June 12, 2011  (Pentecost Sunday A)

John 16:5-11

“The TRUTH Hurts!”

I’ll list a few names for you here – see if you know what they have in common: former President Bill Clinton / former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer / former presidential hopeful John Edwards / former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.   They were men living in the political spotlight who held within themselves dirty little shameful secrets.  They tried to keep their sins hidden, but the TRUTH came out.  And – boy, did the truth hurt!  It hurt them, their wives, their families, their supporters, everyone who voted for them – and – politics as a whole.   The truth hurt.  

An unfortunate reality about life in this world is that, often times, the truth hurts.  Jesus always spoke the truth – in fact, Jesus told us that He is the truth.  But, look at how the world reacted to him, and what they did to him.  He was perceived as a threat.  The TRUTH can be threatening.  They did whatever they could to get rid of Him – even if it meant the shame and injustice of the cross.  We can understand his enemies hating to hear the truth from His lips – but, the truth also HURT his own disciples. 

The truth was: He was leaving them.  He was about to complete His task of redeeming the world from sin, and soon would return to His Father in heaven.  He told them this painful truth: John 15:5 “Now I am going to him who sent me, yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’”

I’ll admit I have been puzzled by this verse for a while.  This sermon gave me a chance to really stew on it and dig into what it means.  As it reads, it seems to give us this impression: “I am returning to Him who sent me, but - umm, none of you seems to be very curious as to where I am going!”    I don’t think that’s a correct understanding of Jesus’ words here.  In John 13:36 Simon Peter asked Jesus, “Lord, where are you going?”   Over and over again that evening they kept asking questions about where He was going, and why they couldn’t follow, and what did it all mean . . . . .

Still, the original Greek of this verse is very simple and clear.  So, I’ll share with you how I’ve come to understand it:  Jesus says, “Now I am going away to the One who sent me. . . .”   And then, based upon the wider context of these chapters, and the verse immediately following this one, and strictly according to the exact words Jesus spoke – “not one of you continue to ask me where are you going!”

I think these words HURT them.  No doubt pain was painted across all their faces.  Jesus mentions in the next verse: v. 6 “Because I have said these things, you are filled with grief.”   The truth hurt: Jesus was leaving them.  But, the truth was – Jesus was not going to leave them alone.  He would send the Holy Spirit at Pentecost who would fill them with truth and power and continue God’s work in this world – right down to the present day. 

Verse 7-8: “But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment:”

People think that PENTECOST is all about supernatural miracles: tongues of fire / the sound of a violent wind, when there was no violent wind / instantly speaking in foreign languages / miraculous healing powers . . . . That’s part of it, but that’s not what it’s all about.  All those signs and miracles testified to the truth that the Holy Spirit was speaking through these people: the TRUTH upon which the Church of God is built, the TRUTH which (by God’s Grace) is still being proclaimed to this very day . . . . the Truth that still hurts when it is proclaimed to the world: “He will convict the world . . . (v.9) in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me.”

Do you see the connection in Jesus’ words here? If we believe in Jesus, we are NOT convicted of sin – we are declared by God to be forgiven of all sin, because of Jesus who died for those sins.  So, by faith in Him, we are innocent in God’s eyes.   So then why does the Holy Spirit convict people of sin – and expose the wretched guilt that lies hidden within them?   Because only then can they be brought to see their need for Christ and realize how lost we are without Him.  The Holy Spirit has convicted our hearts of sin – and, that always hurts, but it’s necessary to bring us to faith, and to keep us glued to our Saviour Jesus by faith. 

So, what do these names have in common according to God’s Spirit who sees right through us:  Wayne Halldorson, ______, ________, (your name) . . . .  The Holy Spirit has made it abundantly clear that we too are sinners – no better than anyone else in this sinful world.  We too have concealed sin in our hearts, and the TRUTH of God’s Word by the power of the Holy Spirit has ripped it out into the open – then put that shameful, cursed, wickedness on our Saviour Jesus.  The Holy Spirit convicts the world in regard to sin – and, that truth hurts: it was our sins that nailed Jesus to that cross.  And, only by faith in Him can we ever be forgiven and not fall under God’s judgment for those sins. 

Jesus goes on in v.10: “[He will convict the world] . . . in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer;”   Can you see the connection Jesus is making here in this verse?   He is going back to the Father – and we will not be able to see Him any longer in this world, but – His righteousness – His holy and perfect life / the righteousness and perfection we need to get into heaven . . . is still HERE – it is ours by faith, and the Holy Spirit convinces us of that fact.   2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”    The Holy Spirit has convinced us that this is TRUE.  So, what do the names: Wayne Halldorson, _______, _______, _______, (your name) . . . . have in common?   We are righteous / holy / perfect SAINTS in the eyes of a perfect God.  We can’t see it with our eyes, and maybe we can’t feel it with our hearts – but, the Spirit has convinced us: it is true.

And, there’s one more BIG truth Jesus wants us to be aware of: verse 11: “[He will convict the world] . . . . in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.”

I recall one of my professors telling us this painful truth, “Sometimes we need to wake up and realize that we don’t live in the world that loves Jesus and rejoices with Him at his victory – that world is coming, but we live in THIS world – we live in the world that hated Jesus and killed him. Why should we expect this world to love and accept us? It won’t.”

This world does not love the truth / does not accept the truth / will not listen to those who speak the truth – because the Prince of this world is the one Jesus called the Father of Lies.  It looks like he’s in control – politics is a real mess / lives and families are a real mess / sin, wickedness, hatred and destruction are all over the place / false and destructive religions and philosophies are tearing out across this world / we’re swimming in a society drenched with the sewage of poisonous lies / the planet itself seems angry as more and more natural disasters strike: volcanoes, earthquakes, tornadoes, tsunamis, and floods – that wash away peoples’ entire lives.  And people want us to believe the real problem is our consumption of oil and gas – but, the TRUTH is: every little natural disaster is a warning that Judgment Day is coming.  When it does, the entire face of the globe will be wiped away and destroyed. 

People laugh at that thought.  But, the Holy Spirit has convinced us that it’s true.  This world will face judgment – and everyone will be held accountable to God.  Everyone on the side of the Prince of this world will perish with it.  But, those who belong to Jesus and stand on the Truth of God’s Word – will be vindicated, and part of a whole new future that will begin on that Day.  

Today we celebrate the birthday of the New Testament Church – where the Holy Spirit sent God’s people out to the whole world to proclaim the truth for the salvation of souls.  It’s been a struggle – right from the start; the Truth of Christ has been under attack from within the church, and from the outside the church. 

So, where do we stand?  Do we stand with the people of this world who long for glory here / who cover up their sin and refuse to admit the wrong things they have done / who refuse to live by the truth / who make up their own “truth” and do whatever they feel is right / who are terrified of actually being confronted with the REAL truth . . . . . or . . . . . do we stand with people like Peter, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew – disciples who courageously stood up for the truth / who loved the truth / who confessed Jesus as the True Son of God and the only Saviour from sin / who welcomed the Spirit of Truth to transform their lives / who suffered and sacrificed for the truth / who died for the truth . . . .? 

You know where the Holy Spirit of God is leading us – follow Him.  Let Him guide you through His Word into all truth and lead you to the Land of Victory and Perfection – that is the ONLY place where the TRUTH no longer hurts, because lies are simply not allowed there, and everyone there loves the truth.