With Dale Ratzlaff
John 15:26-16:4
When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me, and you will testify also, because you have been with Me from the beginning. These things I have spoken to you so that you may be kept from stumbling. They will make you outcasts from the synagogue, but an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God. These things they will do because they have not known the Father or Me. But these things I have spoken to you, so that when their hour comes, you may remember that I told you of them. These things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you.
Earlier in John, Jesus told His disciples:
I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you (Jn. 14:16-17).
At one time Jesus asks the Father, and He sends the Holy Spirit. At another instance, Jesus sends the Holy Spirit from the Father. We see the interworking of the Trinity again.
Our passage focuses on two themes: testifying and a warning of coming hostility, perhaps even death, to those who do bear witness to the truth of Christ. A little background on just what is to be the theme of the disciple’s testimony is helpful. The context, which we touched on in the last study, is this:
If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would not have sin; but now they have both seen and hated Me and My Father as well (Jn. 15:24).
“Works” (ἔργοις) are a key theme in the Gospel of John. He uses this word some fourteen times. The word itself is not limited to miraculous events, even though Christ often uses it that way. This tells us that when we “testify” about Christ’s works, we are not to limit ourselves to Christ’s miracles. John often uses the word “sign” for Jesus’s miracles. However, in John, “sign” (σημεῖον) is what John or the people call a miracle of Christ. Jesus never uses “sign” to refer to His works in John. However, in Luke Jesus tells the Jewish leaders that the only sign that will be given them is the sign of Jonah.
A large crowd followed Him, because they saw the signs which He was performing on those who were sick (Jn. 6:2).
Therefore the chief priests and the Pharisees convened a council, and were saying, “What are we doing? For this man is performing many signs” (Jn. 11:47).
There are many other examples where Jesus does a “work,” and the people understood it to be a “sign.” And that is exactly what Jesus intended.
In the Synoptic Gospels, Jesus’ miracles are often seen as works of power.
And all the people were trying to touch Him, for power was coming from Him and healing them all (Lk. 6:19).
Therefore, as we “testify” about Christ, we should freely rehearse the “works,” the “signs,” and the “works of power” recorded in the Gospels. The many other aspects of Christ’s ministry should also be included. Jesus’ mercy, compassion, prophetic words of coming events, and love for sinners, including His love for His forsaking and denying disciples, present a compelling witness.
When Peter was imprisoned and an angel was sent to release him, he gave Peter a concise summary of what our witness is to include.
But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the gates of the prison, and taking them out he said, “Go, stand and speak to the people in the temple the whole message of this Life” (Acts 5:19-20).
As we testify about the whole message of this life, we are not alone because the Holy Spirit is there helping to make our testimony effective.
When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me, and you will testify also, because you have been with Me from the beginning.
Jesus wanted His disciples, and us as well, to know the results of our testimony. If we did not know about the negative consequences of evangelism, the persecution that comes as a result of our witness could be a “stumbling block” to us.
These things I have spoken to you so that you may be kept from stumbling.
They will make you outcasts from the synagogue, but an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God. These things they will do because they have not known the Father or Me. But these things I have spoken to you, so that when their hour comes, you may remember that I told you of them. These things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you.
The work of evangelism in the church is often done in the context of persecution. However, we are not alone in this work. The Holy Spirit is there to comfort, guide, and empower us. We may often be tried beyond our strength, but we have a “Helper,” one called alongside to assist us.
The Holy Spirit is said to testify about Christ, not Himself. Testimony about Christ, His words, His works, His signs, and His works of power are all an objective demonstration of the life of Christ. The Holy Spirit can take these objective facts and present them to our soul as spiritual realities. That is the work of the Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit’s enlightenment, the cold facts of what Jesus did may mean little to us or others.
It is reassuring to know that the “Comforter” will be with us when we are outcasts from fellowship. The disciples were disfellowshipped from the Synagogues. Some us have been disfellowshipped from the churches in which we grew up and served. Several of us at LAM, and perhaps some of our readers, have experienced some degree of what it means to be “outcasts.” We have left friends, family, social standing, and in some cases employment and financial security. It is our testimony that the love of Christ and the Holy Spirit’s presence far outweigh the losses some of us have experienced. I doubt, however, if any of us have been physically persecuted. The way our society is trending, physical maltreatment of Christians may become a reality. If this happens here in the U.S., as it has in other parts of the world, we know that the Holy Spirit will be by our side, empowering our witness, giving us strength and peace in the presence of evil.
But an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God. These things they will do because they have not known the Father or Me.
Today, we realize the truth of these words when we watch the evening news. Those in radical Islam are killing Christians in the name of their god, Allah. The reason for this is in our text. They have not known Christ or True Father God.
These things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you.
“These things” refer to the extreme hatred the disciples will soon have to face. Prior to this time, the Jewish leaders had directed all their hatred toward Jesus. The disciples did not face any personal hostility. Now, however, Jesus’ visible presence will soon be gone, and the Jewish leaders will direct all the hatred expressed toward Jesus toward them. The next Sunday after the resurrection the disciples met in private “for fear of the Jews.” After that Herod had James put to death with a sword and would have also killed Peter had it not been for the intervention of the angel who delivered him. Sometime later Stephen, one of the first deacons, was stoned.
There is a valuable truth behind this section. Jesus warns us of pending danger. Then, He gives us the battle armor (Eph. 6:11–18) needed when we have to face danger. Usually, the strength to endure comes with the trial and not before. We too may have to face the world’s hatred. We have been warned, and Scripture has given us ample evidence that Jesus will be with us by the presence of the Holy Spirit. The ministry of the Holy Spirit—vital to all aspects of the Christian life—will be explained in more detail in the remainder of John 16 in the next lesson.
Application
- As I studied this lesson I was impressed at the “wideness” of the subject matter that could, and should, be included in our witness for Christ. While the saving aspects of Christ’s death for sin, burial, and resurrection are the foundation of saving faith, we might do well in some situations to start with “the whole message of this life.” Some time ago I was speaking with a missionary to those in the Muslim world. He said that one could not start with the typical “Four Spiritual Laws” or “the Roman Road.” Rather, he said they found that in ministry to Muslims, they first had to read sections of the Gospels where Jesus’ (they did not use “Christ” at first) love for sinners, His care for the sick, His kindness toward women, His power to provide for basic needs was seen. Then, after the Holy Spirit had led them to see the kindness of God, in contrast with the harshness of Allah, then they were in a position to make a commitment to the full gospel message. In some situations, we also might find an opportunity to testify about the whole message of this life.
- Another point worth remembering is that the Holy Spirit does not testify about Himself. His testimony is always directed toward Christ and His saving work. I have known a few who were so enamored with the manifestations of the Spirit that they seldom spoke of the gospel of Christ. There is also a danger that we exclude any workings of the Holy Spirit by a boxed in, wooden theology that has determined that all manifestations of the Holy Spirit today are bogus.
- Some of us have experienced being “outcasts” from family, friends and financial support. We have found that the fellowship of Christ and His body, the church, have provided much more than we lost. Now, we must ask ourselves, are we prepared to face physical persecution for our testimony of the gospel?
Prayer
Father, I thank you that the trials I have experienced in the past for standing for truth have strengthened my fellowship with You and with other brothers and sisters in Christ. May the Holy Spirit who indwells me, guide me in my witness for Christ. Give me strength and personal resolve to stand for your truth come what may.
In Jesus name.
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Thankful for you and your witness Dale. I wish a church could be planted in Richmond VA.