Word of Salvation – Vol. 15 No.28 – July 1969

 

The Coming Of The Other Comforter

 

Sermon by Rev. R. O. Zorn, B.A., B.D., M.Th. on John 14:16

SCRIPTURE READING: Joel 2:21-32

PSALTER HYMNAL: 317; 95; 396; 394; 487

PENTECOST SERMON

 

Beloved congregation of the Lord Jesus Christ,

Upon Pentecost today, we celebrate the festival of the Holy Spirit’s coming.  But do we realize the full significance of Pentecost?  Of all the Christian festivals, Pentecost is perhaps the least appreciated.

It’s so easy to criticize it as being too severely spiritual and difficult to understand.  We know that the Bible tells us that fifty days after Christ’s resurrection, and ten days after His ascension into heaven, the Holy Spirit came.  But what does it mean that He came, and that He is here, and that He is actively engaged in the work of our salvation?  Isn’t it all just too spiritual to grasp properly?

Now, with Christmas and Easter, for example, it’s different.  We all can understand Christmas with its Babe in a manger, the angels’ glad tidings to the humble shepherds, the coming of the Wise Men and their adoration, etc.  And the same with Easter.  We can appreciate the significance of Easter, with its open tomb, the seeking women who had come to anoint Jesus’ body for burial, the unbelieving disciples who had to be convinced of Christ’s resurrection by His personal appearances to them, etc.

But what do we have with Pentecost?  A noise of wind, tongues of flame, praises to God in many languages and a sermon by Peter that results in 3000 being converted.  That some great things happened on this day long ago is clear and undeniable.  But what is the real significance of Pentecost?  How does it affect us today?

Well, Jesus in our text spoke of Pentecost to His disciples.  And He spoke of it in terms of the coming of another Comforter.  When Jesus spoke these words, His task on earth was just about done.  He had come into the world as a light that shines in a dark place, dispelling the gloom of sin and its evil effects.  Now, after His people’s salvation had been accomplished by His atoning death and resurrection, the Lord Jesus would again return to heaven from whence He had come in the first place.

But what would become of His disciples?  And how would His saving work be carried on in the world after His return to heaven?  Jesus knew what His disciples were thinking.  And so He comforts them by pointing them to Pentecost.  As He says in our text, “I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever.’

He promised to send another Comforter, a promise that was fulfilled at Pentecost with the coming of the Holy Spirit.  Let us therefore see: How Jesus Himself was a Comforter; Then we may see how the Holy Spirit is the other Comforter.

I.  JESUS IS THE ORIGINAL COMFORTER.

Now, just what is a comforter, anyway?  Simply defined, the Greek word means “helper”.  For example, children may find their school work too difficult.  So they call Mum or Dad to their side to be their helper.  Or again, we may find ourselves in need of legal counsel, so we go to a solicitor who becomes our helper for this purpose.

In the same way, both the Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit are helpers.  Jesus at this very moment is His people’s helper at the Father’s right hand, for John says, “If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1John 2:1).  That word “advocate” means helper, and reminds us how even now the Lord Jesus is praying for His people, representing them in heaven before the Father, and is busily preparing a place in Glory for them unto which He will one day receive them unto Himself.

So also Jesus wants us to understand that the Holy Spirit is a Comforter, or helper, too.  For He has come to continue the work which Jesus performed while here upon earth earlier.  For when Jesus calls the Holy Spirit “another Comforter”, He makes it clear that He, Jesus, was the original Comforter already while He was here upon earth.  And we have only to take a quick look at some of the events that John records in his gospel to see how this was true.  John tells us of seven miracles which Jesus performed, to show how completely the Lord could meet His people’s every need as their all-sufficient helper, or Comforter.

In the second chapter of his gospel, John gives us Jesus’ first miracle, a miracle performed to help a bride and groom of Cana in their need.  They needed more wine, or the festal happiness of the occasion would have been spoiled.  So the Lord Jesus, by supplying their need, also proved that He could give them everlasting happiness and joy in saving fellowship with Himself.

In chapter four, John gives us Jesus’ interview with the Samaritan woman.  There at the well of Sychar, Jesus proved to this woman that He could satisfy the unfulfilled desires of her life with the water of life.  By believing on Him and receiving the water of life, she would never again have to seek to quench her thirst at the empty cisterns of sin.  This woman believed, and became a “new creature in Christ”.

