May 32, 2009 - The Day of Pentecost

SCRIPTURE STUDY
PENTECOST, YEAR B
MAY 31, 2009



SCRIPTURE: John 15:26-27; 16:4-15
Jesus said to his disciples, "When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf. You also are to testify because you have been with me from the beginning.
"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; yet none of you asks me, `Where are you going?' But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts. Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because they do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer; about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.
"I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you."


EXEGESIS:

CHAPTERS 14-17: THE PARACLETE

Parakletos (the word translated "Advocate" in verse 26 below) is used only five times in the New Testament, four times in this Gospel to refer to the Spirit (14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7) and once in 1 John 2:1 to refer to Jesus. Parakletos can mean a lawyer who pleads your case or a witness who testifies in your behalf. It can refer to a person who gives comfort, counsel, or strength in time of need. The literal meaning is "someone called in; but it is the reason why the person is called in which gives the word its distinctive associations.... Always a parakletos is someone called in to help when the person who calls him in is in trouble or distress or doubt or bewilderment" (Barclay, 194).

Parakletos has been translated Advocate, Counselor, Comforter, and Intercessor, but each of those expresses only one facet of parakletos. The original readers of this Gospel would have heard the full richness of its various meanings. Some Bibles use the word Paraclete, which is not an English word but a transliteration of the Greek word. The problem is that most people don't know what a Paraclete is, so using Paraclete without explanation will probably convey less meaning rather than more.

The Paraclete, of course, is the Holy Spirit, God's Spirit dwelling in and among God's people. In this Gospel, two of the Paraclete sayings (14:16 and 14:26) are found prior to today's Gospel lesson. The others (15:26 and 16:7; see also 16:13-14) are part of this lesson.

Note that the various translations of Paraclete (Advocate, Counselor, Comforter, and Helper) all point to the helping, supporting role of the Spirit. In our culture, we are accustomed to paying expensive professionals for these services. We speak of lawyers as Counselors or Advocates, because they advise and defend us in legal matters. We depend upon psychology professionals to comfort us –– to help us through life's difficult times. Not only are such professionals expensive, but they are available only by appointment and are subject to error. The Paraclete is with us always, and offers power and wisdom that are simply unavailable elsewhere at any price. This is not to say that we should not consult lawyers and psychologists, but it gives us an appreciation for the ever-present and powerful help that God makes available to us through the Paraclete.

This was good news to those early Christians, whom the world would hate, the synagogues would excommunicate, and Rome would persecute (15:18-25; 16-1-4). They had no access to professional counsel, but they did have each other –– and they had the Paraclete. This is also good news for us. Neither our lawyer nor our psychiatrist welcomes a phone call in the middle of the night when terror jolts us from our slumbers. The Paraclete, however, is always present and ready to help.


VERSES 18-25: THE CONTEXT

In these verses, Jesus talks about the persecution that his disciples can expect to experience –– about a world (Greek: kosmos –– the realm opposed to God) that will hate them for not belonging to the kosmos. He talks about kosmos-people who hate the Son for exposing them to the light and making them accountable for their sins. He says that these kosmos-people hate both the Father and the Son. He said, "They hated me without a cause," thus fulfilling the prophecy of scripture (either Psalm 69:4 or 35:19).


VERSES 26-27: WHEN THE ADVOCATE COMES

26"When the Advocate (Greek: parakletos) comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify (Greek: marturesei) on my behalf. 27You also are to testify because you have been with me from the beginning.


"When the Advocate (parakletos) comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father" (v. 26a). See above for information about the parakletos.

The language suggests a courtroom setting. Jesus outlined the problem in verses 18-25 (see above), and now outlines the response that the disciples can expect.

"he will testify on my behalf" (v. 26b). John the Baptist testified on Jesus' behalf earlier (1:7, 15, 32, 34; 3:26; 5:33). Jesus' works testified that the Father had sent him (5:36; 10:25), and the Father testified on his behalf (5:37). The scriptures testified on his behalf (5:39). Jesus also testified on his own behalf (8:14, 18). Now the Spirit testifies on his behalf (15:26b).

"You will also testify because you have been with me from the beginning" (v. 27). Jesus' disciples are to testify on Jesus' behalf, because they have been with him from the beginning (15:27). The church must also serve as a witness for Jesus. The testimony (marturesei) of the Paraclete and the testimony of the church go hand in hand. The Paraclete's testimony came first, and provides the power without which the church's testimony would fall flat. The church's testimony, steeped in personal experience and bathed in the Spirit, makes the witness visible to the world. Jewish Law requires two witnesses to convict (Deuteronomy 17:6; 19:15). The two witnesses, the Spirit and the church, will convict the world of its sin and its need for Christ.


