The Promises of the Holy Spirit and the Hope of Christ’s Return In this passage, we explore how Jesus promises the Holy Spirit to his followers, giving them hope and comfort.
What Happens When Jesus Leaves After He Promises the Holy Spirit?
The disciples were frightened. There so much they didn’t understand.
Jesus had just told them:
- He was leaving.
- Peter would deny Him.
- Betrayal had already begun.
- The cross was only hours away.
How could they possibly continue without Him?
Jesus answered their fears with two promises that continue to comfort believers today:
- You will not be left alone.
- I will come back for you.
You Will Not Be Left as Orphans: Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit (John 14:15-18)
Bible Study Guide
(Verses 15-18) Jesus understands that His disciples are perplexed by all that’s happening. They’re worried and have lots of questions. Jesus is going to continue to encourage them. He tells them that they will not be left alone as orphans when He leaves.
Jesus promises the the Holy Spirit. He calls Him the Spirit of Truth. It’ll be this Spirit that will carry on the work of Christ through His Apostles. The Spirit of Truth will also continue to reveal God’s word and power to the Apostles. This will allow them to carry on the ministry and turn hundreds of followers of Christ into thousands.
When an unbeliever becomes a believer and follower of Christ, this Holy Spirit is the same spirit that comes to reside in us. It’s the Spirit that sanctifies us in our Christian journey toward our glorification with Christ.
After Jesus promises the Holy Spirit, it’s the Spirit that reveals the truth of God’s word when we read and pray on it. He gives us wisdom to understand and share it with others.
The Promise That Changed Everything
Jesus did not simply promise to send help. He promised to send Himself through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.
The disciples feared abandonment. Instead, Jesus promised a presence that would never leave them.
This same promise belongs to every believer today.
Reflect:
The disciples feared being abandoned. Sometimes we do too.
- Do I truly believe Jesus has not left me alone?
- Am I relying on the Holy Spirit daily?
- Where have I allowed fear to replace trust?
Apply:
- Spend time this week asking the Holy Spirit to make His presence more real in your daily walk with Christ.
Remember: You never face life’s trials alone.
How Can We Know Jesus Is Still With Us? (John 14:19-21)
(Verses 19-21) The disciples are reminded that Jesus is about to leave this world. He tells them that when He leaves and the Holy Spirit takes His place, they will receive the truth that will come from the Holy Spirit. They will come to realize that Christ is of the Father and now with the Father in Heaven.
We are saved when we place our full trust and hope in Jesus. When that happens, Christ reveals himself to us in the form of the Holy Spirit. It’s an undeniable experience for every saved Christian.
The Christian Journey: Justification, Sanctification, and Glory (John 14:22-24)
(Verses 22-24) Jesus answers Judas (not Judas Iscariot) by explaining to him the journey of a Christian in one simple paragraph.
Jesus says, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teachings.” In other words, when we convert from unbelievers to believers, we accept and put our full faith and trust in Christ. We ask for the forgiveness of our sins. Then we turn to Christ with love and obedience. This is part of the first step in the Christian journey. Then comes the next part.
Then Jesus says, “My Father will love them…” The next part in the first step is justification. It’s when God looks into our hearts to see if we have truly come to love, believe and become a follower of His Son. Only God can justify because only God can see into the heart of a person. We can only see what’s on the outside of a person.
Jesus finished by saying, “…and we will come to them and make our home with them.” The meaning of the second part of this journey is our sanctification. God and Jesus will come to live with the Christian believer through the advocate (power of the Holy Spirit). He will dwell within the Christian. This will continue until the journey closes out with the glorification of the body at the resurrection of all the saints.
The Christian Journey Explained
Jesus describes the entire Christian life in just a few sentences.
Step 1: Justification
- We believe and repent.
- We trust Christ.
- God justifies us and we are saved.
Step 2: Sanctification
The Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us.
- He teaches and convicts us.
- He leads us to holiness and righteousness.
- He transforms us in our daily walk with Him.
Step 3: Glorification
- One day Jesus will return for His people.
- Our salvation journey will be completed.
- In an instant, the body of corruption will become the body of glory.
- Unimaginable promises await us in our glorified bodies.
Reflect:
Jesus promised not only to save us, but to complete the work He began.
- Am I cooperating with God’s work of sanctification?
- Do I long for Christ’s return?
- Am I living as though this world is my home?
Apply:
Ask yourself honestly:
If Jesus returned today, would I be excited or unprepared?
Then ask God to renew your anticipation for His return.
Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit: Our Teacher, Helper, and Comforter (John 14:25-27)
(Verses 25-27) The disciples were used to being taught by Christ for the past three years since they dropped everything and began following Him. Jesus reminds them that they will now have a new teacher. This teacher will reveal to them everything they’ll need for the work in spreading the gospel.
They’re blessed with the peace of Christ and told not to be troubled. They will need to cling to these words from their Teacher with all their might. The next few days are about to become the most troubling days of the each of the disciples lives.
The Promise Still Stands (John 14:28-29)
(Verses 28-29) Each of the eleven receive a reminder of Christ’ initial words of encouragement. This is when He explained to them the rapture and His return in the clouds to gather all His followers as previously recorded in John 14:2-4.
When Jesus reminded the disciples that He was going away, He also reminded them of a promise:
“I will come back and take you to be with me.” (John 14:3)
The Holy Spirit was never intended to replace Christ permanently.
The Holy Spirit prepares the bride while the Bridegroom prepares the home.
One day these two promises will meet:
- the Spirit within the believer,
- and the return of Christ for His church.
This is the blessed hope every Christian awaits.
Continue Exploring the Biblical Rapture
If Jesus’ promise to return for His followers has stirred your heart, continue exploring these Bible studies:
- ➜ 7 Proofs of the Pretribulation Rapture
- ➜ 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 | The Rapture Explained
- ➜ 1 Corinthians 15 | The Mystery Revealed
- ➜ The Wine, the Wedding, and the Rapture
- ➜ The Difference Between the Rapture and the Second Coming (Chart)
- ➜ How the Pretribulation Rapture Was Foreshadowed
- ➜ The Pretribulation Rapture Promise Made by Jesus
Are You Ready for Christ’s Return?
Jesus promised two things:
- He would send the Holy Spirit.
- He would return for His people.
The first promise has already been fulfilled. The second promise could be fulfilled at any moment.
The question is not: “Will Jesus return?”
The question is: Will you be ready when He does?
Choose Christ today while the invitation of grace remains open. Learn how to follow Jesus today!
Who’s the Prince of this World?
(Verses 30-31) The “prince of this world” that Jesus mentions is Satan. This is revealed in the death and crucifixion of Christ. Satan thought He achieved victory on the day of Christ’ death but he was proved wrong.
Christ reveals in His words, “He has no hold over me.” This means that Satan and death are defeated at the resurrection. Jesus’ death proved no victory for Satan but only the fulfillment of God’s word so that Christ could defeat death.
Then Christ would become the firstfruits of the resurrection. Thereby we believers will follow in those resurrection footsteps of Christ. We will make our way to eternal life with the Father as He originally planned for His creation.
What greater love is there than to give your only Son to die so that we may live eternally also with Him one day. There is none!
Jesus prepares His disciples for life after His departure by promising the Holy Spirit. This teaching forms part of the broader discussion in our study of John chapters 11–21.
Closing Reflection
Friends, as I read Jesus’ words in John 14, I cannot help but place myself among the disciples.
They were afraid and confused. They believed they were about to lose the One they loved most.
Yet Jesus gave them two promises that continue to sustain believers nearly two thousand years later:
I will not leave you. (John 14:8)
And:
I will come back for you. (John 14:28)
As we witness the signs of the last days increasing around us and the walls of judgment closing in, these promises become even more precious.
The Holy Spirit continues to prepare the bride.
The Bridegroom continues to prepare our home.
And one day soon, perhaps sooner than we imagine, Jesus Christ will fulfill His promise and gather His people to Himself.
The only question remaining is:
Are we living as though we truly believe He is coming?
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for the incredible promise that You have not left us alone. Thank You for sending the Holy Spirit to dwell within us, to teach us, comfort us, strengthen us, and guide us in truth as we journey through this fallen world.
Lord, forgive us for the times we live as though we have been abandoned or forgotten. Remind us that Your presence is with us every moment of every day. Help us to trust You when our hearts are troubled and to walk by faith when we cannot see what lies ahead.
As we witness the signs of the last days unfolding around us, awaken our hearts to live with greater urgency and expectation. Fill us with a deeper love for Christ, a greater passion for Your Word, and a boldness to share the gospel while there is still time.
Thank You for the promise that the Holy Spirit is preparing us while our Savior prepares a place for us. Keep us watching, waiting, serving, and longing for the glorious appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.
May we be found faithful when the Bridegroom comes.
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus.
In His precious and mighty name we pray, Amen.
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Waiting for the Bridegroom
Jesus has already fulfilled His promise to send the Holy Spirit.
Now we wait for Him to fulfill His promise to return.
Live expectantly.
Serve faithfully.
Share boldly.
And keep watching.
The Bridegroom is coming.