I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came One like a Son of Man, and He came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. And to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him; His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom one that shall not be destroyed. (Daniel 7:13-14, ESV)

 A well-known Christian story recounts that in the 1940s, a theology professor took his students on a tour of England. Included in the tour was a stop at the home of John Wesley, founder of the Methodist Church and one of the leaders of the 18th century revivalist movement. The professor took the students into Wesley's bedroom and showed them that there were two worn impression in the carpet beside the bed. "That," said the professor, "was where Wesley spent so much time on his knees in prayer, praying for revival."

At the end of the tour, the professor noticed one student was missing. He returned to the house, and found the student kneeling at Wesley's bedside, his knees in the very same impressions that Wesley had made as he had knelt in daily prayer for revival. The student was praying fervently, repeating the phrase, "Do it again, Lord. Do it again."

That student was Billy Graham, who went on to lead an American revival in the 1960s and 70s. If you don't know who Billy Graham was, I would encourage you to look him up, and to listen to some of his sermons. Billy Graham was a powerful preacher; but before that, he was a man of prayer.

John's Gospel shows us that Jesus was a Man of prayer. Many times in the Gospels we see where Jesus would go away by Himself to pray, particularly before He preached to the multitudes or performed His miracles. We do not know what Jesus prayed during these hours of communion with His Father, but the Gospel of John gives us the text of His prayer just before He and the disciples reached the Garden of Gethsemane.

Perhaps you remember what Jesus prayed after He had reached the Garden, just before His arrest. The Synoptic Gospels record that Jesus asked His closest disciples to come and pray with Him, but the disciples fell asleep. At that time, Jesus prayed, "Father, if it is Your will, let this cup pass from Me. Nevertheless, not My will but Yours be done." He prayed these words in such agony that Luke records He sweat drops of blood.

John doesn't record that prayer like the other Gospels do. John records the prayer that Jesus prayed before they got to the garden. It has been called a High Priestly prayer. Most Bible commentators divide it up into three sections: Jesus' prayer for Himself (John 17:1-5); His prayer for the disciples (John 17:6-19); and His prayer for all believers (John 17:20-26).

Today we will look at the first section.

Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said, "Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son may also glorify You, as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent. I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work You have given Me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was" (John 17:1-5).

The first thing that strikes me in this passage is that Jesus speaks of Himself in the third person. In the English language, we most often refer to ourselves in the first person: I, me, myself. Although it does not necessarily mean that we are putting ourselves first, that is placing more emphasis on ourselves, it does kind of seem that way in most of our prayers.

A quick English lesson: most simple English sentences are structured in this way--Subject, Verb, Object. The element with the most importance is the Subject, with the Verb coming in a close second, and the Object being the least important. In fact, in many sentences, the Object is not even mentioned. Here is an example: The woman (Subject) reads (Verb) novels (Object) can be restated, "She reads a lot." The phrase "a lot" is descriptive of the verb "reads", making the object "the woman" sound educated.

The point I am trying to make is that most times in our prayers and petitions, as well as our worship songs, the most important person is the first person (I, Me, Myself). We are the object of our worship and our prayers. Let me give you an example. We might begin our prayer, "I ask, Father, that You would bless us." It elevates us, and not the Father. Many of us sing, "I love You, Lord, and I lift my voice..."

Notice Jesus didn't pray this way.  Instead, He said, "Father, glorify Your Son." Who is the object? The Father. What does Jesus ask the Father to do? To glorify Himself in His child. We can co-opt this prayer that Jesus prayed. We can petition God to glorify Himself in us, making God the most important One and ourselves below Him.  Remember Billy Graham's prayer? "God," he prayed, "do it again." Only God could bring revival, either through the preaching of Graham or someone else.

The second thing that I see in this passage is what Jesus asks God to do. He asks God to bring glory, because God is the only one who can give glory. Glory is God's to give. We can bring God glory in our thoughts, words, and deeds, but our glory is but a shadow of the heavenly glory of Almighty God. In verse 4 Jesus said, "I have glorified You on the earth." The glory that Jesus gave is like that of the glory of God, because Jesus is God.

