Fifth Sunday of Easter (John 16:5-15)

Alleluia Christ is risen! He is risen indeed, alleluia!

Last Sunday, our gospel was taken from the verses that immediately follow today’s text. In that portion of the discussion with His disciples before His departure, Christ told them that He would go away, and that all Christians would see Him again on the last day. Until that time, the elect in Christ will be in a state of sorrow, while the world is rejoicing. And still, those in sorrow will receive the gift of the Helper, the Comforter. This “Helper” is not some vague idea or promise, but is the third person of the godhead, what Jesus calls the “Spirit of Truth,” more commonly known as the Holy Spirit. 

Our Lord makes it abundantly clear that if He does not go away, the Helper cannot come to us. For it is the Holy Spirit who declares to us now the things that our Lord Jesus has already said and accomplished. But why must Christ go away? Our Lord says that it would be no advantage to us for Him not to ascend to heaven and not possess the Spirit. And we know that the words of our Lord are fulfilled on the day of Pentecost, as 10 days after His ascension and 50 days after His resurrection, the Holy Spirit comes to the apostles in the form of tongues of fire. The job of the Holy Spirit is not to profess a new truth, but He declares the Truth to us. And that truth is the person of Jesus Christ. For the Holy Spirit declares to the resurrected Christ to us, the members of His body, the holy Christian Church. 

We hear a lot about the truth these days. We are constantly bombarded by a world that seeks to make us hear its version of the truth. Yet that is not what truth is. It doesn’t have a version. It doesn’t have a bias or an agenda. Something is true or is not true, and that is final. So let us compare the purpose of truth in the eyes of the world to the words of our Lord, who is Truth itself.

First, Jesus says the Spirit will come into the world to convict the world of sin. It would be an easy mistake to say that outside of Christianity, the world does not have its own understanding of sin. The world operates on the belief of “do what feels good.” And what someone thinks is good does not need to be good for everyone, as long as it’s beneficial to that individual in that specific moment. One could say that because of this idea, they have no concept of sin at all. Still, this is not the case. In the eyes of the world, the only true sin is telling someone that their ideas or decisions are destructive. In other words, the only wrong thing one can do is tell someone else that they are wrong. 

And if we try to correct anyone out of our own humility and love for our neighbor as we ought, and as our Lord commands us, it is sometimes twisted to be used as a way to continue to live in an unpleasing manner.  And when we have come from a posture of love, we wonder if we have stepped beyond our bounds, or maybe we need to rethink for ourselves. This is how the world seeks to convince us of sin and to silence those who speak the truth of God’s word, but there is only one conviction that matters: that from God, the Holy Spirit.

For the Holy Spirit works in us the knowledge of sin, by the word of God and the preaching of that Word, and we see our sins as they truly are before God. For our sins are filthy rags before the Lord, the acts of unrighteousness that we have committed since our youth until our death. Still, this conviction of the Lord is for our advantage. For if the Lord did not work the right knowledge of sin and the fear of His judgment, then why would we ever repent and believe in Christ Jesus? Believing in the Savior must require fear of trouble. God does not use sin as the world does, which uses it to isolate and shame those who speak out. The Lord uses conviction to bring us in, show us our need, and to forgive us.

Then Christ says the Spirit of Truth is sent to speak righteousness. For our time, what is truly righteousness in the eyes of the world is betrayal. They are told that if they are not treated in a way they deem fair and their decisions are not celebrated, they can leave them. This doesn’t apply only to family but also to society, the church, and “the system.” This betrayal is the reverse of honor. The fourth Commandment tells us to honor our father and mother, for these authorities have been established by God for our good to reward those who do right and to correct those who do wrong. For they do not see correction as a necessary form of love, but an abuse of power. This is why the world says: the more friends and loved ones they can abandon, the more they will be rewarded.

For Christ, He does not use His righteousness to separate but to reconcile. Christ Jesus has come into the world to take on human flesh and blood, and to put the price of sin on His own back. Our sins have become the debt that He pays. And by His death upon the cross and his resurrection from the dead, that is eliminated. By the testimony of the Spirit of truth, the righteousness of Christ is bestowed upon us. That by Christ, the one who is righteous is reconciled, and made one with those whom He has bestowed His righteousness. Although we were born futile and your sinful nature wars against God, we are at peace, the war is over, for He was betrayed unrighteously that we would be righteous in the Truth. 

And finally, the Lord says the Spirit of Truth also comes concerning judgment. Who has made the world the judge of Christian conduct? I am sure you have all heard the words of Jesus, “Judge not lest ye be judged,” taken out of context, leaving us Christians with nothing to say. Besides misusing the words of Jesus, it is truly they who are making the improper judgment. Because the world teaches that judgment is unnecessary unless it attacks how one feels. 

Instead for Christ, who sends the Holy Spirit, He judges the evil of the world so that those who believe in Him may be delivered from the wickedness that tries to prevail over the saints of God. For we have been purchased by the blood of Christ, and the world, our sinful nature, and the devil himself try to steal that redemption from us. The world tries to take its judgment and place it upon the righteous.

And still, this is no cause to fear for the world and the flesh war against the Spirit of God, and we know in Christ that the world will be defeated. Those who have been redeemed by Christ possess the Holy Spirit, and by His power, we have already received the victory. The world and its lies may rule for a time, they may attack us, and try to rob us of Christ. Yet the Resurrection of Jesus is proof that their reign is almost over. For what God declares to us is what will endure into eternity.