SERMON
Another Advocate to Help You, Live With You and Be In You
John 14:15-27 (NIV)
June 7, 2026
16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth…you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. John 14:16-17
The scene was most probably John’s version of what was called the Last Supper. Jesus was with his disciples, whom he had designated as apostles (sent-out ones). He had just done an unthinkable thing of showing them what servanthood truly meant by going around and washing each of their feet and drying them – he, whom they considered their Rabbi and at times Messiah. And, on top of that, he told them that one of them would betray him and another would deny him. Reading the other three gospels, we already know that he had told them three times of his impending death…and resurrection; something they couldn’t fully comprehend.
All of this must have overwhelmed the disciples with helplessness, despair, and sorrow. Why else would Jesus tell them, “Do not let your hearts be troubled…”? (John 14:1). Any one of us would be troubled in a similar situation. Along with their sorrow, they must have felt a sense of foreboding abandonment, an emptiness that was threatening to take over their lives.
Here’s the reality: If Something or Someone became the sole and essential focus of your life, setting aside everything and everybody else, and that Thing or Person suddenly was snatched from you – what would you have left?
Isn’t that why Jesus assures them, “I will not leave you orphans”? (John 14:18)
It is in this context that he tells them of this “Another Advocate” that would come in his place. The Holy Spirit had been spoken of in the Old Testament. But Jesus refers to him here in a personal way they had never experienced before. The Greek uses a personal pronoun that refers to a person, not a thing. [The fact that the masculine pronoun is used does not necessarily mean that the Holy Spirit is male; in a male-oriented culture/society, it would be natural that the “he/him” is used, only to give the Holy Spirit a personality.] But Jesus describes him as a person, and two things stand out:
The Holy Spirit as a Lover/Friend
Given to experience a new intimacy of communion with Jesus AND the Father
(“…the Spirit of truth…you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you….On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you…The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them” vs.17-21)
The Holy Spirit never promotes himself or a “Holy Spirit agenda.” He instead makes possible an intimacy with God the Father and Jesus, the Son, that we cannot obtain ourselves
With the Holy Spirit in us, it will be as if Someone just like Jesus is not just with us, but IN us. Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as “another Advocate,” as if Jesus himself were the original Advocate (1 John 2:1). In other words, this Person, this Advocate, the Holy Spirit, would have the same interests at heart for the disciples that Jesus himself had for them, just as a Friend would, a Lover would, helping us, advocating for us.
The Holy Spirit IN us will make another reality come true. Because we will no longer be “orphans,” the Holy Spirit will bring us into an unparalleled, intimate relationship with Jesus as our brother and with God as our Father, even as we grow in our obedience to Him.
There is a mystery that will take place: Christ’s Presence will be made real to us and IN us, because the Holy Spirit lives in us. That is why he is so often called by Paul as “the Spirit of Christ” (Romans 8:9) and the experience of him in us as “Christ in you…” (Colossians 1:27)
But that is not all. Jesus, whom the disciples often called “Rabbi” and “Teacher,” said that this “another Advocate” like him would be, as he was, a Personal Teacher (or Coach)
The Holy Spirit as a Personal Teacher/Coach
Given to inspire us to understand God's Word
("teach you all things and remind you of everything I have said to you" v.26)
He would do this individually. He would teach them all things. He would remind them of what they had heard, and maybe forgotten, ignored, misunderstood, or not understood. He would not bring them anything new, but definitely bring them a new understanding.
The Holy Spirit is the only one that, along with the Spirit-inspired Word, can guide me as an individual into all truth (16:13). Here it is important to note that while the Truth of the Gospel of God’s Kingdom and salvation is singular (meaning that only the Person and Work of Jesus is at its center), the Holy Spirit can and does convict each of differently and for different things. We should therefore be careful not to expect others to be convicted of the same truths that we have been convicted of. (Example of how the Holy Spirit reveals different truths from the same verse to different people)
The Holy Spirit works collectively/missionally among God’s people. He will be IN us, testifying about Jesus (15:26). As our experience and knowledge of Jesus grows through our obedience (“obey my teaching” 14:23,24), our collective (as Church) works and words will point to the reality of the presence of Jesus IN us that people will see. That is the “greater things” that Jesus promises that we will do (14:12).
Ultimately, it is because of this “another Advocate” with and IN us, through the intimacy he grows in us with Jesus and the Father, by his continual teaching using his inspired Word, that we will experience Jesus’ peace (14:27; 16:33). This peace is not just the absence of conflict/trouble, but the FULLNESS of his Presence that leaves little room for it.