John 1:14 says, "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." In John 17:5, Jesus, who spent His life reflecting God's glory to us, says, "Now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was."

The hour had come when Jesus, through His death and resurrection, would both receive glory and also give glory to the Father. His main purpose was to bring glory to God. This should be our main purpose, as well.

The third thing that leaps out at me in this passage is that we were given to Jesus by the Father, and by that gift we have received eternal life. "And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus the Messiah, sent by God." In other words, the gift that we have been given is to get to know God the Father and God the Son throughout eternity, by the power and presence of God the Holy Spirit.

Jeremiah 9:23-24 says, "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight, says the Lord."

So, from this passage we see Jesus praying to the Father to glorify Him, and to give us eternal life. He will go on to pray for us, His disciples, further along in the passage. We will study more about those petitions, God willing, next time.

 

You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.  --1 John 4:4

In his commentary John for Everyone, NT Wright makes an astute observation. "In the world of business," he writes, "you can often tell how important someone is by finding out how many people you have to 'go through', as we say, in order to speak to them." If I wanted to speak to the chairman of a company, I would look up the phone number to the company. If I call the number, I may get a receptionist or, if the company is large enough, I may get their call center. If I ask to speak with the chairman, I may be transferred to a secretary. If I persist, I may be put through to an executive assistant. "And that's probably it for the day," Wright muses. "The Great Man is busy. Or he's in a meeting. Or he's playing golf, or taking a nap (no, they won't say that, but it might be the truth). Three, four or five people to charm your way around, and still you can't get there."

Thankfully, our access to God is not like that.  Jesus says as much in John 16, beginning in verse 23.

And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full (John 16:23-24).

Jesus was saying that we have direct access to God the Father, because of our faith in Jesus, the Son of God. We can approach the Almighty with confidence, not fear. We can ask anything, not in our own position or standing before God, but in the name of Jesus. The fact that we have direct access to God should bring us joy.

We don't have to pray to Jesus to go to God on our behalf. I know that many people pray to Jesus as God, and that's fine, because Jesus is a divine Person of the Trinity. The point that Jesus is making here, though, is that the God of the universe is only a whisper away, because Jesus is our mediator. He bridged the gap between God and man, so that sinful man could stand before a holy God without fear.

Sadly, many people deny this truth. They believe that God is too important or too busy to hear our puny little prayers. Jesus, God's Son, is also too busy to be bothered by us. They end up praying to saints, people who have died and have absolutely no power to answer our prayers. They twist logic, somehow thinking that if they ask Mary, the mother of Jesus, then she will whisper something in His ear (like she did at the wedding at Cana) and then He will do something for us.

Scripture prohibits us from praying to anyone but God. Deuteronomy 18:10-11 says, "There shall not be found among you anyone...who inquires of the dead." Necromancy, or communicating with the dead, is strictly forbidden in Scripture (see Leviticus 19:31 and 20:9). Paul wrote to Timothy, "For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy 2:5). In other words, God is all knowing and all powerful, never too busy to answer your prayers. He is not like a high-powered executive or CEO of a Fortune 500 company, where you have to go through five different secretaries, vice presidents, personal assistants, and only then will He hear your petition.

Jesus underscores this truth as John records His words:

These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; but the time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but I will tell you plainly about the Father. In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you; for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God. I came forth from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world and go to the Father (John 16:25-28).

Jesus had taught the crowds with parables.  In the upper room He has used symbolic language to get His point across. He had washed their feet as a symbol of humility and service; He had spoken of "the Father's house" to describe heaven; He had compared their relationship with Him as branches attached to a vine. He even described their coming trials as being like a woman giving birth. Warren Wiersbe writes, "Jesus explained that there would be a new situation because of His resurrection and ascension, and because of the coming of the Holy Spirit. He would no longer speak to them in terms that demanded spiritual insight for their understanding." 

