14.02.17 Jn. 14:15-21
JESUS PROMISES THE HOLY SPIRIT
15 “If you love Me, you will keep My commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. 17 He is the Spirit of truth. The world is unable to receive Him because it doesn’t see Him or know Him. But you do know Him, because He remains with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you.
19 “In a little while the world will see Me no longer, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live too. 20 In that day you will know that I am in My Father, you are in Me, and I am in you. 21 The one who has My commands and keeps them is the one who loves Me. And the one who loves Me will be loved by My Father. I also will love him and will reveal Myself to him.”
“If you love Me, you will keep My commands.” This is a basic concept in ancient near eastern thinking. To love or believe in Jesus and not do what He commands is an oxymoron – two opposites. If a person professes to truly believe in Him, he will do as Jesus desires, if he loves Christ he will obey Him.
“He will give you another Counselor.” At this point Jesus made His first reference to the coming of the Holy Spirit.[1] But the disciples did not understand until the Spirit came (Jn. 20:22) upon them. Yet it wasn’t until the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2 that the Spirit came upon them “in power.”[2]
Various translations translate Counselor as Comforter or Helper (Gk. parakletos 3875 literally, called to one’s side), attributes by which Jesus obviously referred to the Holy Spirit. The word parakletos,[3] is essentially untranslatable. The closest understanding of it is Someone who is called in. However, this word is to be associated with the question “Why?” someone is called in. Again, the English language has its limits because the word Comforter is generally associated with sorrow or mourning. Rather, while the word includes that element, it is also associated with victory concerning challenges believers face, especially as the result of being faithful.[4] That is why Jesus said He would not leave us as orphans (Gk. orphanos 3737), meaning desolate (Jn. 14:18) or without a father (Jas. 1:27).[5]
“I will not leave you as orphans.” The role of the father was extremely important in biblical times and, unfortunately, Western culture has lost its significance. The term father (Gk. pater 3962) is from a root word that signifies a nourisher, protector, and upholder.[6] Jesus desires to function as the loving father for all humanity, and He will not leave His children as orphans. The term orphans is from the Greek term orphanos (3737; Jas. 1:27) but is sometimes translated as desolate (Jn.14:18). A term used for one who had no genealogical record is agenealogetos (35), meaning orphan, as in Hebrews 7:3.[7] The role of the father was so important, that a child whose father was dead was considered to be an orphan even if his mother was still alive (Job 24:9).[8] For that reason, Jesus said that He would not leave us as orphans – unprotected, forgotten, and desolate. As to a genealogical record, the names of all believers are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
[1]. cf Jn. 14:26; 15:26; 16:7-15.
[2]. When God created Adam, He gave him the “breath of life” which in Hebrew is ruach and in Greek pneuma. Both words mean both breath and spirit. Therefore, the Spirit of Acts 2 is often seen as giving life of a “second creation.”
[3]. Vine, “Comfort, Comforter, Comfortless.” Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary. 2:110; Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament. 2:243-44; Lang, Know the Words of Jesus. 135.
[4]. Barclay, “John.” 2:166-68;
[5]. Barclay, “John.” 2:168; Vine, “Fatherless.” Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary. 2:229.
[6]. Vine, “Father.” Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary. 2:227.
[7]. Vine, “Genealogy.” Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary. 2:262.
[8]. Ryken, Wilhoit, and Longman, eds., “Orphan.” Dictionary of Biblical Imagery. 615.