John 14:25-26 25These things I have spoken to you while I remain with you. 26But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, that one will teach you all things and remind you of all that I have said to you.
Verse 25 serves as a pause to emphasize the importance of all that Jesus said. His words at his last meal with his disciples before facing the suffering of his trial and cross hold great significance in the Gospel record. They serve as the last will and testament to the disciples of Jesus’ purpose and plan for them. It was a serious time to reflect on his ministry and what the disciples needed to do after he returned to the Father. Jesus’ time with his disciples was coming to a close. He had remained (the significant word menō, to remain or abide) and been with them several years. They had heard the greatest teaching of all time and experienced firsthand the power of the Son of God. They potentially could have faced a crisis on multiple levels. At the center of this crisis was a weak and incomplete understanding of Jesus and why he came. Not even his death and resurrection would clear up all their questions. They needed divine help.
Verse 26 describes the answer to this need. The Father would send the Counselor, Advocate, and Helper. The same word (paraklētos) is used here to describe the Holy Spirit as in verse 16. We find out several more important details about the ministry of the Holy Spirit. One is that the Spirit is sent by the Father in Jesus’ name. Because the Spirit comes in Jesus’ name, the Spirit points to him and is an extension of his ministry. This verse indicates the answer to Jesus’ prayer for the Spirit in verse 16. The Spirit serves as the representative of Jesus, just as Jesus served as the representative of the Father. The Father sent the Son and then sent the Spirit in the Son’s name.
A second significant ministry of the Spirit is to point to Jesus and remind believers of the words Jesus taught. The disciples would soon not have Jesus with them anymore. Their understanding was incomplete. Jesus taught many things to them, but as humans, they might not remember or at least understand the implications of these teachings. The Spirit would write Jesus’ commands on the hearts and minds of the disciples in fulfillment of the new covenant inaugurated by his sacrifice on the cross (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Luke 22:20). The Spirit would particularly remind them and grow within them the command at the center of Jesus’ teaching: to love. Many elements of biblical theology merge through the work of the Spirit mentioned in this verse.
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