In John 14, Jesus begins to prepare the disciples for His departure.  During this time, He gives them the promise that when He departs, God will send someone else to do for them what Jesus had done for them. 

 

Think about the relationship that the disciples had with Jesus.  They were completely dependent on Him to accomplish God’s plan for their lives.  They followed Him wherever He went for three years.

 

Jesus has started telling the disciples that He must leave.

John 13:33

33 "Little children, I am with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, now I also say to you, "Where I am going, you cannot come.'

 

Of course, they probably start to panic a little bit, but Jesus is there to give them this promise:

 

John 14:16-17

16 "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever;

17 that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.

 

When Jesus promises ANOTHER HELPER, His is saying that the Holy Spirit will function the same way for them that Jesus had during His ministry.

 

The word Helper is the Greek PARAKLETOS.  It’s translated Helper, Comforter, Counselor, and Advocate in different translations, but all of these translations really fall short of describing everything God the Holy Spirit does for the believer.  What did Jesus do for the disciples?  He guided them, taught them, He helped them understand spiritual things.  He led them, encouraged them, and even rebuked and corrected them when necessary.  He was their guide, their teacher, and their counselor.

 

One translation translated PARAKLETOS as mentor.  Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary defines mentor as, 1.  A friend of Odysseus entrusted with the education of Odysseus’ son Telemachus, and 2. A trusted counselor, guide, tutor, or coach.

 

In The Odyssey, before Odysseus left to fight the Trojans, he summoned someone else to continue his son’s training and development.  That person’s name was Mentor.

 

The disciples were to take comfort in the fact that their new mentor, God the Holy Spirit, would lead and teach them the same way that Jesus had, but would never leave them! 

 

The disciples’ new mentor is our mentor.  What else did Jesus tell the disciples about the Holy Spirit?

  1. He would be with them forever. (John 14:16)
  2. He would reside in them. (John 14:17)
  3. He would be invisible, yet His presence would be known. (John 14:17)
  4. He would teach them all things. (John 14:26)

John 14:26

26 "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.

 

  1. He will help them remember everything Jesus taught them. (John 14:26)
  2. He would guide them into all truth.  (John 16:13-15)

John 16:13-15

13 "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.

14 "He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you.

15 "All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you.

 

I used to think, “how wonderful it would have been to be alive when Jesus was on the earth, and to follow Him around.”  But in truth, we have the same benefits that the disciples had when they were following Jesus – except our mentor is not going away! 

 

Paul had a great deal to say about this principle to the church at Corinth.  We’ll get into that some next time.