Wiersbe continues, "There would be not only a new situation in teaching, but also a new situation in their praying. He had already intimated this in John 16:23. Jesus would return to heaven to be with the Father, and there He would minister as our High Priest, making intercession for us (Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25)." (The Bible Exposition Commentary). Not only would He act as our High Priest, but He would also act as our Advocate (see 1 John 2:1) along with the Holy Spirit. "As our High Priest, Jesus gives us grace to keep us from sinning. As our Advocate, He restores us when we confess our sins. His ministry in heaven makes possible our ministry of witness on earth, through the power of the Spirit." (Wiersbe).

Somehow, the disciples who were listening to Jesus were focused on what Jesus had said about speaking plainly, and missed the point that Jesus was making about prayer. Maybe they were offended by His words, thinking that He was calling them stupid. They interrupted Jesus.

His disciples said to Him, "See, now You are speaking plainly, and using no figure of speech! Now we are sure that You know all things, and have no need that anyone should question You. By this we believe that You came forth from God" (John 16:29-30).

It was as if Jesus had told them, "I know I'm talking over your heads now, but one day you may catch up to what I am saying." Their response strikes me as, "Nuh-uh! We understand every word that comes out of Your mouth. You don't have to worry about us--we believe in You."

Jesus must have smiled, shaking His head. Knowing all things, He predicted that they would all fall away. Fortunately, this would not result in Him abandoning them. He would love them through the next few hours and days, and they would return to Him with their faith tested.

Jesus answered them, "Do you now believe? Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world" (John 16:31-33).

Jesus knew that John, along with his brother James and Peter, would not be able to watch and pray with Him in the Garden. He knew that the rest of the disciples would scatter when Judas led the authorities to arrest Him. He knew that Peter would deny Him three times. It is striking, then, that knowing these things about them, that He loved them all dearly.

His next words to them were not words of condemnation or disappointment; instead He gave them words of encouragement. Bible commentator David Guzik writes, "When Jesus wanted to comfort and strengthen His disciples, He spoke of His victory, not directly their victory. This wasn’t 'cheer up' or 'try harder.' Jesus knew that His victory would be theirs." Scottish theologian Marcus Dods (1834-1909) wrote, "Nikeo (the Greek word translated "overcome") occurs only here in the Gospel, but twenty-two times in the Johannine Epistles and Apocalypse.” In other words, the thought that Jesus has overcome was precious to John.

"Knowing that Jesus has overcome the world brings us good cheer. It is the foundation for our peace in Him. We see that Jesus is in control, we see that although He leaves He does not abandon, we see that He loves, and we see that the victory is His. We can be of good cheer indeed" (David Guzik).

Today Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father (March 16:19, Romans 8:34, Ephesians 1:20, Hebrews 1:3) acting as our Advocate, our Mediator, and our Peace. Through faith in Him we can overcome all the trials and tribulations the world can throw at us.

Spiritual respiration, aspiration, and inspiration

 

But there is a spirit in man, And the breath of the Almighty gives him understanding.  --Job 32:8 (NKJV)

Why do churches have steeples?

Some might say it is to identify them as houses of worship. Others may say it is to point our eyes to the heavens. Still others may feel that it represents beauty and architectural traditions passed down from centuries ago.

Steeples are also known as church spires. In English, we find many words with the suffix -spire. According to WordReference.com, the root word spir comes from Latin, where it has the meaning "breathe; have a longing for.'' This meaning is found in such words as: aspire, conspire, expire, inspire, perspire, respiration, respiratory, respire, spiracle, spirit, transpire.

In our Christian walk, we aspire to be more like Christ. We are inspired by His teaching. We perspire in our work for Him, as the world conspires against Him. Finally, we try to work for Him until our dying day, when we expire or take our last breath on this earth. All of this would, of course, be impossible without the Spirit living within us.

The concept of the Holy Spirit was not foreign to the disciples. They had been taught from childhood lessons in the Torah about the Spirit of God falling upon Moses and seventy elders, causing them to prophesy (Numbers 11:25). They knew that in the history of Israel, the Spirit was given to men who were appointed as Judges over the people. Such men as Gideon (Judges 6:35), Jephthah (Judges 11:29), and Samson (Judges 14:6-19, and 15:14) were used by God for specific purposes in their leadership roles, and the Spirit of God was upon them.

