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The Proceeding Spirit: Analysis of Jesus’ Promise in John 14:15-31
John’s Gospel
communicates that prior to Pentecost, the Holy spirit had not yet been freely
given to God’s people (John 7:37-39), i.e. there is a chronological order to
trinitarian work (Morrison, 2007, p. 36): the Son proceeds from the Father and
the Spirit from both the Father and the Son. All three members of the Godhead
are in agreement with such work as the one triune God. As such a chronological
order subsists then, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is dependent on Jesus’
death, burial, resurrection, and ascension (Morrison, 2007, p. 37). “In
particular, without the cross, there would be no Pentecost” (Morrison, 2007, p.
37). Jesus’ ascension is deeply tied then to the coming of the Holy Spirit.
John’s Gospel
includes a farewell discourse by Jesus. John 14:15-31 is Jesus’ promise of the
Holy Spirit who would serve as his ambassador. The Gospel of John already
includes more explicit references about the deity of Jesus than the other
Gospels; yet, Jesus’ discourse in these verses focuses significantly on the
promised Holy Spirit. This post will offer an analysis of three overarching
aspects found within Jesus’ discourse:
1) trinitarian
work in the love among the three members of the Godhead,
2) the
sealing work of the Holy Spirit, and
3) the
ambassadorial role of the Holy Spirit.
These three aspects protrude from the
text in a profound manner to support the concept of the Holy Spirit which
proceeds from both the Father and the Son.
Trinitarian
Work: Love among Three Members
Jesus’
promise of the Holy Spirit in John’s Gospel subsists as part of his farewell
discourse in the upper room. John 14:15-31 offers a unique perspective in its
part of John’s five Paraclete passages (Carson, 1991, p. 498). Throughout the
Gospel of John, Jesus explicitly reveals his Sonship, deity, and co-equality
with the Father and Spirit. Christ’s promise of the Holy Spirit, in chapter 14,
is stalwartly tied to his promise that his disciples would subsequently do
greater things than he (John 14:12).[1] True to the character of
John’s Gospel, Jesus’ discourse in this portion of Scripture renders the theme
of God’s triune work upon the basis of the threefold love relationship between
Father, Son, and Spirit.
Jesus’
persistent references to the work which the Father sent him to do, throughout
the Gospel of John, reveal a pre-existing plan and perhaps even an eternal pact
between the Son and Father; yet, Jesus plainly includes the work of the Holy
Spirit in such work. “New Testament writers, although they came from a variety
of backgrounds and wrote at different times, spoke of two important roles for
the Spirit… [He] drew the individual into the eternal life of Christ, and…[he]
drew the risen Christ into the earthly life of the individual” (Simone, 2019,
p. 53). Once Christ’s work on earth was complete then, his representative (and
co-equal) would be sent by him as a helper by dwelling among his people, i.e.
as Christ dwelt among us, so also does the Holy Spirit dwell among us.
In
this discourse, Jesus promises the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in his
name (John 14:26). Jesus later insists that he would send the Holy Spirit
himself (John 15:26). A point of theological tension surrounding this discourse
is from whom the Holy Spirit proceeds. Often referred to as the Filioque clause
in reference to the Latin term, the Nicene Creed adds a point of reference from
whom the Holy Spirit proceeds: namely the Son. The concept here is that Jesus,
co-equal with the Father and in agreement with the Father, sends the Holy
Spirit; thus, the Spirit proceeds from both the Father and the Son. Such a
reason is likely why Jesus suggests, in John’s Gospel, that both he and the
Father send the Spirit.
The Apostle
Paul “draws attention to the risen Lord, who, together with God the Father, is
the source of the Spirit to believers (Rom 8:9; Gal 4:6)” (Coulson, 2017, p.
77). The idea, therefore, that the Spirit proceeds from both the Father and Son
has existed since the early church. Moreover, the sending of the Holy Spirit is
part of the matchless threefold trinitarian love relationship, i.e. the unique
work of the Father, Son, and Spirit are employed out of love for one another.
Jesus tells his disciples that the sign of love for him is obedience (John
14:15) and that he would, in collaboration with the Father, send the helper
(John 14:16). Thus, the point of origin for Christian obedience is trinitarian
love. On such a basis, the Father, Son, and Spirit work together to empower the
people of God. Augustine opened the window of development for the theme of
God-charity based on mutual love between Father, Son, and Spirit (Ngien, 2003,
p. 78). Jesus’ promise of the Holy Spirit then is part of a larger plan: namely
the covenant of redemption between the three members of the Godhead, which is
employed first out of love for one another.