VERSES 1-4a: THEY WILL KILL YOU

1"I have said these things to you to keep you from stumbling. 2They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, an hour is coming when those who kill you will think that by doing so they are offering worship to God. 3And they will do this because they have not known the Father or me. 4aBut I have said these things to you so that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you about them.


In these verses (not included in this Gospel lesson) Jesus warns the disciples that the world will respond with great hostility to their testimony. The Paraclete will not only strengthen the disciples for the trials that lay ahead, but will insure the eventual triumph of the Gospel message. The disciples need not fear, because Christ has already overcome the world.


VERSES 4b-11: IT IS TO YOUR ADVANTAGE THAT I GO AWAY

4b"I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. 5But now I am going to him who sent me; yet none of you asks me, 'Where are you going?' 6But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts. 7Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: 9about sin, because they do not believe in me; 10about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer; 11about judgment, because the ruler of this world (Greek: kosmou) has been condemned.


"I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you" (v. 4b). Verses 1-4a tell of the coming persecution. Jesus did not tell the disciples of this persecution while he was with them, but is telling them now "so that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you about them" (v. 4a). The world's hostility should not come as a surprise, because the disciples have been warned. Now Jesus is "going to the one who sent me" (v. 5a), with the result that "sorrow has filled (the disciples') hearts" (v. 6b). Not only will the disciples face terrible opposition, but they will face it without Jesus. It is no wonder that they are sad.

"yet none of you asks me 'Where are you going?'" (v. 5b). This seems like a peculiar statement in view of 13:26, where Peter asked, "Lord, where are you going?" and 14:5, where Thomas said, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?" Much scholarly ink has been spilled in an attempt to resolve this. Some have suggested that it reflects weak organization on the part of the author or weak editing on the part of a redactor. Lincoln says that Jesus is not saying "none of you has asked me," (past tense) but rather "none of you is asking me" (present tense) (Lincoln, 418). Borchert says that trying to read this Gospel "within sequential time and space frames" doesn't work (Borchert, 164). Morris says that Peter's question "had not been a serious inquiry as to Jesus' destination, (and that he) had been diverted immediately, and he made no real attempt to find out where Jesus was going" (Morris, 617). This diversity of proposals, none of them compelling, suggests that we won't resolve this issue this side of heaven. There is nothing to be gained by airing this kind of unresolved issue in our preaching.

"Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you" (v. 7). The disciples are sad that Jesus is leaving, but he gives them reason to rejoice. He is leaving so that the Paraclete might come. The net result will be a gain for the disciples. "This reflects the characteristic Johannine concept that during his earthly ministry Jesus embodies the presence of God among humans, while after Jesus' exaltation through death and resurrection the Holy Spirit is the way the presence of the Father and the Son is experienced on earth" (Williamson, 209).

Preachers often note that the Paraclete is not subject to the limitations of humanity that Jesus took upon himself. Jesus could be only in one place at a time, while the Paraclete can be present with believers everywhere. Jesus, however, does not call attention to that advantage but to the fact that the Paraclete will "prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment" (v. 8).

"The picture is clearly one of a trial, in which the Paraclete has the role of prosecuting attorney and the world is the defendant, standing before the believing community" (O'Day, 771) "By convicting the world on three counts he will reverse its erroneous judgment passed upon Jesus in his crucifixion" (Howard, 731). The Paraclete will expose the world for what it is –– will convict the world –– will prove the world wrong (elengcho):

• "about sin, because they do not believe in me" (v. 9). In this Gospel, "sin is a theological, not a moral category. The world's sin is not to believe in Jesus" (O'Day, 772). The world's sin is to reject Christ in favor of "the ruler of this kosmos" (v. 11).

• "about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer" (v. 10). The world judged Jesus guilty, and condemned him to a sinner's death. Jesus, however, has overcome the death sentence and is going back to the Father. His resurrection and ascension not only vindicate his life and ministry, but also stand as judgment on those who condemned him. Their joy at Jesus' death has turned out to be "the rejoicing of the damned" (Blank, quoted in Borchert, 167).

"It is possible, however, to understand 'righteousness' in the sense of moral goodness and to read the verb as 'expose'.... On this reading, Jesus' return to the Father exposes the world's error about what constitutes moral goodness. It is not strict adherence to the law.... (It) includes mercy as well as justice" (Williamson, 210).

• "about judgment, because the ruler of this world (kosmou –– from kosmos) has been condemned" (v. 11). In this Gospel, the kosmos (world) is the sphere of evil that is opposed to God. It has given its heart to the ruler of the kosmos –– the devil (6:70; 8:44; 13:2) or Satan (13:27) instead of God. God has condemned the ruler of the kosmos, but still loves the world and seeks to save it (3:16). The kosmos, however, cannot be saved as it is, but must be redeemed –– must accept the Christ that it has rejected. Otherwise, it can expect to suffer the same judgment as the ruler of the kosmos –– the ruler whom it has chosen to follow (Lincoln, 420).


