#DailyDevotion Why Did Jesus Depart Us?
John 16:5-11 5“Now I’m going to Him Who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, Where are You going?’ 6But because I told you this, you are very sad. 7But I tell you the truth, it’s good for you that I go away. If I don’t go away, the Comforter will not come to you. But if I go, I’ll send Him to you. 8He will come and convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment: 9of sin because they don’t believe in Me; 10of righteousness because I’m going to the Father and you won’t see Me any more; 11of judgment because the ruler of this world is judged.
Jesus here is predicting his ascension to the Father. Now earlier a disciple did ask where he was going and Jesus answered him. Jesus had told them already. They didn’t understand it but they knew what he told them. Indeed they were very sad about this. It is important in the economy of salvation that Jesus goes to the Father. In order for us to receive the Comforter, i.e. the Holy Spirit into our hearts, as promised in the Old Testament, Jesus must go the right hand of God from whence he sends the Holy Spirit.
Yes, I’d like to know why that is the case too but that is not revealed to us. On the Last Day we will both see Jesus with our eyes and still be temples of the Holy Spirit. Well, now that I think of it, it is probably for this reason: We are saved by faith and not by sight. The Holy Spirit creates faith in us through the word of promise. Of what promise would there be and what need for the Holy Spirit if we could see Jesus. So Paul writes in Roman 8:24, “But if we hope for something we see, we really don’t hope. Why should we hope for what we can see?” We also have the word from Heb. 11:1, “Faith is being sure of the things we hope for, being convinced of the things we can’t see.” So Jesus needs to be not seen with our eyes for a while. When we do see him we will no longer have need for faith.
Now the Spirit has come and has done and is doing what Jesus said he would. He is convicting the world of sin because they do not believe in him. That is the root sin. We did not believe him in the garden. Those outside of Christ do not believe him now. The Holy Spirit through the word of promise, the forgiveness of sins can and does remove that unbelief. It is the sin we are all guilty of but when faith comes, there is no more sin.
He convicts the world of righteousness by his ascension. By his ascension to the right hand of God he demonstrated the sort of righteousness required by God of us to enter into the kingdom of God. We’ve been trying to earn it and get it for ourselves ever since we ate the fruit to be like God. If you want to be righteous because of what you do, you must do what Jesus did. Only Jesus can do what Jesus did. Jesus provides another way, the way of faith. If you trust Jesus did this for you, this faith he credits to you as righteousness. It in only and solely this faith in his works that is credited by God as righteousness through which you enter his kingdom.
He convicts the world of judgment because the ruler of this world (Satan) has been judged. The world operates under the same system of belief as he does. That will not do. It is opposed to the will and way of God, the way of grace, mercy, truth and faith in Jesus.
Heavenly Father, grant us your Holy Spirit so we confess our lack of faith and trust so we may be renewed by him in faith in Jesus, so we may escaped the judgment to come. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.