The Holy Spirit also came upon kings of Israel: Saul prophesied (1 Samuel 10:10), David ruled (1 Samuel 16:13), and Zechariah spoke (2 Chronicles 24:20), all under the influence and filling of the Spirit of God. Prophets were sent by God to preach repentance and to foretell future events, such as Ezekiel (Ezekiel 11:5). All of these Old Testament examples, though, told of the Spirit falling upon people for a specific time and a specific purpose, and in at least one case, being removed from him (see 1 Samuel 16:14, when the Spirit of God departed from Saul).

Jesus spoke to them of the Spirit of God in a new way.

I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth, for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak, and He will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that He will take what is mine and declare it to you (John 16:12-15).

The knowledge that the disciples had at this point was incomplete. Much would transpire between now and the Lord's ascension into heaven. Even more knowledge would need to be imparted to them as they learned to live the Christian and share the Christian message with others after Jesus left them, but the disciples were not ready for this information at this moment. Warren Wiersbe explains it this way:

The Lord was always careful to give His disciples the right amount of truth at the right time. This is always the mark of a great teacher. The Holy Spirit is our Teacher today, and He follows that same principle: He teaches us the truths we need to know, when we need them, and when we are ready to receive them (The Bible Exposition Commentary).

The Holy Spirit's ministry is revealing Jesus to us, to bear testimony of Jesus. When a witness is about to testify in a court of law, they swear an oath to "tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth." Jesus said that the Spirit would "guide you into all the truth." Bible commentator David Guzik writes, "In one sense, this was fulfilled when the New Testament writings, divinely inspired by God, were completed. In another sense the Holy Spirit continues today to personally lead us into truth, but never in opposition to the Scripture, because God’s supremely authoritative revelation is closed with the New Testament."

When you compare John 14:26 with 16:13, you see the wonderful way that God arranged for the writing of the New Testament Scriptures. The Spirit would remind them of when Jesus had taught them; this gives us the four gospels. The Spirit would also "guide" them into all truth, and this would result in the Epistles. "He will show you things to come" refers to the prophetic Scriptures, especially the book of Revelation (Wiersbe).

2 Timothy 3:16 says, "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness." It was under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that Paul wrote these words. Paul was inspired to point us to God, as the word of God has the effect of glorifying God. When we memorize Scripture, we act as a church spire, to point people to Jesus. 

This passage also affirms the Trinity. Jesus says in verse 14 that He (the Spirit) will glorify Me (the Son). Further, the Spirit will take the truths that belong to Jesus and share it with us. All that God (the Father) has belongs to Jesus--all truth, all insight, all knowledge, for God is omniscient. Jesus said that the Spirit would take this gift from the Father to the Son and give it to us.

Jesus goes on:

"A little while, and you will see Me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see Me." So some of His disciples said to one another, "What is this that He says to us, 'A little while and you will not see Me, and again a little while, and you will see Me'; and, 'because I am going to the Father'?" So they were saying, "What does He mean by 'a little while'? We do not know what He is talking about." Jesus knew that they wanted to ask Him, so He said to them, "Is this what you are saying, 'A little while and you will not see Me, and again a little while and you will see Me'? Truly, truly I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you." (John 16:16-22)

 Jesus' prophetic words were not well received at this particular moment. NT Wright puts it this way:

This isn't just a matter of Jesus saying, "there's trouble coming, but it will be all right afterwards." It's a matter of seeing that when we find ourselves, a few chapters from now, at the foot of the cross, and then when we find ourselves after that with Mary Magdalene in the Easter garden, we shouldn't miss the significance of these events. They are not merely strange, shocking and even unique. They are the visible sign that God's new world really is coming to birth. It's hardly surprising, then, that Jesus has another warning as well. There are all sorts of things He would love to talk to them about which they aren't ready for, which they couldn't cope with. As it is, they are no doubt sleepy at the end of a long day and a festive evening, and He is facing them with warnings and encouragements the likes of which the world has never heard before or since. It's already too much. The funny little dialogue in verses 16-19, with the disciples tossing Jesus' words to and fro, makes that clear enough. No: they won't understand much of it just now. But part of the job of the Spirit, the 'Helper', will be to lead them into all truth. The Spirit will remind them of what Jesus had already said to them. The Spirit will also guide them, nudging their minds and imaginations into ways of knowing, and things to know, that Jesus would like to have said but couldn't at the time (John for Everyone).

