Our Helper

In John's 14th chapter Jesus tells His disciples that He is in the Father and the Father is in Him and thus they should be able to see the Father through Him.

Jesus says that whatever we ask the Father in Jesus name we will receive so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

Indeed because it is His desire that the Father be glorified in Him we should be able to do greater works than even those that Jesus did during His ministry here on earth. He goes on to say that if we ask anything in His name He will do it.

Jesus then says two more interesting things.

If you love Me 
you will keep 
my commandments.

And to give us the means to keep His commandments and to do the works that will glorify the Father;

I will ask the Father
and He will give you 
another Helper
that He may be 
with you forever

That is
the Spirit of truth
whom the world cannot receive
because it does not see Him
or know Him
but you know Him
because He abides with you
and will be in you

After John's baptism the Father spoke from heaven, the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus, and Jesus began His ministry in the power of the Holy Spirit. During His ministry He breathed the Holy Spirit upon His disciples for the purpose of ministry, sending the 70 and the 72 out to heal and to cast out evil spirits.

Thus the Holy Spirit "abides" with them, but not yet in them. It could not yet be in them because Jesus had not yet gone to the cross to pay the price for the sins of man which separates us from God. Until reconciled to Christ by his shed blood the heart of man was not able to be a fit temple for the Holy Spirit to dwell in.

For the Holy Spirit to be "in" them (and us) Jesus also needed to rise from the dead, ascend to heaven so that He could send what He describes as "the Helper".

Jesus explains this in John 16: 7-16

But I tell you the truth
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 go
I will send Him to you

And He
when He comes
will convict the world

concerning sin
and righteousness
and judgment

Concerning sin
because they do not believe in Me

And concerning righteousness
because I go to the Father
and you no longer see Me

And concerning judgment
because the ruler of this world
has been judged . . .

But when He
the Spirit of truth 
comes
He will guide you
into all truth
for He will not speak 
on His own initiative
but what ever He hears
He will speak
and He will disclose to you
what is to come

He will glorify Me
for He will take of Mine
and will disclose it to you

All things that the Father has
are Mine
therefore I said
He takes of Mine
and will disclose it to you