouns for God throughout the Bible is not for gender, for that is an aspect of creation, but the way the Greek language works.
Fifth, the Spirit witnesses about Jesus. As the Spirit of truth, the Holy Spirit confirms the identity, mission, and message of Jesus. The Spirit is God’s voice upon the human conscience. Any truth in the world will be a reflection to some degree of the truth revealed in Jesus. The particular focus of this chapter has been the call to love as the sign of faith in Jesus. The love revealed through the Spirit draws people to the person of Jesus. Unfortunately, human interpretations distort this truth and diminish its reach in the world.
The disciples would be empowered to proclaim the truth of Jesus, but it would come at a cost because the world would not want to receive the truth because it brings conviction and reveals sin. The Helper would come alongside them and all who follow Jesus, to provide the inner confirmation of the truth claims of the gospel. The verb tenses in verse 27 are present although the witnessing will come in the future. The use of the present tense may also emphasize the ongoing, continuous aspect of their testimony about Jesus. Their testimony should become their way of life because the Spirit was always with them.
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