Chronological Gospels: John 16-17

Sep 30, 2025

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Chronological Gospels: John 16-17

The Holy Spirit is an essential focus for our reading this week. Often misunderstood, or simply not understood, the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Godhead. When we choose to have faith in Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection Jesus tells us that we will receive the Counselor, or Helper, the Holy Spirit.

Before reading these chapters, what is/was your understanding of the Holy Spirit in your life?

Jesus tells us many important things to help us understand the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives and in the world. There are three specific truths Jesus wants us to understand;

Holy Spirit convicts the world of the sin of unbelief and reveals the truth about Christ’s death and resurrection as payment for all sin.
Holy Spirit convicts the world of the need for, and truth about, righteousness, and will guide us to and in the truth.
Holy Spirit convicts us about Satan’s judgment at the cross and the judgment for all that is yet to come.

The Holy Spirit proves the world is in the wrong and convicts the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment. It is our responsibility to respond to this conviction and truth, and allow the Holy Spirit to sanctify us, leading us to glorify God with our lives.

The Holy Spirit does not force or coerce, but leads. It is our responsibility to follow His lead in the Truth to become mature believers who are well-equipped. Jesus gives us His Spirit as our Helper and His Word as Truth. When we learn to trust His Spirit and not only believe but live His Truth, we are sanctified, mature in our faith, and glorify Jesus.

The more we know, the more there is to believe. The more you believe, the more we receive. The more we receive, the more opportunity and responsibility we have to glorify Jesus.

After reading these passages, how has your understanding of the Holy Spirit changed?

To glorify Christ is to make Him known. When we glorify Jesus, we are putting Him on display for others to see so that they may come to know Him as well. When we glorify Jesus, making Him known to others, there will be suffering and hardships for the sake of His name. Jesus encourages us that we need not be afraid or discouraged. When we believe in Him, He becomes our Great High Priest and intercedes on our behalf with God. With this, because of our relationship we Jesus, we gain direct access to God and can pray to Him.

How does knowing you have direct access to God impact your faith?

Jesus not only encourages us about our personal relationship and access to God, but goes on to pray for the disciples, as well as future generations of believers. Through His deep and powerful prayer, we can learn many things. He prays for believers to be sanctified by the Word of God and go out into the world, for the Church to be unified as the Godhead is unified, and for us to abide in Him. Jesus wants us to be kept from evil and to grow in holiness.

What does this prayer teach you about Jesus?

How does this prayer impact your faith and relationship with the Holy Spirit?

Have you accepted the grace of God?

If you have not accepted the grace of God and chosen to believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, I encourage you to pray to God now and invite Him in, accept Jesus as the sacrifice for your sins, and repent of your sins. Submit it all to God, lay it at His feet, seek the forgiveness of God, welcome Him into your life, and believe that Jesus died and rose again to save you from your sins.

If you would like to learn more about salvation, you can find a couple of studies that may help here:

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