At the outset of this chapter we see that it is possible for a man who is sincere, to persecute the children of God, thinking that he is doing God service. He has got old truths, by which the conscience need not be in exercise; by them faith is not put to the proof. The Jews could boast over the heathen of the truth of one true God, and other truths which they possessed; but when new truths are revealed by God, as here the Father and Jesus (the Son), then they impugn these new truths, making use of the old ones to do so.
This is what has happened in the Church. The Catholics have truths that the Pagans and the Jews have not, and they boast of them: but when, in all times, and especially in the sixteenth century, men of faith have presented justification by faith, and other truths which put the state of their souls to the test, they resist them strenuously, building themselves on the truth they may have got.
So it may be said also of the Protestants, who certainly have more truths than the Catholics, but with them also they are hereditary truths. One is born in them, and educated in them, and it is no doubt an advantage, but the conscience is not thereby exercised; faith is not tested. And, therefore, when one speaks to them of the truth which they have not, as of the presence of the Holy Spirit in the Church, of the coming of the Lord, or that which touches the Cleresy, they oppose these new truths (though they are no more new than that of justification by faith, and the other truths which the Catholics oppose, being themselves in the Word), and they build themselves on the truths which they already possess. They clothe themselves with the old truths as with an honor.
The Jews believed in one God, but they did not want the revelation of the Father, because that truth at that time exposed their evil state. The truths in which one is born, and which are received from infancy cost nothing; contrariwise they are an ornament and a glory.
Verse 5 shows us how easy it is to be occupied with one’s self rather than with the Lord. The disciples were all occupied with themselves, with what they had left, and what would happen them when their Master was gone away from them; and they were nowise solicitous in knowing where Christ was going, nor the purposes of God in this respect. We are sad when we think of ourselves and not of Jesus! The sadness of the disciples was right, but they did not think of submitting themselves to God in view of what Jesus had proposed to them. It is the same thing with ourselves; if anything sorrowful happens to us, instead of only pining, we ought to trust in God, and think that He has a purpose in every trial, and all things work together for good to those who love God.
From ver. 7, the Holy Spirit is spoken of, and we have this truth that He could not come before Christ had gone to heaven. It was necessary that redemption first take place, and that man be in heaven. The Spirit should convince the world of sin; from which it does not follow that the world allow itself to be convinced, but it was a demonstration on the part of the Spirit of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. The presence of the Holy Spirit on earth was a proof that Christ was in heaven, because Christ had said that He would send Him when He was gone. The world is not convinced by the Spirit, it does not trouble itself about Him. When a person was convinced he became a disciple.
In the same way that Christ had wrought in creation before His coming, and then He came to dwell on earth; so is it with the Holy Spirit; He had wrought amongst men before His coming to dwell amongst men down here, and now He has come to us personally.
The Holy Spirit convinces the world of sin, because it has not believed in Jesus: the world, as such, never would receive Him, nevertheless the testimony is always there. The world prefers its own pleasures: what God calls sin.
Christ is the righteousness of God (vv. 5-10), because the world having rejected Christ, righteousness has left this world and gone to the right hand of God, where it is now found. In 1 Corinthians 1:3030But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: (1 Corinthians 1:30), we have the two sides of this question, we are ourselves of God in Him; and then, of God Christ is made unto us righteousness. From Christ we have a new life, but this new life does not make us righteous before God, but Christ is my righteousness on God’s part. God has given proof of His righteousness, in putting Christ at His right hand, as man, because that He as man had perfectly glorified God on earth. The law was the perfect measure of human righteousness, but as man could not make out righteousness, God has provided him with a perfect righteousness, that is Christ, who has deserved as man a place at the right hand of God. There He will remain until He rises up to put down all his enemies as a footstool beneath His feet, according to Psalms 110. For His friends He has done everything, nothing for them remains to be done, as it is written in Hebrews 1, that after He had made purgation of sins, He set Himself down at the right hand of the Majesty on High. This is in contrast with the Jewish priests, who always stood to repeat the sacrifices which could never take away sins; but Christ, having offered one sacrifice for sins, and perfected by one offering them that were sanctified, took His seat at the right hand of God (Hebrews 10:11-1411And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: 12But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; 13From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. 14For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. (Hebrews 10:11‑14)). This is what He has done for His friends. Then when He rises up again He will deal with His enemies.
