The Promise of the Spirit -- the Fulness of Christ
John 16:14
He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it to you.


"He shall glorify Me: for He shall receive of Mine," &c., might be liable to misconstruction, and indicate that Christ would have Himself to be glorified, apart from the Father, and His own fulness drawn upon independently. As if to obviate this, Christ hastens to account for His having said it. "It is of the Father's after all that He takes, when He takes of Mine. It is the Father whom He glorifies when He glorifies Me." But the Lord had undoubtedly another reason. It is for their sakes, rather than His own, that He announces this truth, "I would not have said that were it not that all things which the Father hath are Mine; for otherwise it would have been poor consolation to you." We are therefore naturally led, first, to consider what Christ has before examining the promise concerning what the Holy Ghost is to do. The Lord might say, "All things that the Father hath are Mine," in respect of —

I. HIS ORIGINAL GODHEAD; and but for this He could not, without blasphemy, have said it. This the Jews well understood, when, for similar language, "they took up stones to stone Him," and when they cried out at His trial, "He hath spoken blasphemy." For it is impossible to explain away this claim of a right of property in all that is the Father's, or to justify it if made by a creature. Often, during the days of His flesh, do we find Him dwelling with a holy and blessed complacency on thoughts connected with His being "in the bosom of the Father."

II. HIS SUFFERING MANHOOD. It is this consideration, indeed, which makes the statement practically important in its application to us, viz., as being in our nature. Such is the glory of His person, as combining the Divine nature with the human; and such the value of His work that whatsoever is comprehended in the fulness of the Godhead is centred in "the Man Christ Jesus," considered as obedient to the Father, "even unto death." And as the recompense of that work, He receives, in His human nature, an interest in all that the Father hath. Hence the blessedness of His assurance, that "as the Son of Man He has power on earth to forgive sins." Hence also the value of that deed of grant, by which, "as the Father hath life in Himself, so hath He given to the Son to have life in Himself, that the Son also may quicken whom He will." And hence the importance of the Father's surrender, as it were, of the right of rule or judgment into the hands of the Son, for this very reason, that "He is the Son of Man." These are among the things which the Father has, and these He has given to the Son. Now, in respect of His original Godhead, these things cannot be said to be given to Him. They belong to Him by necessity of nature. But as the Son of Man He receives this threefold prerogative as the gift of the Father.

III. HIS HEADSHIP OF THE CHURCH. In one sense, it is true, even as regards the wicked, that all things which the Father hath, He hath given unto the Son. The impenitent and unbelieving are consigned to His disposal; and on Him it devolves to award and inflict eternal judgment. But it is His own people that Christ has chiefly in His eye here.

1. They themselves belong to the Father. "Thine they were, and Thou gavest them Me." "All that the Father giveth Me, shall come unto thee." All that the Father has are dear to Him as belonging to the Father, and as the gift of the Father, pledged to Him in the everlasting covenant, and bestowed in recompense of His making His soul an offering for sin.

2. And taking this people as His own, uniting Himself to them, identifying Himself with them, He says "All things that the Father hath are Mine," for them, as "His body, the fulness of Him that filleth all in all." For them, "when He ascended up on high, He received gifts." He has righteousness for them so that in Him the righteous God is well pleased. He has life with the Father, so that "they may live also." He has the everlasting love of the Father. So that "the love wherewith the Father hath loved Him may be in them." He has glory that they may "behold the glory which He had with the Father before the world was." Conclusion: The Father entrusts His all to Christ, and so surely we might venture to entrust our all to Him. The Father's glory is safe in His keeping; the Father's riches of wisdom and grace and love are well and wisely expended by Him. Is it to such a Saviour that you, oh sinner, will hesitate about committing your soul? If He can take charge of all that is the Father's as His own, may He not take charge of all that is yours?

(J. S. Candlish, D. D.)



Parallel Verses
KJV: He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

WEB: He will glorify me, for he will take from what is mine, and will declare it to you.




The Promise of the Spirit
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