1. The Holy Spirit Bears Witness (verse 26).
2. We Bear Witness (verse 27).

There are some truths in Scripture that are “sacred mysteries.” I’m talking about the divine-human dynamics of the Christian life, in which God is fully at work, and yet, we are not passive in that work. In other words, there are mysteries of our faith in which God acts sovereignly, but his people are still called to act faithfully. Galatians 2:20 is a helpful verse here: "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Paul said that he had died with Christ. Then, he says that he doesn't live, but Christ lives in him. Yet, later in the verse, he does live in the flesh.

Take, for example, the doctrine of salvation. Scripture says that God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4). And yet Jesus calls us to go into the world an make disciples (Matthew 28:18-20), saying to them, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). God elects, and we are called to believe.

Consider our sanctification as Christians. Paul says in Philippians 2:12-13, “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” Here we see both sides of our sanctification. God is working in us, conforming us into the image of his son. And yet, we are told to work it out with fear and trembling.

Think about prayer. Scripture teaches us that God is sovereign in all things, and that nothing happens apart from his will (Daniel 4:34-35). And yet, God calls us to pray. And he promises to hear our prayers and answer our prayers. Jesus said, “Ask, and it will be given to you” (Matthew 7:7). God works all things according to the counsel of his will, and we are called to pray.

This dynamic is also true concerning the growth of the Church. Jesus said, “I will build my Church” (Matt. 16:18). Yet, we see in the book of Acts and in every stage of human history since then, the church has grown through the work of men, preaching and sending missionaries and appointing leaders and discipling believers. Christ builds, and we are called to labor for the church.

Regarding the harvest of new believers, Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 3:5-7: "What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth." So, on the one hand, Paul and Apollos labored in the harvest to see people come to Christ. But, on the other hand, we read, without contradiction, that Paul and Apollos are nothing, because God gives the growth.

In some measure, we will see another one of these mysteries today in our text for the day: John 15:26-27. We are going to be looking at only two verses this morning, because I want for us to think about our message that we proclaim to the world. On the one hand, it is the Holy Spirit who bears witness about Jesus. And on the other hand, we are the ones who bear witness about Jesus. The title of my message is this: “Bearing Witness About Jesus,” because that’s what these verses are both about. You can see the phrase, "bearing witness" in verse 26 as well as verse 27. In verse 26, it is the Holy Spirit who “bears witness about Jesus. In verse 27, it is we, who “bear witness about Jesus.”

John 15:26-27
But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.

Now, before we dig into these verses, I want to remind you of the context of these verses. They come in this section of the gospel of John, which begins the private ministry of Jesus. The public ministry of Jesus in the gospel of John took place in chapters 1-12. And now, from chapters 13-17, we have the private ministry of Jesus to his disciples. In these chapters, we see Jesus preparing his disciples for his departure.

This is the key to understanding these chapters: Jesus is preparing his disciples for his departure. He is soon to go to the cross, and die for our sins, as a substitute, suffering the punishment that we deserve as sinner. so that we, by faith alone, might have the life that he promised.

For the disciples, this would have been traumatic. For three years, Jesus had been their leader. And now, just as they needed him the most, he would leave them.

Now, Jesus knew that this was for the better. He will even say, “It is to your advantage that I go away” (John 16:7). but they didn’t know this. And Jesus was trying to help them prepare for those days.

So, he begins in chapter 13, by washing the feet of the disciples, an act of love, an act of a servant. Then, he called them to follow his example in servant love.

In chapter 14, Jesus told his disciples not to be troubled at his leaving, because he would return, he would raise from the dead, to see them for a little time, then he would go and send the Holy Spirit to them, and give them peace (verse 27).

In chapter 15, Jesus speaks of the importance of being connected to the Jesus, the true vine. He said, “Apart from me, you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

Then, Jesus transitioned to address the troubles that they would face. As they made Jesus known to the world, they would be hated by the world. Jesus wanted them to anticipate this. Because, “To be forewarned is to be forearmed.”

We looked at this last week, The principle comes in John 15:20,“A servant is not greater than his master.” Jesus, then, applies the principle: "If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you."

Indeed, Jesus was hated by the world. And he was hated, not because of the evil things that he did, but because he shined light on the sins of others.

John 3:19-20
And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.

Indeed, Jesus was “hated without a cause.” Jesus was hated because he came with the truth of God. People hated the truth. So, they hated the messenger, and killed him.

Jesus says that you will experience the same thing, especially as you open your mouth and bear witness about Jesus. It is in that context that we come to our text this morning. In verses 26 and 27, Jesus is helping his disciples to understand what happens when they open their mouths and bear witness about Jesus.

Let’s read our text again:

John 15:26-27
But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.

Let’s look at our first point. It comes in verse 25: 

1. The Holy Spirit Bears Witness (verse 26).

The Holy Spirit is here identified as “the Helper.” When Jesus goes away, he will send to his disciples one who will “Help” them. What grace Jesus shows his disciples! Because, in his leaving, he didn’t leave the disciples high and dry. No, he was sending help in the form of a “Helper.”

