SERMON: “Spiritual Strength Amid Persecution” (John 15:26–16:4)
“Spiritual Strength Amid Persecution”
(John 15:26–16:4)
Series: “John:
Life in Christ’s Name” Text:
John
15:26–16:4
By: Shaun
Marksbury Date:
September
1, 2024
Venue: Living
Water Baptist Church Occasion:
AM Service
I.
Introduction
As we continue studying through the Gospel of John, we come
to a passage where Jesus prepares His disciples for the trials ahead. In John 15:18–25, Jesus warned of the world’s
hatred. Now, in John 15:26–16:4, He
offers them promises of comfort in this passage.
Jesus’s sources of strength are promises we need to endure coming
persecution, as well. His message tells
us that He provides strength for the moment in three ways. First, the Holy Spirit strengthens us amid
persecution (15:26–27). Second, Christ’s
word strengthens us amid persecution (16:1–4a).
Third, Christ’s presence strengthens us amid persecution (16:4b). Let’s consider the first of these.
II.
First, the Holy Spirit Strengthens Us Amid
Persecution (15:26–27)
When the Helper
comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who
proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me, and you will testify also,
because you have been with Me from the beginning.
Jesus returns to the promise of the coming Paraclete —
the Holy Spirit. Just to review what
we’ve learned back in John 14, the term Paraclete is a transliteration
of the Greek term which “refers to a legal assistant in a court who pleads
someone’s case before the judge (compare 1 John 2:1).”[1] Bible translations handle the term in a number
of ways because it’s so rich. This
translation has “Helper,” while the Legacy Standard Bible has “Advocate.”
The Southern Baptist Holman translation has “Counselor.” If you grew up on the King James Version, you
know the term there is translated “Comforter.” These all reflect the multifaceted role of the
Spirit as the Lord’s Advocate with us.
We see that Jesus promises to send the Spirit from the
Father, since the Spirit proceeds from the Father. There is a fascinating debate in earlier
church history about whether the Son sends the Spirit, or if the Father does
alone. If you are a theology nerd, this
was known as the filioque controversy,
and it is the reason the words “and the Son” was added to the Nicene
Creed. The Eastern Church dissented,
saying the Spirit came only from the Father, and that eventually led to the
historic split between the Eastern and Western branches of Christianity in
1054.[2] The West was correct, of course: Jesus says
here that He sends the Spirit with the Father (cf. John 14:26).
Jesus can do so because Jesus received the Spirit without
measure (John 3:24–25). Indeed, at
Christ’s baptism, John saw the sign of the Holy Spirit descending upon Jesus
like a dove (Luke 3:22; cf. John 1:32–33).
When Jesus began His ministry in Luke 4:18, He read and claimed the
prophecy that the Spirit of the Lord was upon Him. Here, He promises to give the Holy Spirit to
His disciples, something He has the authority to do because He has the Holy
Spirit so.
Jesus emphasizes that the Holy Spirit will bear witness
about Him, and His witness will be truthful because He is the Spirit of Truth. The Spirit is testifying to the world in
general, as we will see in John 16:8.
Yet, He will also have a special ministry to the disciples, as He
reminds them of what Jesus said (John 14:26).
Note: a true Holy Spirit ministry speaks of Jesus. There are some ministries which focus on the
Holy Spirit, with folks supposedly getting drunk in the Spirit, laughing in the
Spirit, being slain in the Spirit, etcetera.
They typically classify ministries as ours as being “afraid” of the Holy
Spirit, because we don’t focus on these things.
Jesus, however, explains that the Spirit will function to proclaim
Him.
He then says in v. 27 that the disciples would also proclaim
Christ. This verse may be taken to be future
or imperative, as the NASB footnote reads.[3] That’s why the NIV reads, “And you also must testify.” As such, despite persecution, the Spirit will
help us to fulfill our charge to witness of Christ.
The apostles, after receiving the Holy Spirit at Pentecost,
boldly preached the gospel despite facing severe persecution. The Spirit empowered them to speak the truth,
even when faced with physical assault and threat of death. This same Spirit dwells within us, enabling us
to stand firm in our witness for Christ.