When a baby is first born, one of the first signs of life is respiration. Being able to breathe in and vocalize shows that new life has begun, and growth is starting. In the same way, when we are born again, one of the major signs of the Christian life in us is being filled with the Spirit of God, breathing in His words and vocalizing them to others who have not yet heard.

There is joy in heaven when a sinner comes to faith in Christ (Luke 15:7-10). There was much joy in the disciples' hearts when they saw the resurrected Jesus. The events leading up to the Resurrection were like labor pains--hard to go through but soon forgotten when we see His face. 

Parting is such sweet sorrow

 

For I am going to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I am coming back. And I will take you to Myself--in order that where I am, you also may be.            --John 14:3 (Disciples' Literal New Testament).

Life is full of emotional moments. From a young mother having to drop her infant or toddler off at day-care and hearing the child crying, to an elderly person taking his or her last breath with the family gathered all around hearing the sniffles and sobs of those dear family members they leave behind, and many more in between--life is filled with tears of sorrow stemming from separation.

The extended passage from John 14 to 17 is written as a farewell message from Jesus to His disciples. We can see the fear and anxiety building in the disciples in hearing these words. Today we will focus on the beginning of chapter 16, and in this portion of Scripture we can truly see the depth of emotion that Jesus has for His followers. 

I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor Me. But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you. (John 16:1-4a).

In the last chapter, Jesus had warned His disciples that they would be hated by the world. Indeed, they would face persecution and even death for His name. Jesus begins this chapter explaining why He was telling them this now.

Different Bible versions translate verse 1 in many ways. Why did Jesus say these things to them? The ESV says to keep them from "falling away." The NKJV says it is so they would "not stumble." The KJV says it was so they would not be "offended." The Greek word John uses here is skandalizo, from which we get the English word scandalize. 

The world might be scandalized at the behavior of Christians, but Jesus did not want this coming trouble to come upon them unawares. Bible scholar Randolph Tasker wrote, "A skandelethron was not a stumbling block that might trip you up; it is used as the spring of a trap that might 'go off' when you were least expecting it." One of my favorite commentators, David Guzik, writes, "Jesus warned His disciples of coming opposition because He did not want them to be surprised and stumbled by it. He also did not expect that His disciples would immediately leave the synagogues, or leave them by their own choice. They would be forced out of the synagogues for Jesus’ sake." 

In our nation of diversity, equity, and inclusion, the idea of being shunned by society for any reason is foreign to us. However, in a tight-knit community where conformity to social and religious norms forms the group's identity, shunning is often used as a punishment for those who step outside those established norms. It also serves as a deterrent for members of the group who may rely on the community for both social and commercial interaction.

You may have read The Scarlet Letter, where Nathaniel Hawthorne describes early Puritan communities in the United States. In the novel, Hester Prynne is branded as an adulterer, and is denied participation in the church, the community, and in commerce.

Earlier in our study of John, we read of the man who was born blind, whom Jesus healed. The Pharisees demanded an explanation from him. When his testimony pointed them to Jesus as the healer sent from God, the Pharisees expelled him from the synagogue and threatened to do the same to his family. In the tight-knit Jewish communities of the first century, being expelled from the synagogue was a big deal. Again, it was not just that changing one's religion was a personal choice that one could make in his own heart and mind. There were social and economic consequences as well.

There is no reason for the believer to stumble ("be offended," John 16:1) when the world stokes up the furnace of persecution. He should expect persecution, if only because his Lord told him it was coming. (Note especially John 13:19 and 14:29, where the Lord warned His disciples in advance.) Furthermore, they must not stumble when this persecution comes from religious people who actually think they are serving God. The word translated "service" in John 16:2 means "priestly service." This statement is certainly a description of Saul of Tarsus, who though he was serving God by destroying the church (see Acts 7:57-8:3; 22:3-4; 26:9-12). (Warren Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary.)

