John 15:26, commentary and pictures

When Christ was about to leave His disciples, He promised to send them from the Father the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth who comes forth from the Father, to bear witness of Him. That Comforter is fully divine, a distinct living person of the Godhead sent to take Christ's place as teacher, guide and abiding power with the church. He testifies by lifting up Christ as the world's only hope, glorifying Him rather than Himself, guiding believers into all truth, bringing Scripture to remembrance and convicting hearts of sin unto repentance and renewal. That divine witness joins with the witness of Christ's followers, who from firsthand fellowship with Him proclaim Him boldly, and whom the Spirit strengthens to move hearts even under imprisonment and opposition. The promise was given with full knowledge of coming hatred and persecution, so believers would not be left alone or discouraged, and it calls for daily seeking the baptism of the Spirit in entire surrender, that divinity may work through humanity to transform character and bear fruit to God's glory.

Farewell Setting and Context

Jesus spoke these words to the eleven disciples alone in the upper chamber after Judas had left, near the close of His earthly ministry with His death just ahead. They belong to His words of hope and comfort, counsel and prayer before His separation from them, first directing their thoughts to the great object of His mission and to His joy that all His humiliation and suffering would glorify the Father's name. They were part of His instruction before His departure to prepare and strengthen them for the trials and temptations ahead, to make them aware of His purposes and plans and to help them remember His love in their work and counsel.

The promise stands in the farewell instruction of John 13-17, especially John 14-16 and John 15-16. It was spoken because He knew every phase of experience, conflict, difficulty, affliction and temptation to lose faith His church would face through unconverted believers, and because the disciples' work would fail unless divine power worked with their human effort. In the midst of warning that the world would hate them and they would pass through manifold afflictions, He mingled bright hopeful lines with the dark by promising the Comforter sent from the Father, the Spirit of truth proceeding from the Father, to testify of Him, so that trial told beforehand would not bring discouragement, doubt or failure. God has thus made every provision through faith in Jesus Christ, with a changeless source of strength, consolation, hope and courage ever within reach, and the disciples must seek the power God provides to carry out Christ's work and uplift humanity, for the Holy Spirit works through human agents.

Studying this encouragement and hope imparts courage to stand fast in the most trying hour and brings strength and assurance to the true believer as long as time lasts. The lessons of John 15 were spoken for encouragement and blessing, to be received into the heart and let shine in clear, distinct rays to others so souls will come to the light and inquire with earnestness what is truth. John 13-17 require careful study and earnest practice by all who honor God and Jesus Christ whom He sent, for the duties specified by Christ as Substitute and Surety must not be neglected through attention to unimportant matters, and doing them bears divine credentials to the world that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. The instruction and promises call for faith in Him, hope in His promises, and living those promises before the world. Those who minister in word and doctrine must be reconverted to understand, believe every verse of, watch unto prayer over, and live out this plain outline of God's will before fellow ministers.

In its setting believers are branches connected to Christ the true Vine and parent stock, distinct yet drawing all sustenance and life from one Source and sharing the same Spirit, laboring together in perfect unity and love to bear the best quality of fruit to the glory of God. This unity preserves individuality, for the branches do not become identical and Christian unity does not require uniformity. The chapter teaches the same lesson as John 6 of receiving Christ and living in connection with Him, pictured by the vine and its branches. Christ is the perfect pattern and proper focus of Christian life, to be fed upon rather than dwelling on the faults of others, for the Spirit gives life while merely attending to outward or human things profits nothing, and Christ as Sin-bearer alone can take away sin, without whom people perish.

He and the Father are one, and His disciples are to be one in Christ and through Christ in God by doing the obedience Christ gave to the Father and by sharing the honor the Father gives the Son. Believers can be with Christ from the beginning by taking His lessons in this chapter and on through His teachings to heart and following them out to the letter. Staying in close connection as fruit-bearing branches of the true vine bears the fruit of the true vine and makes an impression on the world, while maintaining sacredness of Christian character in love for souls and coming into right relation to God keeps a person from being pruned away and prunes him to bring forth more fruit to God's glory. God takes away what disturbs and makes only a little work possible, and keeps and prunes what works in harmony with Christ, and reading the words of Christ over and over until they get into the heart makes the heart burn with love for every branch in the vine and moves each person wherever he lives to come up higher and work with all his might to bring souls to the knowledge of the truth.

The chapter was experienced as bringing sacred peace and a sense of Jesus' presence when it was being written, and the Holy Spirit alone can transform character and shape experience after the divine likeness. Its words harmonize with Christ's mission to bring good news, comfort the brokenhearted and mourners, and help those in need, standing against selfishness and judging people by wealth or status.

These words of comfort, counsel and prayer were not fully understood until after the resurrection. They were then repeated to sustain the disciples in disappointment and trial and to strengthen hearts, and their testimony spread comfort, peace and hope to believers.

Spirit Sent from Father

The Comforter is the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, fully divine and a distinct living person of the Godhead. He is sent by Jesus from the Father and proceeds from the Father, and His coming opens blinded eyes as at Pentecost. His influence softens and subdues hearts to bring confession, repentance and reconciliation, and His presence assures believers of the presence of Jesus. He guides into all truth and testifies of Christ rather than speaking of Himself, making the power of divine grace known to those who receive and believe in Christ as personal Saviour.

