Joh 16:7 | KingComments | STEP | The Lord resumes speaking about His going to the Father. If their faith had been more simple, they would not only have relied on His loving care for them, but they would also have asked Him where He was going. Then they would have heard about the glory and the blessing that this would mean for them. But there is still no understanding for Him, as to what it means for Him to go to the Father. The thought that He will leave them does not occur to them. They can only think of a reigning Messiah. Again and again they are surprised when they hear their Divine Teacher speak of Him leaving them. Nor can they deal with the suffering He has announced. If the bad feeling aroused by His words were to come true, it would make them sad. What are they to think of His going away? Because their faith does not yet see beyond the earthly glory, His going away will leave them without any perspective. What will then be the consequences of His coming for the world or even for Israel? Have they left everything and followed Him for that? The Lord knows their thoughts and feelings. To Him it is the opportunity to speak about the coming, the presence and the work of the Holy Spirit. He tells them that it is even to their advantage that He is leaving. It may seem strange that the loss of His physical presence will bring them gain. However, we must remember that He will only leave after an eternal salvation is achieved after which the Spirit will come to earth to bear witness to a glorified Christ. Also, the Spirit will continue to dwell on earth and is, and will continue to be, their Helper, as long as they and all those who will form the church are on earth. The Holy Spirit could only come to earth after Christ was glorified ( ) because He would come as Witness of His glorification. He will testify of what He has seen of the glorified Christ in heaven. That is why the Lord Jesus had to go away first. The Spirit will reveal the meaning of this to the disciples. Christendom is the revelation of the Father, of a glorified Man in heaven and of God the Holy Spirit on earth.

‏ John 16:7

The Advantage of the Lord’s Going Away

The Lord resumes speaking about His going to the Father. If their faith had been more simple, they would not only have relied on His loving care for them, but they would also have asked Him where He was going. Then they would have heard about the glory and the blessing that this would mean for them.

But there is still no understanding for Him, as to what it means for Him to go to the Father. The thought that He will leave them does not occur to them. They can only think of a reigning Messiah. Again and again they are surprised when they hear their Divine Teacher speak of Him leaving them. Nor can they deal with the suffering He has announced.

If the bad feeling aroused by His words were to come true, it would make them sad. What are they to think of His going away? Because their faith does not yet see beyond the earthly glory, His going away will leave them without any perspective. What will then be the consequences of His coming for the world or even for Israel? Have they left everything and followed Him for that?

The Lord knows their thoughts and feelings. To Him it is the opportunity to speak about the coming, the presence and the work of the Holy Spirit. He tells them that it is even to their advantage that He is leaving. It may seem strange that the loss of His physical presence will bring them gain. However, we must remember that He will only leave after an eternal salvation is achieved after which the Spirit will come to earth to bear witness to a glorified Christ. Also, the Spirit will continue to dwell on earth and is, and will continue to be, their Helper, as long as they and all those who will form the church are on earth.

The Holy Spirit could only come to earth after Christ was glorified (Jn 7:39) because He would come as Witness of His glorification. He will testify of what He has seen of the glorified Christ in heaven. That is why the Lord Jesus had to go away first. The Spirit will reveal the meaning of this to the disciples. Christendom is the revelation of the Father, of a glorified Man in heaven and of God the Holy Spirit on earth.