NT 260: Part FourSample

As we move into chapter 16, where Jesus’ encouraging words to His disciples continue, we come across the fourth time He explicitly mentions “the Advocate,” who is “the Spirit of Truth” – an amazing gift Jesus promises to send to his followers upon His departure from this world (see 14:16-17, 26; 15:26, and 16:7). What can we piece together at this point about the difference the Spirit makes as we seek to remain faithful to Jesus today?

In the remainder of the chapter, Jesus makes one last attempt at helping His disciples understand what is about to happen, noting how their grief will eventually turn to unspeakable joy. They seem to be tracking with Him, and they confidently affirm their faith in Him. But Jesus knows how weak they really are, and how they will ultimately abandon Him when all hope appears to be lost. And yet He never gives up on them – nor will He ever give up on us! To reinforce this wonderful truth, the final verse of the chapter, verse 33, is worth memorizing.