Christ sends the Comforter, the Spirit of truth, from the Father, and the Spirit proceeds from and comes from the Father to testify of Christ. That sending joins the Spirit's witness to the disciples' own witness, grounded in their having been with Christ from the beginning.

The Spirit comes as Christ's representative to the world, the heavenly teacher and guide sent at Christ's ascension and glorification as His crowning gift to take His place and be the church's life and power. He makes real in hearts and lives what Christ made possible by His death, gives divine gifts as He sees fit, and assures disciples they are not left as orphans. He abides as Comforter, advocate, guide and teacher, teaching and reminding, convincing of sin, helping believers know Christ and receive His continuing presence, understand spiritual truth and grow in divine love, and bearing an unwavering testimony. To comprehend His office brings blessing and completeness in Christ, and is a theme of encouragement to be kept before people and presented in every discourse.

His nature cannot be defined beyond what God has revealed. He comes with wonderful peace and light and the atmosphere of heaven, a holy sacred presence and felt nearness of Jesus and of a heavenly watcher close beside though no person is seen and no audible voice is heard. He puts the mind in a waiting attitude to hear what He says, then presents matters of intense interest and importance, imprints truth on mind and understanding with great awe, and lays out a distinct line of action. He dwells in the heart as the Spirit of truth and thereby comforts, because truth brings peace while falsehood does not, and through Scripture He impresses truth on the heart, exposes and drives out error, and brings Christ's people under His rule.

Spirit Testifies of Christ

The Comforter promised is the Spirit of truth who testifies of Christ, and that testimony centers the message for this time on lifting Him up as the world's only hope. The Spirit glorifies Christ by directing the world's attention to Him rather than speaking of Himself or pointing to human agents, so that people may look to Christ and live. In glorifying Him the Spirit demonstrates the unity of the Father and the Son, which disciples are to reflect by becoming like Christ and showing His love to the world. As people contemplate Christ's perfection they recognize the imperfections in their own character.

The Spirit guides into all truth and gives new insight to understand Christ's instruction, helping people recognize His teaching as truth rather than being misled by false teaching. Through Scripture He impresses truth on the heart, exposes and drives out error, and works through God's Word to bring Christ's people under His rule and give peace, for truth brings peace while falsehood does not. He presents in strong clear light not only new truth but old truth that has been forgotten and buried, to bring people to repentance. That same testimony equips believers to pass on God's word with the Holy Spirit's authority, calling them to trust Christ's promises.

His influence softens and subdues hearts, bringing confession, repentance and reconciliation, and His presence assures believers of Jesus' presence. His coming opens blinded eyes, as it did among the disciples at Pentecost, and renews the mind. He is the faithful and true witness to the Word of God and the searcher of the thoughts and purposes of the heart, convincing the soul of sin. As Christ's abiding representative He is greatly needed in schools, as He was eagerly sought in the schools of the prophets, for He is the source of power to restore the moral image of God in man, bringing even the thoughts into harmony with God's will, establishing a living connection between earth and heaven, and helping disciples know Christ, understand spiritual truth and grow in divine love.

He brought Jesus' words back to the disciples' minds and recalled His teaching to strengthen them to continue bearing witness under persecution, imprisonment and opposition. He still helps disciples understand, remember and present the truth as it is in Jesus with authority. After Christ's ascension their Spirit-filled words and prayers moved many hearts and led thousands to conversion.

Disciples Bear Witness Too

The Comforter sent by Christ from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, testifies of Christ, and that divine witness accompanies the disciples' own witness. Those who have been with Christ from the beginning also bear witness to Him, making known what He revealed and presenting the truth, so that the Spirit's testimony and their firsthand witness together support the proclamation of Jesus and salvation to the world. Christ's followers are therefore not left alone as they face trials, for the Spirit bears witness to Christ while the disciples bear witness because they have been with Him from the beginning, as He told them beforehand what would come so that trial would not lead them to discouragement or doubt.

This Spirit empowers their witness, strengthening them to testify boldly despite imprisonment, arrest and opposition. He brought Jesus' words back to the disciples' minds and strengthened them to bear witness to Him despite imprisonment and opposition, and their witness included proclaiming Jesus' resurrection. After Christ's ascension and glorification the Spirit came at Pentecost as Christ's representative, assuring the disciples they were not orphans and empowering them to witness to Christ's divinity and glory. Through that power their Spirit-filled words and prayers moved hearts and led many to conversion, even thousands after the ascension.

The promise applies to every age and race and continues to the end, for since Pentecost the Spirit has come to those who surrender to the Lord and accept Christ as personal Saviour. God puts His Spirit upon believers and ministers to testify of Christ, so those who labor unitedly and heartily for victory at every step are never alone but have the Lord revealed to them as they work. In them He counsels, sanctifies, guides, and bears witness, and as they walk more closely with God their testimony to redeeming love and saving grace becomes clearer and more powerful. When they love and live the gospel their sanctified lives reveal Christ's character and provide a living testimony to God's word, which those preparing for ministry through canvassing will see fulfilled as the Spirit helps them understand and present the truth as it is in Jesus.

