128. Comforter, Spirit of Truth
John 15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me.
John 16:7 It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
Jesus promises a Comforter to come after He physically leaves the earth. He will take the place of Jesus in His absence, but the practical truth is that the Comforter is Jesus Himself, although the Holy Spirit is a separate person; Jesus and HS are still one God. Jesus promises: “I am with you always, to the end of the age.” We may look it in several different ways, but the truth is that the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit are with us, and in us, always.
The word for comforter is Paraclete. Paraclete literally means “someone who is called to be alongside:” it could be for companionship, for advice and counsel; it could be to represent one as in a court of law. The words used to translate this person are Comforter, Teacher, Counselor, Advisor, Advocate, Attorney, Companion, Guide, Helper, and other similar roles. The Holy Spirit will do them all. In any spiritual or physical need, we are never alone.
He is also called here “the Spirit of Truth.” In this role HS will testify of Jesus. The Holy Spirit is like a talent agent, who brings all the attention off of himself and onto the star. Jesus says He will glorify Me. Jesus receives all the attention, gets all the credit, and is heaped with glory; HS draws attention away from Himself and puts it on Jesus. So it is in much of the church’s praise and worship, hymns and songs. The Spirit of truth is constantly testifying of Jesus, pointing the people of the world to Jesus and the Cross, and bringing people to Him through the proclaiming of the Gospel.
The promised Comforter is constantly testifying of Jesus to us; are we listening?