March 13
“Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged,” John 16:7-11.
Because Jesus told His disciples that He was going to leave them, sorrow filled their hearts. Therefore He elaborated to give them further comfort. He told them, “It is to your advantage that I go away.” He was not talking only about returning to heaven from where He came. It would be to the disciples’ advantage and ours that Jesus would suffer and die and accomplish the purpose for which He had come into the world – namely, to redeem all people. By His suffering and death, He would pay the price for our redemption. He would conquer sin, death, and the power of the devil for us.
Then He would rise from the grave and ascend into heaven. Then He would send the Helper or Comforter, the Holy Spirit, to enable His disciples and followers to carry out the Great Commission given to the Church: “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth,” Acts 1:8.
Jesus informed His disciples of what the Holy Spirit would do. “He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.” The Holy Spirit convicts the people of the world of sin, and specifically the sin of unbelief is mentioned – the sin of rejecting Jesus as the Son of God and the promised Savior. The sin of unbelief cuts a person off from the message of salvation.
The Holy Spirit convicts people of their unrighteousness. They reject the righteousness of Jesus, by which He has gained for all the forgiveness of sins. Jesus was going to the Father after having completed the purpose for which the Father sent Him into the world. He could return to the Father and report, “It is finished!”
The Holy Spirit convicts the unbelievers of judgment. They will have to face the doom of the devil because they reject Jesus as the only Savior. What folly it is to reject the call of the Gospel! “The Spirit and the bride (the Church) say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely,” Revelation 22:17. Come to Jesus, who is the Water of Life and the Light of the world! Come and keep on coming in response to the Holy Spirit’s invitation. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved,” Acts 16:31.
“Come, Holy Spirit, come!
Let Thy bright beams arise;
Dispel the sorrow from our minds,
The darkness from our eyes.
Convince us of our sin,
Then lead to Jesus’ blood,
And to our wond’ring view reveal
The mercies of our God.” Amen.