[2026. 7. 26.] Another Advocate (John 14:15–24)

[2026. 7. 26.] Another Advocate (John 14:15–24) 

Sermon by Rev. Jinkook (Danny) Sohn (Hope of Heaven Baptist Chuch) 

 

2026. 7. 26. 주일예배 설교- 요한복음 강해 41
본문: 요한복음 14:15-24
제목: 또 다른 보혜사

설교자: 손진국 목사 (하늘소망교회)

 

Today’s passage is the scene in which Jesus gives an amazing promise to the disciples who were anxious and troubled because He said He was leaving. What promise is it? [Verse 16] And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever

Here Jesus promises the disciples that He will ask the Father to give them “another Advocate.” Since He says “another Advocate,” it means there was already an Advocate. Who is it? It appears in 1 John 2:1. [1 John 2:1] My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.

In Korean translations, the word is rendered “advocate,” but the Greek word used is paraklētos, the same word translated as “Advocate” in today’s passage.

In verse 16, the phrase “another Advocate” uses the Greek word for “another.” There are two Greek words for “another.” One is heteros, meaning “another of a different kind,” and the other is allos, meaning “another of the same kind.” Which word is used here? It is allos. This means the “another Advocate” is of the same essence as the original Advocate. What does this mean?

Jesus, the Advocate, is leaving the disciples, and He promises to send another Advocate—the Holy Spirit—who is of the same essence as Jesus. Why the same essence? Because Jesus is God in essence, and the Holy Spirit is also God in essence. Just as Jesus was with the disciples in the flesh, now the Holy Spirit will dwell within believers and be with them forever.

Therefore, the Holy Spirit is not merely a power or influence but the living God Himself.

Today, through this amazing promise of Jesus, may this be a precious time of knowing the Holy Spirit, the “another Advocate.”

 

1. The Holy Spirit comes to those who love Jesus.

What is the most important question for people living in the New Testament era? Is it how successful you are? How well-known or popular you are? How many achievements you have accomplished? How happy you are? These are important questions, but there is a more fundamental question that determines our destiny: “Are you saved?” The same question expressed differently is: “Do you believe in Jesus?” “Have you received the Holy Spirit?” They are all the same question.

In Acts, while preaching the gospel in Ephesus, Paul asked people who claimed to believe in Jesus: “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” [Acts 19:2] and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when[a] you believed?” They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” They had not even heard of the Holy Spirit. Their faith was not saving faith. They had heard only John the Baptist’s message, repented, and were baptized, and although they said they believed in the Messiah Jesus whom John proclaimed, they had not personally met Jesus or entered into a relationship of love with Him.

If you believe in Jesus, you receive the Holy Spirit. You believe this, right? Then what does it mean to believe in Jesus? How must one believe to receive the Holy Spirit? In verse 16, Jesus promises to send the Holy Spirit, the Advocate, and He tells us who receives Him. It appears in verse 15. [Verse 15] If you love me, keep my commands.

The disciples to whom Jesus promised the Holy Spirit were those who loved Jesus. To believe in Jesus means to love Jesus. And those who love Jesus obey His words. This also appears in verse 21. [Verse 21] Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.

Jesus never separates love and obedience. True love is revealed through obedience. He emphasizes this again in verse 23. [Verse 23] Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.

May all believers today believe and love Jesus—our Savior and Lord—and obey His words, living by the voice of the Holy Spirit who dwells among us.

[Application] Have I received the Holy Spirit? With a heart that loves Jesus, what is the word of the Lord I must obey today?

 

2. The Holy Spirit is with us forever.

Let’s read verse 16 again. [Verse 16] And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever When the Holy Spirit, the “another Advocate,” comes, He will be with the disciples forever. In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit sometimes came upon people and then departed. The Spirit came upon those who received special missions from God, worked through them, and then departed when the mission was complete.

Saul, Israel’s first king, received the Spirit and even prophesied. After Samuel anointed him king, the Spirit came powerfully upon him. [1 Samuel 10:10] When he and his servant arrived at Gibeah, a procession of prophets met him; the Spirit of God came powerfully upon him, and he joined in their prophesying.

But when Saul continually disobeyed God and became proud, the Spirit completely departed from him. [1 Samuel 16:14] Now the Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him.

The same happened to Samson. He was born under the Nazirite vow to save Israel, and whenever the Spirit came upon him, he displayed supernatural strength. But when he broke the covenant because of his lust, the Spirit left him. Later, before dying, he repented and cried out to God, and the Spirit worked again, enabling him to destroy the temple of Dagon, killing more Philistines in his death than in his life.