VERSES 12-15: THE SPIRIT WILL GUIDE YOU INTO ALL THE TRUTH

12"I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.


"I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now" (v. 12). Jesus has pointed to the cross, but the disciples were not been able to see it. They expected a warrior-king, and could not imagine a suffering servant. They will have to walk the walk –– to make the journey –– to experience the darkness –– before the light will begin to break through.

Jesus will ascend to the Father a short time after the resurrection, and the Paraclete will assume responsibility for the disciples' enlightenment. The Spirit of Truth "will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears" (v. 13). Jesus has spoken what he heard from God (7:16-18; 8:26-28, 40; 12:49-50), and now the Spirit of Truth will speak what it hears. The faithfulness of Jesus and the Spirit in proclaiming what they heard guarantees the truth of their proclamation as well as its continuity.

The Spirit of Truth "will declare to you the things that are to come" (v. 13b). Every generation of Christians faces new challenges to its faith and practice. What is the right Christian response to cloning? To euthanasia? To abortion? To economic systems such as capitalism and socialism? The Spirit of Truth keeps God's word alive and fresh through every changing circumstance.

"He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you" (vv. 14-15). Earlier, Jesus had declared that his teaching was not his own but was from the one who had sent him. He continued, "Those who speak on their own seek their own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and there is nothing false about him" (7:18). Jesus has been faithful in glorifying the Father, and the Spirit will be faithful in glorifying the Son.

"Like Elijah, Jesus has ascended into heaven –– but his mantle falls not on just one successor. The gift of the Holy Spirit is poured out at Pentecost upon all people" (Burridge, 572).

THOUGHT PROVOKERS:

God is no distant deity but a constant reality,
a very present help whenever needs occur.
So? So live like it.
And laugh like it!
(The apostle) Paul did.
While he lived, he drained every drop of joy
out of every day that passed.

Charles R. Swindoll

* * * * * * * * * *

Even the most Starless midnight
may herald the dawn of some great fulfillment.

Martin Luther King

* * * * * * * * * *

God's might to direct me,
God's power to protect me,
God's wisdom for learning,
God's eye for discerning,
God's ear for my hearing,
God's Word for my clearing.

Saint Patrick

* * * * * * * * * *

The true believer in the Holy Spirit
is one who knows how to hoist the sail of his own spirit
to catch the winds of God.

Ralph W. Sockman

* * * * * * * * * *

To the church, Pentecost brought light, power, joy.
There came to each illumination of mind,
assurance of heart,
intensity of love,
fullness of power,
exuberance of joy.
No one needed to ask if they had received the Holy Ghost.
Fire is self-evident.
So is power!

Samuel Chadwick

* * * * * * * * * *


BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Barclay, William, The Daily Study Bible, "The Gospel of John," Vol. 2 (Edinburgh: The Saint Andrew Press, 1957)

Borchert, Gerald L., New American Commentary: John 12-21, Vol. 25B (Nashville: Broadman Press, 2002)

Burridge, Richard A., in Van Harn, Roger (ed.), The Lectionary Commentary: Theological Exegesis for Sunday's Text. The Third Readings: The Gospels (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2001)

Cousar, Charles B., in Brueggemann, Walter; Cousar, Charles B.; Gaventa, Beverly R. and Newsome, James D., Texts for Preaching: A Lectionary Commentary Based on the NRSV––Year B (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1993)

Craddock, Fred R.; Hayes, John H.; Holladay, Carl R.; and Tucker, Gene M., Preaching Through the Christian Year, B (Valley Forge: Trinity Press International, 1993).

Gossip, Arthur John and Howard, Wilbert F., The Interpreter's Bible, Volume 8 (Nashville: Abingdon, 1952)

Keener, Craig S., The Gospel of John: A Commentary, Volume II (Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 2003)

Kostenberger, Andreas J., Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: John (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2004)

Lincoln, Andrew T., Black's New Testament Commentary: The Gospel According to John (London: Continuum, 2005)

Morris, Leon, The New International Commentary on the New Testament: The Gospel According to John, Revised (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1995)

O'Day, Gail R., The New Interpreter's Bible, Volume IX (Nashville: Abingdon, 1995)

Ridderbos, Herman (translated by John Vriend), The Gospel of John: A Theological Commentary (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1997)

Sloyan, Gerald, Interpretation: John (Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1988)

Smith, D. Moody, Jr., Abingdon New Testament Commentaries: John (Nashville: Abingdon, 1999)

Williamson, Lamar, Jr., Preaching the Gospel of John: Proclaiming the Living Word (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004)

Richard Niell Donovan, SermonWriter.com