Verse 10, contains the most terrible words for the world: it will no more see Jesus in His Spirit of grace, by which He seeks to save souls; it will see Him then when He will send them to everlasting punishment. Man is satisfied with Satan, prince of this world; beneath his rule everything flourishes that is according to man’s taste; arts, sciences, pleasures all worldly progress. Satan has put all the world against Christ in order to put Him to death on the cross; in this has been proved who the prince of this world was, and the world that is under his influence is likewise itself condemned. We, when we are converted, are freed from the dominion of Satan. All this is shown by the presence of the Holy Spirit on earth.
Verse 12 tells us that the disciples at this time could not understand the things that Jesus had said to them. These things were heavenly—the things to come, the blessings of the Church in heavenly places. It was the Spirit who should communicate these things to them. The things of Christ are all the things that belong to the Father; and if we now do not comprehend these things, it is our own fault. 1 Corinthians 2:10-1610But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 11For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. 12Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 13Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. 16For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:10‑16), is an example of what the Holy Spirit does now, revealing to us the things of God. These verses are often misquoted—that is, only one part of them is quoted. It is a quotation from Isaiah, “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man,” &c. This was true in the Old Testament, but the apostle goes on to show that such was no longer the case now, that these things that were hidden are now revealed to us by the Holy Spirit. And more is said at the end of the same chapter, “Who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him?” and the answer is, “We have the mind of Christ.” But it is too true that often the Holy Spirit cannot reveal to us all He would; because if we sin, if we are careless, He is obliged to reprove us, instead of showing us the things that belong to us, heavenly things. To be reproved is very precious; but one loses much by the need of it, because one cannot enjoy or realize practically that which the Lord has revealed, while the Holy Spirit needs to reprove us on account of our bad condition.
The word mystery means a thing that is known only by revelation; it remains always a mystery to those who are not initiated into the things of God. In order to judge if a testimony is of the Holy Spirit, you must see whether it glorifies Christ; then, if it does not glorify Christ, it cannot be a testimony of the Holy Spirit. For example, the Holy Spirit could not bear testimony to, or give glory to the Virgin Mary; He bears witness only to Christ. Everything the Father has belongs also to the Son, and the Holy Spirit reveals them to us. At verse 16, the Lord means that He would not die as another man who goes into the grave, but that He would rise again and go to the Father. It was natural the disciples should ask what He meant, “A little while, and ye shall not see me; and again a little while, and ye shall see me;” because they did not understand how this could be; and the Lord encourages them by saying that the world would rejoice at having put Christ to death, and that the disciples would be grieved thereby; but this their grief would be turned into joy when they saw Him raised, and then for faith, glorified: and at that day no one could take their joy from them.
In this Gospel no mention is made of His death, nor of His sufferings in Gethsemane, nor those on the cross, though this apostle had been an eye-witness to them, because the object of this Gospel is to present Him to us as God. At verse 23 it is said, “In that day ye shall ask me nothing.” It is precious to see how Jesus puts His disciples in immediate relationship with the Father. To go to the Father in the name of Jesus, means to go to Him in all the value of the person of Jesus. If a child comes to me that I do not know, I say to him “What do you want here?” but if he gives me to understand that he comes to me in the name of my best friend, then I receive him with open arms, as I would receive my friend. Jesus means us to go directly to the Father, not only in His name, in the value of His person, but also because the Father Himself loves us. The disciples say they have believed in Jesus, and the Lord makes them feel that they were to lose Him. It is one thing to have faith for eternal life; it is another to keep ourselves in the Lord’s presence with the flesh as dead. The Lord warns them in the end of the chapter that they would have tribulation, and then adds, not that they would overcome the world, but that He had overcome it.