Christians sometimes worry that they won’t have the strength to make a
stand in the moment, to endure persecution, because we know our own
inadequacies; the Holy Spirit will give believers strength when the time comes.
This promise of the Holy Spirit is crucial for us today. As this world grows increasingly hostile
toward our faith, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and even tempted to retreat or
remain silent. But Jesus promises that
the Holy Spirit will strengthen us to testify about Him, even when the world
opposes us.
This isn’t just a mystical strengthening, though we will
find that inexplicable strength when the time comes. The Holy Spirit also works through the
Word. This is what we see next.
III.
Second, Christ’s Word Strengthens Us Amid
Persecution (16:1–4a)
These things I
have spoken to you so that you may be kept from stumbling. They will make you outcasts from the
synagogue, but an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is
offering service to God. These things
they will do because they have not known the Father or Me. But these things I have spoken to you, so that
when their hour comes, you may remember that I told you of them.
We’re jumping into a new chapter with this point, but
remember that the chapter divisions were added much later to the text. They can be helpful, but Jesus is continuing
to talk about the troubles the disciples will have here. He’ll then return to speaking of the comforts
of the Holy Spirit in vv. 7–15, and then He’ll speak of His resurrection,
prayer, His returning to the Father, and their peace in Him throughout the rest
of this chapter.
Jesus explains in v. 1 that He has spoken these things so
that His disciples may be kept from stumbling. The “these things” refers back specifically to
John 15:18–27. The world will hate us,
but the Spirit will give us strength.
According to Jesus, this is a message we need.
Our faith would be in danger without the Word of
Christ. The Greek word translated as “stumbling”
can also mean “to be scandalized.” The ESV
renders this “falling away.” We would be prone to being so shocked as to
stumble or fall away from the faith if Christ had not warned of the
persecution we may face.
Sometimes, we think of persecution as a single moment that
may pass, or that may make us pass from this world. However, it may be an ongoing trial, such as excommunication
from the synagogue. This was a process
like an extreme case of church discipline, and the unbelieving Jewish leadership
had previously agreed to do this to all confessing Jesus to be the Christ (John
9:22). As one commentary noted,
The Jews had three types of
excommunication: one lasting 30 days, during which the person could not come
within six feet of anybody else; one for an indefinite time, during which the
person was excluded from all fellowship and worship; and one that meant
absolute expulsion forever. These
judgments were very serious because no one could conduct business with a person
who was excommunicated.[4]
This would mean that one’s whole life would be affected by
converting to Christ. However, the
threats would also include a moment, an hour when the enemy seems to have a
temporary victory. This may be end in a murder,
with people thinking that killing Christians was a service of worship. This is precisely what Paul thought when he
was persecuting Christians (Acts 26:9–11).
So, Christians will have to face people also making self-righteous
claims about the “true” worship of God — or, today, how conservative
Christianity conflicts with the “true” worship of Jesus Christ.
Yet, Jesus doesn’t give this warning to discourage them. He wants to prepare them for the trials ahead.
For instance, they will know that any
words about honoring God are false and need not doubt their conviction.
An example of that was during the English Reformation. Two bishops — Hugh Latimer and Nicholas
Ridley — faced the wrath of the Catholic Queen Mary I (“Bloody Mary”). She told the Church of England that they were
straying from the true faith by embracing Scripture over Catholicism, and she
arrested these bishops and pressured them to recant. However, both Latimer and Ridley were tied to
stakes to be burned alive in Oxford.
While the guards secured their ropes, Latimer turned to Ridley and famously
said, “Be of good comfort, Master Ridley, and play the man. We shall this day light such a candle, by God’s
grace, in England, as I trust shall never be put out.” Queen Mary never succeeded in converting the
church back to Rome, and after her death, the Protestant faith became the
dominate faith in England.
