“And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, even the Spirit of truth, to be with you forever.” (John 14:16–17)
The Lord had filled His disciples in on many details regarding His Kingdom. They had learned a great deal from him, and as time went on, their comprehension expanded. However, there were still a lot of things they didn’t know, like how Jesus would eventually suffer and die. After telling them three times in Luke 18 what would happen to Him, we learn that “they understood none of these things.” They were not made aware of this saying, therefore they were unable to understand it (Luke 18:34). When Jesus states in John 16 that He is about to return to His Father in heaven, the disciples get sad. Jesus states, “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now,” in that particular context. (John
Thus, at the appropriate moment, He will send “the Spirit of truth,” who will enable the disciples to understand the truth about Jesus and His Kingdom. They won’t be open to learning about “the things that are to come” until after that (John 16:13).
What love and patience are revealed in the words of Jesus! He leads people, one step at a time, into truth by means of His Spirit. Will you follow His lead?
