But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counsellor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.
When catastrophes struck the Jewish nation, the Holy Spirit, through the Old Testament prophets, would comfort them with the promise of the coming Messiah (Isa 9:6; Zec 3:8). Now that the Messiah has come, He is comforting the church with the promise of the coming Holy Spirit.
Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Zechariah 3:8 “‘Listen, O high priest Joshua and your associates seated before you, who are men symbolic of things to come: I am going to bring my servant, the Branch.
The word translated as “It is good” (NIV) or “It is expedient” (KJV) is the same word used by Caiaphas in (11:50). Our God is so great that He can take the actions of evil men and use them to accomplish His purposes. Caiaphas thought that the killing of Jesus was good or expedient and so it was, but in a much different sense than he could have imagined.
John 11:50 You do not realise that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.”
The disciples were under a similar misunderstanding. They thought that the departure of Jesus was going to be the most disastrous thing that could happen to them, when in truth it was going to be the best. It was better for them to be dependent upon the Holy Spirit Who would be everywhere present with each of them all of the time than to be dependent upon the bodily presence of Christ Who, while on earth, could only be in one place at any given time. Bernard comments that, “there is a better education in discipleship than that which can be supplied by a visible master, whose will for his disciples can never be misunderstood. The braver and more perfect disciple is he who can walk by faith, and not by sight only. . . ” He goes on to quote Gore, “the Coming of the Holy Ghost was not merely to supply the absence of the Son, but to complete His presence.” This was all a part of the plan of God and He always does what is best and He never leaves anything out.
Sometimes the things that seem to be bad turn out to be the best things that could have happened to us. God knows what is best for us and will not give into our desires if they run counter to what is best for us. Aren’t you glad that He is Lord and not you?
The Holy Spirit could not come until Jesus went away (7:39). The cross was critical for the coming of the Holy Spirit. Until Jesus ascended to heaven, He could not send the Spirit to us (15:26). God wants us to have the Holy Spirit because He is concerned that we are given full and complete salvation and it can only be based upon the atoning sacrifice of His Son.
John 7:39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.
John 15:26 “When the Counsellor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me.
In retrospect for us, Jesus certainly knew what He was talking about. (Of course!) There was a vast difference between the disciples before the giving of the Spirit (Mark 14:50) and after He came to them (Acts 4:31, 5:41). God knows what He is doing. We just need to trust Him when things aren’t going as we would like.
Mark 14:50 Then everyone deserted him and fled.
Acts 4:31 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.
Acts 5:41 The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.