Gideon and Jephthah also received the Spirit when they went out to save Israel from foreign invasion, but once their mission as judges was complete, the special empowerment of the Spirit was withdrawn.

Even David, the greatest king of the Old Testament and a man after God’s own heart, had one great fear: that the Spirit would depart from him. [Psalm 51:11] Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.

But Jesus gives His disciples—and us who believe in Him—an amazing promise: when the Holy Spirit comes, He will never leave but remain forever. This is the major difference between the Old Testament and the New Testament. Jesus is promising a new era—the era of the Spirit. In this new era, the Holy Spirit comes upon those who believe in Jesus, love Jesus, and obey Jesus’ words, and He never departs but dwells forever.

People may leave us. Family may misunderstand us. Our circumstances may change. But one thing never changes: the Holy Spirit who dwells within us will never leave us. This is Jesus keeping His promise. What did He say in the last verse of Matthew? [Matthew 28:20] and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

May all believers trust that the Holy Spirit—of the same essence as Jesus—dwells within us and is with us always, to the end of the world, and live boldly.

[Application] How does the truth that the Holy Spirit within me will never leave and will be with me forever affect my life?

 

3. The Holy Spirit leads and transforms our lives.

The Holy Spirit comes to those who love Jesus, believe Jesus, and obey Jesus’ words, and He never leaves. But then we may think, “What if I stop loving Jesus? What if I fail to believe? What if I fail to obey?” We want to become like Jesus, but we are not perfect like Him. We make many mistakes, easily become discouraged, give up, and often go in directions opposite of His word.

Then we condemn ourselves and become discouraged: “I don’t think I’m saved. I don’t think I’ll go to heaven. I think I’ll go to hell. I think God will abandon me.” We feel as if the Holy Spirit has left us and we are alone—like orphans.

But what did Jesus say? [Verse 18] I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

Beloved saints, you are not orphans. Remember: Satan continually tries to pull us away from faith, keep us from loving, keep us from obeying, and fill us with negative thoughts and accusations. But do not worry. The Holy Spirit who is with us will hold our lives and lead us. He makes the life of Jesus real within us. [Verse 19] Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.

And as verse 20 says, the Spirit works so that we experience union with Jesus. [Verse 20] On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. This means the Spirit will lead us to love, believe, and obey Jesus to the end.

We can love Jesus by our will. We can believe Jesus by our will. We can obey His words by our will. But how long can we do this by our will alone? Can we do it forever? When circumstances change, when hardships come, when temptations arise, we often give up love, faith, and obedience.

“And here is the point.” This is why Jesus sends the Holy Spirit to us and has Him remain with us forever. What does the Holy Spirit do? The meaning is in the word paraklētos.

What is the meaning of Advocate, paraklētos (παράκλητος, parakletos)? The word para means “beside” or “alongside”—from this come English words such as parallel, parachute, and paragraph. Kletos means “to call” or “to be invited.”

Imagine a courtroom. A wealthy, powerful man deceives a poor man and steals his property. They stand in court. The wealthy man hires a skilled lawyer to argue for him. The poor man has no one. The courtroom atmosphere is already in favor of the wealthy man. Then the judge asks, “Is there an Advocate for this man?”—meaning someone who will stand beside him, speak for him, and defend him. Then the village elder, who has known the poor man since childhood and knows everything that happened, stands and says, “I will be his Advocate.” The atmosphere changes completely. The elder explains everything with evidence, and the judgment is given in favor of the poor man.

This is the meaning of paraklētos—Advocate, Helper, Comforter, Intercessor.

Just as Jesus was with the disciples, now the Spirit of Christ is with us—guiding, comforting, helping, and defending us. Therefore, Christians are never alone.

The Holy Spirit within us leads us to rise again, gives us love, faith, and obedience, and without His work we cannot live as God’s children or disciples of Christ. This is why Jesus sends “another Advocate” and has Him be with us forever.

Beloved saints, we often feel disappointed when we look at ourselves. But may we entrust our lives again to the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, comforts us, raises us, and leads us.

[Application] Have I failed when relying only on my own will? In lonely and difficult moments, do I trust and rely on the truth that the Holy Spirit is with me, leading me, and transforming me?

 

 

하늘소망교회(담임 손진국 목사)는 뉴질랜드 오클랜드 북부 실버데일에 세워진 한인교회로 '하나님의 마음으로 사람을 살리는 교회'입니다.

Hope of Heaven Baptist Church (Senior Pastor: Rev. Jinkook Sohn) is a Korean church established in Silverdale, Auckland, New Zealand. It is a church that saves people with the heart of God.