The Holy Spirit, the Helper (John 14)

Introduction

Jesus is about to leave his disciples. The cross is near, and he knows it. In this heavy moment, he doesn't leave them alone with their fear. He makes them a promise: the Father will send another Helper, the Holy Spirit, who will be with them forever. This promise is for you too. If you follow Jesus, the Spirit isn't an idea, a distant concept, or a fleeting emotion. He lives in you. He prays for you when you no longer know how to pray. He produces in you what you can't produce by your own strength.

This sermon on John 14:11-21 brings you back to this simple yet life-changing reality: you are not alone. The Helper is here.

Outline of the sermon

1. Jesus promises another Helper

In verse 16, Jesus says: "I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever." The Greek word translated here as "Helper" (parakletos) means at once advocate, defender, one who comes alongside to help. Jesus had been this parakletos with his disciples for about three years. Now he announces another, of the same nature, who will take over.

This other Helper is the Holy Spirit. He isn't a lesser substitute. He is God himself, the third person of the Trinity. The Father, the Son, and the Spirit are one God in three persons. What you confess when you recite the Creed is exactly this: three persons, one divine essence.

2. The Spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive

In verse 17, Jesus specifies: "the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you." The world cannot receive him because it refuses to acknowledge Jesus as Lord. You, if you've welcomed Jesus, already know him. Better still: he's about to live in you.

That's an enormous difference. The Spirit isn't simply alongside, the way Jesus was with his disciples during his earthly ministry. He is in you. He makes his home in your heart.

3. "I will not leave you as orphans"

In verse 18, Jesus says: "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you." This isn't only about the glorious return at the end of time. Jesus is already coming back, through the Holy Spirit, to make his home in you. Receiving the Spirit means recognizing that Jesus himself lives in you.

After the resurrection and the ascension, the disciples didn't ask, "How will you be with us?" They had already heard the answer a month and a half earlier, at the last supper. At Pentecost, the promise is fulfilled.

4. The Spirit intercedes for you when you no longer know how to pray

Turn to Romans 8:26-27: "Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God."

What immense comfort. There are days when you don't know what to say to God anymore. The words tangle up, the prayer scatters in every direction, you lose the thread. That's alright. The Spirit, who lives in you, presents before the Father what you can't put into words. And he does it according to God's will.

Praying isn't first about content or polished vocabulary. It's a movement of the heart toward God. When you turn your heart toward him, even clumsily, the Spirit does the rest.

5. Jesus also intercedes at the right hand of the Father

A little further on, in Romans 8:34, Paul continues: "Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died, more than that, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us." So you have the Spirit interceding from within, and Jesus interceding at the right hand of the Father. You are supported from both sides. What is left to fear?

6. Loving Jesus means keeping his commandments

In verse 21, Jesus concludes: "Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him."

Pay attention to the order. It isn't: "make an effort to love others, and then God will reward you by giving you Jesus." The order is reversed. You welcome Jesus, he lives in you through his Spirit, and it's from within that he produces in you love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Loving others isn't the cause of Jesus' presence in you. It's the fruit of it.

Key takeaways

• The Holy Spirit isn't a consolation prize. He is God himself, the third person of the Trinity, sent by the Father in the name of Jesus.
• He lives in you. Not beside you, not above you: in your heart. Receiving the Spirit means recognizing that Jesus makes his home in you.
• He prays for you when you no longer know how to pray. Your sighs, your hesitations, your prayers that scatter in every direction: the Spirit takes them and presents them to the Father according to his will.
• You are supported twice over. The Spirit intercedes from within, Jesus intercedes at the right hand of the Father. No one can condemn you.
• The fruit of the Spirit comes from within. Loving isn't first about gritting your teeth. It's letting Jesus show himself through you.

Personal application

Take a moment of silence, Bible open, and let these questions work in you:

• When you think of the Holy Spirit, do you picture a vague force, or a divine person who truly lives in you?
• In which areas of your life are you trying to "hold on" through your own strength, when the Spirit wants to carry it for you?
• When you pray and the words no longer come, can you remember that the Spirit intercedes for you with groanings too deep for words?
• Are you trying to love others through effort in order to earn God's favor, or are you first letting Jesus love you so that he can produce love for others within you?
• What can you thank God for today, concretely, in your relationship with him?

Verses cited

• John 14:11-21: the central passage of the sermon.
• Romans 8:26-27: the Spirit intercedes with groanings too deep for words.
• Romans 8:34: Christ intercedes at the right hand of the Father.
• Galatians 5:22-23: the fruit of the Spirit.
• Matthew 28:20: "I am with you always, to the end of the age."

FAQ

Who is the Holy Spirit according to John 14?

The Holy Spirit is the "other Helper" Jesus promises his disciples. He is God, the third person of the Trinity, sent by the Father in the name of Jesus. He isn't a lesser substitute, but a defender of the same nature as Jesus, who comes to live in you forever.

Why does Jesus call him "Helper"?

The Greek word parakletos literally means "one called alongside." He is at once a defender, an advocate, a helper, and a comforter. He comes alongside you to help you, defend you, teach you, and comfort you in every situation of life.

How can I know if the Holy Spirit really lives in me?

If you've welcomed Jesus as your Savior, Scripture assures you that the Spirit lives in you. The signs aren't first spectacular emotions, but the fruit of the Spirit growing in your life: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.