SEPTEMBER 16 / SEPTEMBER 23, 2018
THE EXPEDIENCE OF CHRIST’S LEAVING
INTRODUCTION:
1. Christ had just before spoken to His disciples about how the world would hate them for His name’s sake. Because He had chosen them out of the world to be His sent ones, they should expect no better treatment than He had received. He then spoke of the effectual provision that was made for their comfort and provision under such difficult circumstances, namely the Holy Spirit. (Ch. 15:18-27)
2. With respect to what He had just spoken, the opening verses of this chapter contain three remarkable statements.
a) One is a prophecy as to the nature and extent of the hatred and persecution they should expect from the world. “They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.”
b) Another is His explanation for why He delivered such a prophecy about hatred and excommunication and martyrdom. “I have spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended.” Nothing is so dangerous to us as to indulge false expectations.
c) One other is the reason He gives why it was expedient for Him to go away from them, “If I go not away, the comforter will not come unto you.”
3. Regarding that third utterance, they would actually find that, as much as the idea of His leaving crushed them, it would not be a loss, but a gain. His bodily absence would be more useful that His presence.
4. In this passage our Lord keeps to His former pattern. First, He speaks wounding words that bring sorrow (Verses 1-6); then He follows with healing words to comfort them in their troubles. (Verses 7-15)I.
THE NOTICE HE GIVES OF THE TROUBLES THAT LAY AHEAD. (VERSES 1-6)
A. FIRST, JESUS GIVES THE REASON WHY HE ALARMED THEM WITH THE EXPECTATION OF TROUBLE. (VERSE 1)
1. He wisely prepared His disciples for what they should expect to encounter. False expectations can be a great stumbling block. (Jer. 8:15)
2. Like a wise Commander, He did not conceal from His soldiers the nature of the campaigns that they were beginning.
3. To count the cost is of the first duties that ought to be pressed upon those setting out to follow Christ. It is no kindness to paint a rosy picture for beginners, and hide the truth that “through much tribulation we must enter…”(Luke 14:27-33; Acts 14:22)
B. HE FORETELLS PARTICULARLY WHAT THEY MUST SUFFER. (VERSE 2)
1. So far from receiving them and their message, the Jews would excommunicate them from their religious assemblies.
2. How true the prediction turned out to be! Like every other word of prophecy, it was fulfilled to the letter.
3. The Book of Acts shows us how the unbelieving Jews persecuted the early church mercilessly, even killing many Christians.
4. They did this in God’s name, thinking they did God service. (Acts 8:1; 9:1; 26:9, 11)
a) Let us not be surprised to hear of Christians being persecuted, even today.
b) Let us never forget that religious earnestness is no proof of godliness. (Rom. 10:2, 3)
(1) In the name of God religious leaders put the Son of God to death. (Acts 2:22, 23)
(2) In the name of God the Jews tried to destroy the Church of God. (Acts 9:1, 2)
C. HE GIVES THE REAL REASON FOR THE WORLD’S HATRED AND RAGE AGAINST THEM. (VS. 3)
1. The enmity was not because of any harm done them by the Apostles, but because they did not know God.
2. Many that pretend to know God are wretchedly ignorant of Him. (Hos. 8:1-3)
3. Those that are ignorant of Christ and dishonor Him cannot have any right knowledge of God. (John 5:23)
4. Those are very ignorant indeed of God who think it is acceptable to persecute good people. Christ came not into the world to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. (Luke 9:56)
D. HE TELLS THEM WHY HE GAVE NOTICE OF THIS NOW AND WHY NOT SOONER. (VERSE 4)
1. It was not to discourage them, or add to their present sorrow, or to alert them so that they might avoid it, but so that when the time should come (and it would surely come), they may remember.
2. When trials come it is helpful to remember that our Lord has told us to expect them. (I Pet. 4:12)
3. When troubles come they are less grievous when we remember that Christ foresaw them, foretold them, and we need not look upon them as a wrong to us.
E. HE EXPRESSES A VERY LOVING CONCERN FOR THE PRESENT SADNESS OF THE DISCIPLES OVER WHAT HE HAD SAID TO THEM. (VERSES 5, 6)
1. “Now, I go my way to Him that sent me, and none of you asketh me, whither goest thou?” (Verse 5)
a) These words seem to convey a reproof to the disciples for not inquiring more earnestly about the heavenly home to which their Master was going. (Ch. 14:2, 3)
b) Peter had actually said, “Whither goest thou?” (John 13:36), but the disciples were all so completely taken up with the fact of His going, that they received no comfort from where He was going.
c) There was great comfort to be had in the knowledge of where He was going, and the nature of His going, but being consumed with the thought of His leaving, they failed to receive it.
