Summary
“I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 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 go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.| John 16.4-11
And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. | Acts 2.21
Jesus connects the coming of the Spirit to His own departure. He has not been needed, Jesus says, because I have been here. Soon Jesus will leave. After He leaves, it is going to be the job of the Spirit to continue what He has begun. The disciples are concerned with Jesus leaving because they have interpreted His teaching on the Kingdom to be compatible with some sort of earthly reign. When Jesus says: I am going, they are confused and sorrowful. They see it as an end point. Jesus assures them not only that the Spirit will come in His absence, but what the Spirit is coming to do: CONVICT THE WORLD.
Bible References
- John 16:4 - 15
- Acts 2:1 - 21
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