In chapter five, we find Jesus at the pool of Bethesda where He proved to the impotent cripple that He can give a man a new start in life even after 38 years that had been ravaged and ruined by the awful effects of disease.  Christ healed this man, and he found wholeness of body and newness of purpose to life in Christ.  In chapter six we see Jesus on the far side of Lake Galilee where He fed 5000 people and thereby proved that He is the Bread of Life.  For what He can do for the body in supplying its temporal needs, He is likewise able to do for the soul in supplying its eternal needs for all who come to Him.

In chapter nine John points out how the Lord Jesus opened the eyes of a blind man, and by giving him the light of day proved that He, as the Christ, is indeed the Light of the world.  Apart from Christ, men are as spiritually blind as this man was physically blind.  But in Christ they are made to see and have the Light of life.

In chapter eleven we see Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead.  And by calling to life one who had been dead for four days, Jesus proved that He is indeed the resurrection and the life.  And because He is, death is a defeated foe who must yield up its prey to the Prince of Life, who makes His people partakers of His victory.

The climax of all this is seen in the glorious fact of Christ’s own resurrection from the dead (chapter 20).  As a result, we may confidently believe that His Word is true, for the mighty Conqueror of death has proved that He is the God of our salvation who came into the world by the Father’s appointment to accomplish His people’s redemption and become their all-sufficient Saviour.

Yes, Jesus was an altogether adequate Helper already in the days of His flesh.  Is He still such for you and me, now?  The disciples doubted it at the time our text was spoken.  After all, Jesus was leaving them, wasn’t He?  He was going back to heaven, He said, wherever that might be.  No wonder Thomas says, “Lord, we know not whither Thou goest, and how can we know the way?” (John 14:5).  Wouldn’t we have had the same doubts?  Aren’t there many today who still aren’t able to shake off these doubts?

Ah, but now the Saviour, while still in the midst of His disciples, removes all grounds for further doubts about His being a mighty and altogether adequate Comforter.  They were forgetting how He had already proved this in numberless ways in time past.  Now He would prove it again for the future by giving them the greatest comfort of all – One who would take His place and give them the strength and ability to carry on after He had returned to heaven.  He comforts them by promising them the Holy Spirit.  One who would not be a Comforter for only a little while, but who would abide with the people of God forever!  And this is the promise He fulfilled when upon Pentecost He gave His people the Holy Spirit!

II.  THE HOLY SPIRIT IS THE OTHER COMFORTER.

But just how does the Holy Spirit fulfil His role of being the other Comforter?  In the first place, He comforts by carrying on the work of Christ in the world.  That work is a ministry of salvation, applying the fruits of redemption wrought by the original Comforter, Christ.  Jesus Himself pointed out in John 16:8-11 what the work of the Holy Spirit, as the other Comforter in this regard, would be.  For He says, “When He, the Holy Spirit, is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they believe not on Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father, and ye see Me no more; of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.”  Here, the Holy Spirit’s work of applying Christ’s salvation to God’s people is specified.

First, He convicts them of sin as the Gospel is preached, pointing out their dark past and terrible need before God.  For all have inherited a fallen nature in Adam and are dead in trespasses and sins.  And to top it all off, they are guilty of unbelief.  How clearly John points this out in his gospel.  Men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil (John 3:19).  And this was demonstrated in the Jews’ rejection of Jesus, and in the Pharisees’ deliberate blindness.  But are we by nature any different?  Why are we naturally selfish, proud, unthankful disobedient, lovers of selves rather than lovers of God?  Because we too are sinners, cut off from the life of God like so many dead branches.  What hope can there be for the likes of such as us?

Now the Holy Spirit, as a true comforter, begins to apply the remedy to our conviction of sin and need before God.  As Christ is preached and He shows us that our basic fault is unbelief (John 16:9), He points out the remedy – which is receiving Christ through repentance and faith.  “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).  True comfort indeed!

Then the Holy Spirit goes on to point out our continuing need for the present throughout our lives, which is having a righteousness which we do not naturally possess and cannot earn ourselves.  For, do we keep God’s law properly?  Indeed, we may hear it Sunday by Sunday, but we must admit that the words of Jesus to the people of His day apply to us too.  “Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law?” (John 7:19).  And our accumulating sins against it are like a huge debt that is getting bigger and bigger all the time, and for which we have nothing to make payment except our lives.  How then are we going to get a righteousness which God’s holy, just and good law requires, and that will be acceptable in God’s sight?