By knowing the truth of what is to come, Christians will be
able to endure without falling away. Christ’s
words shield against the trials that would otherwise cause us to stumble. When we face opposition, remembering His
warnings and promises helps us remain steadfast. We should take His words to heart, meditating
on them and allowing them to fortify us. The Word of God is a sword (Eph. 6:17) that
cuts through the lies of the enemy and strengthens our resolve to stand for
Christ.
We have two important pillars which support us amid
persecution, then. They are the Holy
Spirit and the Word of the Lord. Still,
there’s one more support implied in the latter half of v. 4:
IV.
Third, Christ’s Presence Strengthens Us Amid
Persecution (16:4b)
These things I did
not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you.
In the first part of this verse, Jesus reminds His disciples
that He has told them these things so that when their hour of trial comes, they
will remember that He has warned them. Here, however, He says He did not tell them
these things beforehand. He explains
that it was unnecessary because He was with them.
What does this mean?
They were with Jesus from the beginning of His ministry. As one study notes, “Before this time the
persecution was directed at him rather than at them.”[5] Another notes, “When Jesus was with His
disciples, He was able to guide them.”[6] Still another study explains, “He didn’t need
to warn them because He was there to protect them.”[7] All these resources note variations on the
same them: Jesus had been with them, so they wouldn’t be experiencing the brunt
of persecution that they would after He had departed — His presence was a
blessing.
His presence continues after His ascension, as well. Consider the example of Stephen in Acts 7. As he was being stoned to death, he looked up
and saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God. This vision of Christ’s presence gave him the
strength to endure his martyrdom with grace, even praying for his persecutors. In the same way, Christ’s presence sustains us
in our trials.
Now, in some ways, this is a revisitation of the first
point. Christ is currently at the
right-hand of the Father. It is through
the Holy Spirit that we experience Christ’s presence with us. Yet, this is part of what it means that the
Holy Spirit is the Advocate — He stands in the place of Christ, even bringing
Christ (and even the Father) close to us.
It’s important that we see that all three members of the Trinity — God
in His fulness — is with us.
So, in the midst of persecution, we can find solace in the
knowledge that Christ is with us. He is
not a distant observer but an ever-present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1). When we are persecuted for our faith, we can
rest in the assurance that we are never alone. Christ walks with us through the fire, and His
presence gives us the courage to face whatever comes our way.
V.
Conclusion
Christianity isn’t necessarily a religion to come to for
happiness, health, wealth, or prosperity; the world will hate us. Don’t be surprised by this. You may be tempted to hide your faith under a
bushel or even abandon it when you face persecution if you weren’t expecting
this. However, this warning is here so
you are forewarned and forearmed.
As we face the hostility of the world, let us remember that
Jesus has not left us to fend for ourselves. He has given us His Holy Spirit to strengthen
us, His Word to guide us, and His presence to comfort us. Don’t look to self-help, therapy, medication,
meditation, or anything in this world to help bring you the peace you
need. His divine gifts equip us to stand
firm in the face of persecution, testifying to the truth of the gospel with
boldness and courage. May we rely on divine
strength as we navigate the challenges of living faithfully for Christ in this world!
[1] John D. Barry, Douglas Mangum, Derek R. Brown, Michael
S. Heiser, Miles Custis, Elliot Ritzema, Matthew M. Whitehead, Michael R.
Grigoni, and David Bomar, Faithlife Study
Bible, (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), Jn 14:26.
[2] Paul P. Enns, The
Moody Handbook of Theology, (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1989), 434.
[3] New American
Standard Bible: 1995 Update, (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995).
[4] Earl D. Radmacher, Ronald Barclay Allen, and H. Wayne
House, The Nelson Study Bible: New King
James Version, (Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers, 1997), Jn 9:22.
[5] Ronald L. Trail, An
Exegetical Summary of John 10–21, Exegetical Summaries, (Dallas, TX: SIL
International, 2018), 278.
[6] John D. Barry, et al., Faithlife Study Bible, Jn 16:4.
[7] John MacArthur Jr., Ed., The MacArthur Study Bible, electronic ed., (Nashville, TN: Word
Pub., 1997), 1617.