Comforting his
disciples and followers for the ages to come, Jesus promises his helper: the
Holy Spirit. Such a promise emphasizes not only Jesus’ co-equality with God but
also his mutual love with the Father and Spirit. Christian love for God then
originates with the trinitarian love relationship in the Godhead. Jesus says, “If anyone loves
me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to
him and make our home with him” (John 14:23). Those who are in Christ,
therefore, live within the bounds of trinitarian love. While Jesus’ discourse
in promising the Holy Spirit here is significant for the people of God, it is
also abundantly suggestive of trinitarian work and the love between Father,
Son, and Spirit, the latter of whom proceeds from both the Father and the Son.
“Abide
in Me:” The Spirit’s Sealing Work
In
Jesus’ farewell discourse, what might seem to be an addendum to the text is
exposed as the foundation. Jesus discusses his secure relationship with his
people and their evidence of love for him by way of obedience (John 14:18-24). Resting
firmly in his farewell discourse and promise of the Holy Spirit, which proceeds
from the Son and the Father, Christ offers a comforting promise to his people:
namely that they would abide in him and he in them (John 14:20). Such a promise
is key to Christ’s later parallel (often considered a part of the same
discourse) to a vine and his people to branches (John 15:1-17). Jesus’
reference to abiding in him then is sturdily dependent on the sealing work of
the Holy Spirit. Disparate in function from both the Father and the Son, God
the Spirit employs his sealing work in the lives of God’s people.
“In John 1:32,
John the Baptist saw the Spirit ‘remaining on’ [emeinen ep] Jesus… in
the Greek translation of Psalm 89:36, the offspring of David will ‘endure
forever’ (eis ton aiona menei)” (Collins, 2016, p. 48). The implication
then is that God’s redeeming work in the lives of his people includes a secure
seal by the Holy Spirit, for those who remain in Christ also remain in his
eternal endurance. Later in John’s Gospel, the author conveys that Jesus gave
up his spirit on the cross (John 19:30). One interpretation of John’s text here
is that Jesus offered his spirit to the church, i.e. the Holy Spirit (Smit,
2016, p. 447). Such an interpretation stems from the idea that the Holy Spirit
proceeds not only from the Father but also from the Son. The Spirit’s work is
not only aligned with the work of the Father and the Son but is also subject to
the Father and Son. Not suggestive of a hierarchy, for the three members of the
Godhead are co-equal, each person holding specific and unique functions. The
Spirit’s function is to call and seal the people of God. Christ’s reference to
obeying him must be viewed through the lens of the Spirit’s sealing work.
Without Holy Spirit empowerment, abiding in Christ would be impossible. Such is
perhaps the reason Jesus includes discussion about abiding in him amidst his
promise of the Holy Spirit.
Derived from
the trinitarian love relationship between Father, Son, and Spirit, the third
person of the Godhead is given the task of sealing the people of God. Jesus’
farewell discourse, in the Gospel of John, grants the church hope in what might
otherwise seem to be an impossibility. Certainly, those who belong to Christ
would desire to abide in him; yet, with his fleshly body absent from the earth,
one might wonder how such abiding could happen. Jesus then promises the Holy
Spirit, one who would be sent by and proceed (also) from himself. This person
would employ the sealing work of God so that the church might securely rest and
abide in Christ even amidst hatred by the world, which Jesus also references in
his discourse. Jesus’ command to abide in him, therefore, is dependent upon the
promised Holy Spirit’s sealing work.
One
Essence in Three Persons: The Ambassadorial Role of the Spirit
Though
disparate versions of Jesus’ farewell discourse exist in the other Gospels,
John offers the most explicit reference to the promise of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus, soon to leave his disciples, promises the helper whom he will send.
Thus, the Holy Spirit might be considered an ambassador of Christ from whom he
proceeds. Replete with trinitarian references, John’s Gospel seems to clarify, more
than the other Gospels, the concept of a triune God: one in essence and three
in persons. Jesus, co-equal with the Father, sends among his people his
ambassador, the Holy Spirit, who is also co-equal with both the Father and the
Son, to accomplish his work and continue his earthly ministry in the unique
role of comforter and helper.