The scene was most probably John’s version of what was called the Last Supper. Jesus was with his disciples, whom he had designated as apostles (sent-out ones). He had just done an unthinkable thing of showing them what servanthood truly meant by going around and washing each of their feet and drying them – he, whom they considered their Rabbi and at times Messiah. And, on top of that, he told them that one of them would betray him and another would deny him. Reading the other three gospels, we already know that he had told them three times of his impending death…and resurrection; something they couldn’t fully comprehend.
All of this must have overwhelmed the disciples with helplessness, despair, and sorrow. Why else would Jesus tell them, “Do not let your hearts be troubled…”? (John 14:1). Any one of us would be troubled in a similar situation. Along with their sorrow, they must have felt a sense of foreboding abandonment, an emptiness that was threatening to take over their lives.
Here’s the reality: If Something or Someone became the sole and essential focus of your life, setting aside everything and everybody else, and that Thing or Person suddenly was snatched from you – what would you have left?
Isn’t that why Jesus assures them, “I will not leave you orphans”? (John 14:18)
It is in this context that he tells them of this “Another Advocate” that would come in his place. The Holy Spirit had been spoken of in the Old Testament. But Jesus refers to him here in a personal way they had never experienced before. The Greek uses a personal pronoun that refers to a person, not a thing. [The fact that the masculine pronoun is used does not necessarily mean that the Holy Spirit is male; in a male-oriented culture/society, it would be natural that the “he/him” is used, only to give the Holy Spirit a personality.] But Jesus describes him as a person, and two things stand out:
The Holy Spirit as a Lover/Friend
Given to experience a new intimacy of communion with Jesus AND the Father
(“…the Spirit of truth…you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you….On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you…The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them” vs.17-21)
The Holy Spirit never promotes himself or a “Holy Spirit agenda.” He instead makes possible an intimacy with God the Father and Jesus, the Son, that we cannot obtain ourselves
With the Holy Spirit in us, it will be as if Someone just like Jesus is not just with us, but IN us. Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as “another Advocate,” as if Jesus himself were the original Advocate (1 John 2:1). In other words, this Person, this Advocate, the Holy Spirit, would have the same interests at heart for the disciples that Jesus himself had for them, just as a Friend would, a Lover would, helping us, advocating for us.
The Holy Spirit IN us will make another reality come true. Because we will no longer be “orphans,” the Holy Spirit will bring us into an unparalleled, intimate relationship with Jesus as our brother and with God as our Father, even as we grow in our obedience to Him.
There is a mystery that will take place: Christ’s Presence will be made real to us and IN us, because the Holy Spirit lives in us. That is why he is so often called by Paul as “the Spirit of Christ” (Romans 8:9) and the experience of him in us as “Christ in you…” (Colossians 1:27)
But that is not all. Jesus, whom the disciples often called “Rabbi” and “Teacher,” said that this “another Advocate” like him would be, as he was, a Personal Teacher (or Coach)
The Holy Spirit as a Personal Teacher/Coach
Given to inspire us to understand God's Word
("teach you all things and remind you of everything I have said to you" v.26)
He would do this individually. He would teach them all things. He would remind them of what they had heard, and maybe forgotten, ignored, misunderstood, or not understood. He would not bring them anything new, but definitely bring them a new understanding.
The Holy Spirit is the only one that, along with the Spirit-inspired Word, can guide me as an individual into all truth (16:13). Here it is important to note that while the Truth of the Gospel of God’s Kingdom and salvation is singular (meaning that only the Person and Work of Jesus is at its center), the Holy Spirit can and does convict each of differently and for different things. We should therefore be careful not to expect others to be convicted of the same truths that we have been convicted of. (Example of how the Holy Spirit reveals different truths from the same verse to different people)
The Holy Spirit works collectively/missionally among God’s people. He will be IN us, testifying about Jesus (15:26). As our experience and knowledge of Jesus grows through our obedience (“obey my teaching” 14:23,24), our collective (as Church) works and words will point to the reality of the presence of Jesus IN us that people will see. That is the “greater things” that Jesus promises that we will do (14:12).
Ultimately, it is because of this “another Advocate” with and IN us, through the intimacy he grows in us with Jesus and the Father, by his continual teaching using his inspired Word, that we will experience Jesus’ peace (14:27; 16:33). This peace is not just the absence of conflict/trouble, but the FULLNESS of his Presence that leaves little room for it.