John 16:5-15

Alleluia! Christ is risen! 
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

One of those phrases we just heard from our Lord’s lips comes and goes so fast, it’s easy to miss. But it is one of the most comforting things in all of Scripture. Look again at the end of v. 11. Jesus says that the ruler of this world is judged. That’s a good translation. I’ll just add this. The verb there for the word ‘judged’ is in the perfect tense. That means it’s something that happened in the past, but it has ongoing, lasting results. Jesus says that Satan, your accuser (Rev. 12:10), has been, and forever remains, judged.

To our eyes, it often doesn’t look like that’s the case. We see everything going on in the world, and we’re tempted to think that the devil keeps winning. That’s why we need the Holy Spirit to keep doing His work of convicting us of judgment—not our judgment, but the devil’s judgment. The word translated ‘convict’ means ‘to reveal, expose, or convince.’ ‘Convict’ here is like when we talk about someone who has deep conviction. The Holy Spirit comes to convince us that the one found guilty is the devil. Satan has been judged, condemned.

That means, dear saints, that the devil is not winning. He isn’t losing either. No. He’s already lost. He has no power.

If the devil had any power at all and got his way in the world, do you think that we’d be able to gather here this morning to hear God’s Word? If the devil was getting his way, there’s no way that you would have heard at the beginning of our service that your sins are entirely forgiven for the sake of Jesus. If the devil was getting his way, you wouldn’t be able to come up here to Christ’s table to receive Jesus’ Body and Blood for the forgiveness of all your sins. All those things would go away if the devil had any power.

That worm would gladly give up the desecration of marriage in our culture. He’d be happy to let abortion be outlawed if he could stop the Gospel being proclaimed. He’d stop tempting people to be violent, rebellious, and depraved if he could prevent the Gospel ringing forth from this and other Christian pulpits. Satan would gladly make that trade. But the devil can’t make that happen. He can’t defeat the preaching of the Gospel. It isn’t possible.

This is why Jesus calls the Holy Spirit’s coming advantageous for you. I’m sure the disciples were stunned and confused when Jesus told them, “It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send Him to you”(Jn. 16:7).

To the disciples this sounded like loss, not advantage. Their beloved Teacher was leaving. Their Friend was going to the cross. How could that possibly be better? Yet Jesus insists it is advantageous, profitable, and beneficial for them. Why? Because this departure isn’t referring to His ascension to God’s right hand. The departure Jesus talks about is His death on the cross where He pays the full price for all your sins. And when that price was paid, the curtain of the Temple was torn in two (Mt. 27:51; Heb. 10:19-20). The separation between us sinners and the holy God was no longer needed. Jesus’ departure and death won your full, complete salvation and resulted in the sending of the Holy Spirit, who now takes everything Jesus won for us and delivers it personally to you and me.

That’s the advantage. The devil stands judged, and you stand forgiven. The accuser has been thrown down, and the Comforter has been poured out. The ruler of this world has lost his throne, and the Spirit of truth now rules in your heart.

We see the evidence of this advantage all around us, even though the world looks dark. Every time a sinner is baptized and believes, the devil loses another captive. Every time the absolution is spoken, Satan’s accusations are silenced. Every time God’s people gather around the Lord’s Table, the victory of the cross is proclaimed (1 Co. 11:26). And these are not small things. They are the direct result of the Holy Spirit’s work, and they prove that the judgment of Satan that Jesus announced has already taken place.

And the Holy Spirit does even more. He brings us back into harmony with God and with His creation. Remember how sin shattered that harmony in the beginning. Adam and Eve were created to live in perfect harmony with God, but they hid in fear (Gen. 3:8). Sin brought discord into creation. The ground was cursed. Now, it produces thorns and thistles. Sin brought pain in childbirth, hostility between brothers. All of that is the result of that first act of rebellion. The devil’s lie had introduced discord into every relationship—between God and man; between husband and wife, parents and children; between humanity and the creation we were meant to steward.

But now Christ has reversed the curse. On the cross He bore the judgment we deserved. In His resurrection He declared peace (Jn. 20:19, 21, 26). Now, the Holy Spirit takes that victory and convinces you of it so that you are reconciled to the Father. You are no longer God’s enemies. You are His beloved children. You are brought back into harmony with God.

And that harmony begins to echo outward. The same Spirit who convicts the world concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment also renews your minds so you see people and creation differently. Instead of viewing your neighbor as competition or threat, you see someone for whom Christ shed His blood. The Spirit leads you to live as a citizen of the new creation even while you still live in the old (2 Co. 5:17).

This is the advantage Jesus purchased for you. Because the devil is judged, you are free to live without fear. When anxiety creeps in about the future of the Church or the direction of our culture, the Spirit reminds you that the outcome is already decided. When guilt over past sins weighs heavy, the Spirit points you to the cross to remind you, “It is finished”(Jn. 19:30). And that verdict stands. When loneliness or grief press close, the Spirit comforts you with the presence of Christ who has not left you as orphans (Jn. 14:18).

This advantage also equips you to share this Good News with others. The Holy Spirit uses you as His voice to declare this Gospel to a confused world because you know the ruler of this world has been judged. You can love your enemy because you know Satan is the real enemy, and he has been defeated. You can love and serve your neighbor generously because you know your Father owns all things and delights to provide for His children.

Dear saints, the Holy Spirit is at work now and is doing exactly what Jesus promised. He is still convicting, still comforting, still guiding into all truth. He is still taking what belongs to Jesus—His victory, His forgiveness, His life—and declaring it to you. That is why you can leave this sanctuary not as victims of the devil’s schemes, but as victors in Christ.

Hear the good news again this morning. The devil has been judged. Your sins are forgiven. You are covered in Jesus’ righteousness. You have peace with God (Ro. 5:1). You are restored to harmony with your Creator and His creation. That is the advantage Christ has won. This is your reality because Christ has risen, the Spirit has come, and the battle is over.

Go in that peace. Live in that advantage. Wherever you go, proclaim with confidence what the Holy Spirit has declared to you. The ruler of this world is judged, and in Jesus Christ you are free indeed (Jn. 8:36). Amen.

Alleluia! Christ is risen! 
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Php. 4:7). Amen.