Comfort for Coming Trials

The promise was given with full knowledge that the hatred and persecution and deeds done to Christ would be repeated against His followers to the close of the world's history. Though the world would hate those chosen out of the world and they would pass through manifold afflictions and great temptation to lose faith, Christ mingled bright hopeful lines with the dark warnings by promising the Comforter sent from the Father, even the Spirit of truth proceeding from the Father to testify of Him. He told them beforehand what would come so that trial would not lead them to discouragement or doubt or failure. Followers are not left alone and not left as orphans, for God has made every provision through faith in Jesus Christ so believers will not fail nor be discouraged in a dark troubled future, with a changeless source of strength and consolation and hope and courage ever within reach.

Without the controlling power of the Spirit of God humanity is a terrible power for evil, stirred by unbelief and satanic influences to misrepresentation and falsehood and persecution of the saints. Their work would fail unless divine power worked with human effort, for the Holy Spirit works through human agents. They must therefore seek the power God provides to carry out Christ's work and uplift humanity.

All must have the baptism of the Holy Spirit, sought now in prayer and faith and not neglected to a more favorable time. It is a wonderful gift meant to raise thoughts and enlarge expectations toward the highest excellence, to be valued and sought in its fullness and not resisted in its work. It is to be asked for each morning to be present through the day, and comprehending His office brings all other blessings in its train and makes believers complete in Christ. Receiving it requires awakening from heavy slumber and cutting away every needless thing that hinders. The soul temple must be daily emptied of self and of hereditary and cultivated tendencies to wrong and made wholly dependent on Christ, so self does not rule the being and words and acts are not tarnished with selfishness and inappropriate self-confidence is put away. When so sought the Holy Spirit flows in rich currents to the soul and enables believers to bear testimony, and it is the privilege of those who have had light to receive this falling of the Spirit. He molds and fashions character after the divine similitude and works the mind and shows what to do, making it possible for humanity to grasp divinity so that divinity can lift humanity into oneness with Christ and oneness with God as partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

Living the Witness Daily

The promise carries responsibility to be brought into right relation to God by entire surrender, loving Him and keeping His commandments and being happy in His love. Heart and business relations and every other line are to be searched to see where life has worked counter to the law of God. Every lesson and every phase of the chapter is to be taken personally to bring oneself into that right relation. Taken to heart, the verse exposes lack of love and lack of resignation to bear any cross or difficulty. It calls for sacred union with God in which the salvation of God is seen in a remarkable manner, and for humbling of soul before God, confession where wrong has been done, and letting light shine forth because the Lord is working, in preparation for the great work Jesus must do for His people before they stand in review at the judgment.

Believers are branches connected to Christ the true Vine and parent stock, united by drawing life from the same source and sharing the same Spirit. That unity preserves individuality, for the branches do not become identical and Christian unity does not require uniformity. Distinct yet drawing all sustenance from one source and laboring together in perfect unity and love, they bear the best quality of fruit to the glory of God. The Spirit glorifies Christ by demonstrating the unity of the Father and the Son, and disciples reflect that unity by becoming like Christ and showing His love to the world. This witness calls people to take hold of Jesus' divine nature and become overcomers through repentance, conversion and trust, and though spiritual things are spiritually discerned so believers may be misunderstood by the world, they are to follow Jesus faithfully. Claiming the privilege the Spirit was given to make possible — that humanity may grasp divinity so divinity can lift humanity into oneness with Christ and with God — brings the whole being into unity with Christ, where the human takes hold of the divine nature and becomes a partaker of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world through lust. The soul temple must be daily emptied of self and of hereditary and cultivated tendencies to wrong and made wholly dependent on Christ to be prepared to receive the Holy Spirit, so self does not rule, words and acts are not tarnished with selfishness, Christ appears in the life, and inappropriate self-confidence is put away to wear His yoke in meekness and lowliness.

Receiving the Holy Spirit's ministry, the richest gift God can bestow, enables people to bless others, and daily experience with God is evidence of worth in those who hold positions of responsibility. The verse is a source of comfort and spiritual nourishment, and joined with the next verse that disciples also bear witness because they had been with Him from the beginning, it makes the living Christian a witness through whom God's words are repeated with divine authority. Only the Holy Spirit can transform character and shape experience after the divine likeness. The Comforter is to be asked for each morning to be present through the day to mold and fashion character after the divine similitude, working the mind and telling what to do. That leads to conscientious co-working with Christ in practicing the lessons of the true vine and the branches, and obedience from fear of offending Him means doing the Master's work to save souls. It means opening the door and welcoming the erring one who pleads for another trial back to the fold even without evidence of marked change, accepting confession, heeding requests, and never closing the door of hope, acting as Christ would act. The Spirit is the faithful and true witness to the Word of God and the searcher of the thoughts and purposes of the heart, the source of power for restoring the moral image of God in man, whose transforming influence brings even the thoughts into harmony with the will of God and establishes a living connection between earth and heaven.