As a true Comforter, the Holy Spirit now points out from the Word of God that Christ is in the presence of the Father (John 16:10).  This means that the righteousness He earned for us by His sinless life is accepted of the Father, and when imputed to us by faith in Him, likewise gives us acceptance before the Father.  Again, true comfort indeed!

And then the Holy Spirit points out our need for the future, which is deliverance from the judgment to come (John 16:11).  Can we who by nature are children of wrath and on the side of the devil ever hope to escape God’s righteous judgment to come?  Ah yes, because upon the cross Jesus crushed the head of the old serpent, the devil (John 12:31-32), and now as He is “lifted up” in the preaching of the Gospel, He frees believers from Satan’s dominion as He makes them partakers of His so-great salvation.  There is in fact now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1).  For Christ, the original Comforter, will also be this world’s judge (John 5:28-30).  But if I have been savingly united to Christ, then I already have peace with God and need no longer worry about the certain judgment to come upon all who remain outside of Him.  Thank God for the present work of the Holy Spirit, as He takes care of my past, present and future needs before God by effectually uniting me to Christ in salvation!  He is truly the other Comforter who abides with us forever.

But this is not yet all that the Holy Spirit does.  Carrying on the work of Christ in the world is only one aspect of His comforting ministry.  The other is His ministry of fulfilling the work of Christ with His people, a work of sanctification as He progressively fashions the people of God into the fullness of the glory of Christ.  This, too, Christ taught His disciples about the Holy Spirit.  “Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will show you things to come.  He shall glorify Me: for He shall receive of Mine, and shall show it unto you.  All things that the Father hath are Mine: therefore said I that He shall take of Mine and shall show it unto you” (John 16:13-15).

Briefly, these verses bring to our attention a teaching, sanctifying, and further comforting ministry of the Holy Spirit for the people of God.

In verse 13, He is called “the Spirit of truth”.  Where is the truth, but as it centres in Christ who alone is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6)?  Truth in this world, however, is a precious commodity, as Pontius Pilate already made clear.  But truth is a rare commodity only because people by nature are not lovers of Christ.  But where the Holy Spirit changes hearts and transforms lives in redemption, He does so by means of the Word.  “He does not speak of Himself”, but points men savingly to Christ.

In Christ they learn the truth which makes them free (John 8:32).  Would you know the truth?  It is found in Christ by means of His Word.  May the Spirit of truth more and more teach us “the deep things of God” (1Cor.2:10), as He enlightens us with His Word!

In verse 14, the sanctifying ministry of the Holy Spirit is described in terms of glorifying Christ.  As He sanctifies God’s people, He glorifies Christ in two ways: firstly, by bringing precious souls to the Saviour through the ministry of the Word; secondly, by building them up in the faith and in sanctification until they attain to the fullness of the stature of the Great Head Himself, Christ.

Are we growing in grace, in love, in unity, in faith?  This is the work of the Holy Spirit as our Sanctifier.  And as the Holy Spirit progressively accomplishes this work in us, so that we see its fruits in our lives as ripe clusters of the vine, it should give us increasing assurance that we are members of the Body of Christ.  If we lack “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance – these fruits of the Spirit (Gal.5:22-23) let us pray for an increasing measure of the fullness of Christ, for it is the Holy Spirit’s work to glorify Christ by making the people of Christ like Him.  For He takes the things of Christ and applies them to the people of God.  You see, the goal of their salvation is not only to be where the Lord is, but to be like Him!  Thank God for the Holy Spirit as our Sanctifier!

Finally, in verse 15, another aspect of the comforting ministry of the Holy Spirit is pointed out.  For here we learn that He takes the treasures of Christ and shares them with the people of God.  Treasures the Apostle Paul describes as “wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, redemption” (1Cor.1:30).  What is it that we lack that He will not supply in order that we may be progressively fashioned unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ?  And the Holy Spirit abides with us forever, because He will not forsake the work of salvation which He has begun in us, but will indeed bring it to full and final perfection!

So, upon this Pentecost Sunday, we may be comforted, encouraged and challenged anew.  Ask yourself, Am I a member of the body of Christ by being savingly united to my Saviour through faith?  Then Christ has given me the Holy Spirit as an abiding Comforter.  And as a result, I should be becoming more like Christ all the time.  Am I?  If not, why not?

Christ has given me a Divine Comforter who imparts to me the riches of His saving love and grace.  May I in turn freely give Him my heart, my life, my all!

This is the true significance of Pentecost!

Amen.