Four different times (John 13:9, 14:29, 15:11, and 16:4) Jesus repeats the phrase, 'I have said these things to you, so that when the hour comes" they may remember and believe. The New Cambridge Bible Commentary says, "Jesus is no mere prophet but someone who, knowing and controlling events, cares about the fate of His disciples."

Jesus may have read the minds of His disciples, because in the next passage He answers an unasked question.

I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. But now I am going to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, 'Where are you going?' But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. (John 16:4b-6). 

An astute reader of Scripture might point out that in John 13:36, Peter had asked this very question. "Lord, where are You going?" Warren Wiersbe explains it this way:

For three years, Jesus had been with them to protect them from attack, but now He was about to leave them. He had told them about this earlier in the evening (John 13:33), and Peter had asked Him where He was going. However, Peter's question revealed more concern about himself than about the Lord Jesus! Also, his question centered on the immediate, not the ultimate. It was necessary for Jesus to explain why it was important for them that He return to the Father. (The Bible Exposition Commentary).

In other words, when Peter asked where Jesus was going in chapter 13, he was thinking "What will happen to me/us?" When Jesus said in chapter 16 that none of them had asked where He was going, He was pointing out that none of them seemed concerned about His whereabouts as much as their own. Sorrow had filled their hearts because He would no longer be there with them. His leaving them, however, would be to their advantage.

Nevertheless, I tell you the truth; it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send Him to you. And when He comes, He will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see Me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. (John 16:7-11).

 While He was with them, Jesus had kept them together and out of danger. Once He left them, they would face increased danger, but the Holy Spirit would act as their Defender and Advocate. 

Although "advocates" appear in a court, they more readily appear in other venues, such as palaces, temples, and forums. Even in a court, and advocate does not function in a forensic role but rather as a partisan supporter. In Philo, and "advocate" may give advice about a difficult decision or provide support for someone making a claim or settling a dispute. But Advocate/Paraclete did not mean and advocate in the sense of a lawyer. It meant rather a man who would appear in court to lend the weight of his influence and prestige to a case of his friend, to convince the judges of his probity, and to see a favorable verdict. (The New Cambridge Bible Commentary).

The Holy Spirit would be God with us, just as Jesus is called our Immanuel. (That is, God With Us.) The expanded role of the Holy Spirit is that He is available to all Christians everywhere at once, where Jesus, God in the flesh, was limited in space and time.  Moreover, the Holy Spirit will convict the world concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment.

Convicting of sin

It is the job of the Holy Spirit to convict people of their sin, not to bring condemnation, but to bring salvation. The sin of the world is unbelief. It is the job of the Church, as Christ's representatives here on Earth, to testify against unbelief and to give testimony of the truth.  Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father except by Me."

Convicting of Righteousness

The Spirit also convicts the sinner of righteousness, not unrighteousness. Whose righteousness? The righteousness of Jesus Christ the perfect Lamb of God. The world would not receive the Son of God (John 1:10), so He has returned to the Father. When He was here on earth, He was accused by men of being a blasphemer, a lawbreaker, a deceiver, and even a demoniac. The Spirit of God reveals the Savior in the Word and in this way glorifies Him (John 16:13-14). The Spirit also reveals Christ in the lives of believers. The world cannot receive or see the Spirit of God, but they can see what He does as they watch the lives of dedicated believers. (Wiersbe).

Convicting of judgment

Satan is the "ruler of this world." When Jesus said the Holy Spirit would convict in judgment, He was referring to the judgment of Satan that was effected by His death on the cross (John 12:31). "When a lost sinner is truly under conviction, he will see the folly and evil of unbelief; he will confess that he does not measure up to the righteousness of Christ, and he will realize that he is under condemnation because he belongs to the world and the devil (Ephesians 2:1-3)" (Wiersbe). There can be no conversion to Christ without conviction of the Holy Spirit. That is why we use the Word of God to witness as a child of God.