To Your Advantage

Scripture: ​John 16:5-15 “But now I am going to Him who sent Me; and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ [6] But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. [7] But 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 go, I will send Him to you. [8] And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; [9] concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; [10] and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; [11] and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged. [12] “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. [13] But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. [14] He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. [15] All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you.

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Commentary: Jesus had some convincing to do.  As He shared His last supper with His closest friends and followers, He needed to allay their collective fears.  Not only was Jesus leaving them, He had just finished teaching them about the vine and the branches, which contained one giant caveat.  "Apart from Me you can do nothing." (John 15:5)
      What were the disciples to think?  "OK, Jesus, just to set the record straight; You are leaving us and apart from you we can do nothing."  The disciples were filled with dread and fear.
      Jesus began to teach them about the coming of the Holy Spirit--the Spirit that would invigorate and ignite the spiritual life of the Church that was about to be birthed.  God's plan for the disciples was revealed in verse 7.  "But 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 go, I will send Him to you."
      The disciples probably did not fully understand the magnitude of what Jesus was sharing until they were baptized with the Holy Spirit in the Upper Room.  Suddenly, the disciples who had been hiding away from the authorities that were responsible for Jesus' death, took to the streets and boldly declared the Gospel.  The Church was born and the disciples were filled with a purpose and with the power to fulfil their destiny!

Questions to Consider:

1. Which of Jesus' disciples do you personally identify with and why?  (Examples: Peter, who denied knowing Jesus.  Judas, who betrayed Jesus.  John, who was supporting the women at Jesus crucifixion.  Etc.)
2. Two events happened after Jesus said, "It is finished," and gave up the ghost: 1) He was resurrected.  2) The Holy Spirit filled the Church with power on the Day of Pentecost.  What role did these events play in establishing the Church?