John 16 - NLT Student Life Application Study Bible

16:1-16 Not Alone In some of his last moments with his disciples, Jesus (1) warned them about further persecution; (2) talked to them about the fact that he was soon going to return to the Father; and (3) assured them that they wouldn’t be left alone but that the Spirit would come to them. Jesus knew what lay ahead, and he didn’t want the disciples’ faith to be shaken or destroyed. Jesus’ presence on earth was limited to one place at a time, but by leaving, it meant that he could be present with all his people throughout the whole world by the Holy Spirit. God wants us to know we are not alone—we have the Holy Spirit to comfort us, teach us truth, and help us.

16:5-28 What would it look like for you to trust God more today than you ever have before? See Acts 1:9-11 for the next passage about the Ascension. See The Bible’s Big Story.

16:8-11 Conviction To convict means “to convince,” “to expose the facts,” or “to find guilty.” Three important convicting tasks of the Holy Spirit are (1) convincing people of their need to seek repentance and God’s mercy (see 1 John 1:9); (2) revealing the standard of God’s righteousness to anyone who believes in Jesus; and (3) preparing people for God’s ultimate judgment by showing us where we’ve veered away from God’s standard. This conviction can convince us that what Jesus promises will come true and give us courage to live out our faith in a fallen world.

16:13 Guide and Messenger The Holy Spirit guides us to see the truth about Jesus Christ—who he is and what he came to do for us. The Spirit also helps us, through patient practice, to discern right from wrong (Romans 12:2; Hebrews 5:14; 1 John 2:20).