“In its most basic form, the Spirit was
divine breath that God shared with Adam (Gen 2:7) and all living beings (Gen
6:3)” (Simone, 2018, p. 58). Christ’s command to abide in him then runs deeper
than mere human will, for one who is in Christ rests secure in the Holy
Spirit’s sealing work. Jesus’ discourse gives perspicuous allusion to threefold
work among the members of the Godhead. Jesus commands his followers to obey him
(John 14:15); he then offers a petition to the Father (John 14:16a); he then
promises the Holy Spirit (John 14:16b). Therefore, while the primary aim of
Jesus’ words here is the promise of the Holy Spirit, clarity conveys that all
three members of the Godhead play a unique and combined role in salvific and
sanctifying work.
As an extension of Jesus’ ministry on
earth, his followers are told to obey him. Jesus’ mission then is to be
continued by his people, the church. As such a mission subsists, Jesus extends
his ministry by empowering his people with the Holy Spirit (Keener, 2009, p.
22). Both Jesus and the Holy Spirit have been sent; said another way, Jesus
proceeds from the Father and the Holy Spirit from both the Father and the Son.
The Holy Spirit shares in the role of Christ and is, therefore, an ambassador
to his mission. As Jesus is sent then, so also is the Holy Spirit sent.
Since Jesus is for his people, the Holy
Spirit is also for the people of God: an advocate. “…the help or comfort that
the Spirit brings is to advocate for or testify to the truth” (Kinast, 2008, p.
120). “The Spirit is not an independent or alternative source of truth, but rather
the divine sharer – taking what belongs to Jesus and declaring it to the
disciples” (Kinast, 2008, p. 120). The significance of the Holy Spirit’s work,
therefore, is found in his ambassadorial role. Nothing Jesus does contradicts
the work of the Father; nothing the Spirit does contradicts the work of Christ;
therefore, all three persons employ their distinct work and share in the common
goal of bringing glory to triune God.
The Holy Spirit’s role is not a lesser
role than Christ but is, in fact, a unique role, for his mission is equal to
that of Christ. The Spirit is an ambassador and representative of Jesus sent by
the Son to continue his work among his people. John’s Gospel, more than the
others, explicitly references not only Christ’s deity and co-equality with the
Father but also the unique work of the Holy Spirit. Jesus’ farewell discourse
could be seen not as a formal goodbye but rather as the promise of presence.
While Jesus would be lifted to the heavens in his flesh, the Holy Spirit, an
ambassador for Christ, would continuously dwell among his people. Christ’s
work, therefore, continues. Amidst his promise of the Holy Spirit, Jesus
promises his disciples that although he is leaving, they would still see him because
he continues to live (John 14:19). Perhaps, Jesus’ words extend a solid support
of comfort: although Christ would be absent from the earth in his flesh, his
ambassador, equal to him, would continue his work among his people. Jesus’
discourse then should comfort the people of God, for more than a goodbye, Jesus
offers a gift: his counterpart and representative on earth.
The
Heart of Jesus’ Farewell Discourse in John’s Gospel
Jesus’ farewell discourse in john 14:15-31 advances trinitarian theology with a focus on the Holy Spirit who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With his words, Jesus points his hearers (and readers) to not only his co-equality with the Father but also his juxtaposed work with the Spirit. On the surface, Jesus conveys comfort to his disciples by assuring them that his absence does not mean abandonment, for he would send the third person of the Trinity on his behalf. Jesus’ explicit reference to his and the Father’s work give not a hierarchy but a trajectory of the Godhead order: work which is accomplished in the power of the Holy Spirit, through Christ the mediator, to the glory of the Father. In John’s text here, Jesus offers a farewell but, at a deeper level, conveys the essence of trinitarian work with special attention given to the Holy Spirit. John’s Gospel focuses more on Jesus’ divinity than the other Gospels. Similarly, Jesus, in this discourse, focuses on trinitarian work by promising to send the Holy Spirit to his people.
References
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author (2018). The Spirit Who Proceeds. Table Talk Magazine. https://tabletalkmagazine.com/daily-study/2018/08/the-spirit-who-proceeds/
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D.A. (1991). The Gospel according to John. William B. Eerdmans
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Collins,
John C. (2016). Abiding in the Vine. Christianity Today, Vol. 60 (No. 2),
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Coulson,
John R. (2017). Jesus and the Spirit in Paul’s Theology: The Earthly Jesus. Catholic
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Craig S. (2009). Sent Like Jesus: Johannine Missiology (John 20:21-22). Asian
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Daniel E. (1996). A Harmony of the Four Gospels. Baker Books.
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——— (2018). Spirit
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[1]
All biblical references are taken from the English Standard Version (ESV) of
the Bible unless otherwise noted.