2. They were too intent upon the occasion of their grief. (Verse 6)
a) Christ had said enough to fill them with joy. (Ch. 14:28; 15:11)
b) But, they were so full of sorrow that there was no room for joy.
c) Let us not become so overcome with present sorrows that we are deaf to the voice of joy that calls us to rejoice in things eternal.
d) Their sorrow was, after all, because of the temporal loss of Christ’s bodily presence; and likely also because of vanishing hopes for an earthly temporal kingdom.
II. WORDS OF COMFORT AND ENCOURAGEMENT ADMINISTERED FOR THEIR SUPPORT. (VSES. 7-15) The surest word of comfort and encouragement for troubled hearts is the Promises of the Holy Spirit, Who is the Comforter, and all-sufficient Spirit of Christ.
A. THE FIRST SETTLING WORD IS THAT CHRIST’S DEPARTURE WAS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY TO THE COMFORTER’S COMING. (VERSE 7)
1. It was expedient for them that Christ should go away.
a) This showed them how absurd their sorrow was. His leaving was not only good for Him, but expedient for them.
b) Many things seem grievous to us that are really expedient for us.
c) Jesus always is for that which is most expedient for us, whether we think so or not. He sends us what is best for us.
2. It was expedient because it was in order to the sending of the Holy Spirit.
a) It is clearly laid down that the Holy Spirit’s coming down with power and influence and grace was the thing dependent on our Lord’s dying, rising again, and ascending into heaven. It is part of the eternal covenant of man’s salvation that the Son should be incarnate, die, and rise again, and that in consequence, the Holy Spirit should be poured out with almighty power and influence extending worldwide.
b) The invisible universal presence of the Holy Spirit in the Church is better than the visible bodily presence of Christ with the Church. Christ’s body can be in but one place. The Holy Spirit can be everywhere at once. Whatever the disciples might think, it was far better for Christ to go to heaven and sit down at the Father’s right hand as our Great High Priest and send down the Holy Spirit to be with His Church until He comes again.
B. THE SENDING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WAS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY TO THE CARRYING OUT OF CHRIST’S INTERESTS ON EARTH. (VERSES 8-11)
1. See here what the office of the Spirit is, and on what errand He came. (Verse 8)
a) He reproves (convinces) the world of sin.
b) He convinces of righteousness.
c) He convinces of judgment to come.
2. That He does this in the case of each individual sinner that is brought to Christ in salvation is surely true.
a) He convinces of sin and reproves the sinner. He brings conviction of sin. (This is a law term and speaks of summing up the evidence and settling the matter in a clear and true light.)
b) He convinces of righteousness, both the sinner’s need of righteousness, and of the righteousness of Christ, his only hope.
c) He convinces that there is a judgment to come, when we will stand before God and give an account.
3. That this work of the Holy Spirit has a much larger application is most certain. What happened on the day of Pentecost and what things were frequently done in the Acts of the Apostles show a peculiar restraining, irresistible power accompanying the work that the unbelieving Jews were not able to withstand. Nor is that all, He shall not stop until every mouth is stopped, and the whole world becomes guilty before God.
4. See what He shall convince the world of and why.
a) “…of SIN, because they believe not on me.” The Holy Spirit shall convince the world of sin by obliging Christ’s rejectors to see, though too late, that in not believing on Him they made an enormous mistake. He shall make them feel the awful woe of this great sin.
b) “…of RIGHTEOUSNESS, because I go to my Father and ye see me no more.”
(1) We may understand this of Christ’s personal righteousness. The Holy Spirit will convince the world after Christ is gone back to the Father, that He was a righteous man. (Luke 23:47) His enemies put Him under the worst character, but He is justified in the Spirit. (I Tim. 3:16)
(2) Or we may understand this of the righteousness communicated to us by the Holy Spirit in justification and salvation; that everlasting righteousness which Messiah was to bring. (Dan. 9:24) It was hard to establish this righteousness with them that went about to establish their own (Rom. 10:3), but the Spirit will do it. Christ’s ascension is the great argument proper to convince men of this righteousness. “I go to my Father,” and as evidence of My welcome with Him, “you shall see me no more.”
c) “…of JUDGMENT, because the prince of this world is judged.” That all judgment is committed to Christ is declared in the fact that the prince of the world (Satan) is judged. Christ has broken the serpent’s head, destroyed him that had the power of death, and spoiled principalities. This being so, it is certain that all of Christ’s enemies, all who are of Satan’s kingdom will surely be judged as well.
C. THE SENDING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WAS OF UNSPEAKABLE ADVANTAGE TO THE DISCIPLES OF CHRIST. (VERSES 12-15)
1. The “Spirit of Truth” would enable them to receive and understand truths that they were not as yet (without Him)able to hear. (Verses 12, 13)
2. The blessed Holy Spirit would be for the glory of Christ in His coming. (Verses 14, 15)
a) In His sending,
b) In His person,
c) In His witness, and
d) In His gifts to the Church.
Speak Your Mind