The best way to think about this word is to think about a "coach." This is a perfect coach, who knows exactly what to say to encourage you or comfort you or exhort you.

We have seen Jesus use this term on several occasions in this context.

John 14:16-17a
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth,

Jesus identifies exactly who this is: “the Spirit of truth.” This is exactly how Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit here in our text, as the Helper, the Spirit of truth. Jesus also uses this term in chapter 14, verse 26.

John 14:26
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

In this case, the “Helper” is specifically identified as “the Holy Spirit,” the third person of the Trinity. Now, in case you are confused here, or are new to the Christian faith. We believe in the Trinity, a term not used in the Bible, but one that represents what the Bible teaches. The word, “Trinity” literally means, “Tri-Unity.” We believe that this is how the Bible presents God.

The Scriptures clearly says that God is one. "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one" (Deuteronomy 6:4). The chapter before these words presents God as one as well. "I am the LORD your God, You shall have no other gods before me" (Deuteronomy 5:6-7). The LORD is saying, “I am the one God. You shall not have any other god, because I am the only God.”

The Bible clearly speaks that God is one. Yet, in the godhead, the Bible also speaks of a plurality. We see this in the very first chapter of the Bible. In Genesis 1, we read of the creation account, in which God says, “Let us make man in our image” (Genesis 1:26). “Let us make man in our image.” There is a plurality within the oneness of God.

As the Bible reveals more and more about God, we find that Jesus is often identified as being God. John 1:1 says it about as clear as any other passage in the Bible. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1). This beginning is probably the same beginning as the very first verse in the Bible, when God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1). We discover here that God was not alone. Rather, with God was the word. But we read here also the Word was God, not another god, but one and the same, with the one whom he was with. This begins to show for us who the “we” of Genesis 1 actually is. It included the Word, which is Jesus (John 1:14).

Furthermore, when you continue to read through the New Testament, we find out that the Holy Spirit is identified as being God. One of the clearest passages in the Bible comes in Acts, chapter 5, when Ananias sold some property and lied about its price, claiming to give all of its proceeds to the church. Peter confronted him, saying, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God” (Acts 5:3-4). To lie to the Holy Spirit is to lie to God, because the Holy Spirit is also God.

Thus, we arrive at the Trinity, the Tri-unity of God. The way that the church has always said it is this: "There is one God, and three persons in the Godhead." Don't ever expect to understand this, as it is beyond our comprehension.

So, now, we have the identity of the one that Jesus will send: the Helper, the Spirit of truth, the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity. So, let us look now look at the work of the Holy Spirit.

John 15:26
But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.

Now, when we think about a witness, there are some qualifications that must be true about the witness.

First of all, a witness must have first-hand knowledge of the events. anything else is merely hearsay. Second, a witness must be of sound mind, able to communicate what he saw and heard. Thirdly, a witness must be someone with credibility testimony so as to be believed.^[1] The drug dealer who is already in prison for his crimes may not be the most credible witness in a drug case. The one who contradicts himself on the stand, also may not be the most credible witness. The one who didn’t actually see or witness the events in question, also may not be a credible witness.

But the Holy Spirit meets all of the qualifications of a true witness. Regarding character, the Holy Spirit is just that. He is holy and pure and above reproach. Regarding credibility, the Holy Spirit is just that. He is the “Spirit of Truth.” Regarding seeing the events, the Holy Spirit has lived in perfect communion with that Father and the Son. “The Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God” (1 Corinthains 2:10). So, the Spirit is qualified to bear witness about Jesus.

But now the question comes, “How does the Spirit bear witness?” We would expect his witness to be with words, however, as we all have experienced, the Holy Spirit is silent. In bearing witness about Jesus, he is also silent, but works in the hearts of people.

We see the Spirit’s work in this world in chapter 16:

John 16:8-11
And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

The Spirit’s role in bearing witness is an inner witness in the heart of every man. This is good news for us, who are seeking to bear witness about Jesus, because we are not on our own. We know that as we tell others about Jesus, that the Holy Spirit is present in our witnesses. Further, the Holy Spirit is on our side, to help illuminate what we tell others about Jesus, and to convict the hearts of those with whom we are speaking.

This is the divine mystery, that the Spirit will work with our words in the hearts of those who hear us speaking about him. Please know that for your words to land upon a receptive heart, the Spirit must be working to convict and move and stir the hearer to turn and trust in Jesus.

Do you remember when Jesus was speaking to Nicodemus? The role of the Spirit in salvation was front and center

John 3:2-8
[Nicodemus] came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

You can’t control the wind. You can’t control the Spirit. But you need the Spirit’s work in your life to enter the kingdom of God. Do you know of this work? Do you know of the convicting work of the Spirit of God in your life?

Have you experienced the convicting work of the Holy Spirit when you realized you have sinned against God in your thoughts, words, or actions? Have you turned to the Lord in repentance? This is the work of the Spirit in your life. Do you know of the convicting work of the Holy Spirit when you’re convicted by the Scriptures, knowing that they call you to a higher standard of living? The Spirit is the one who will open your eyes to God’s Word and His call to live righteously.

Have you known the convicting work of the Holy Spirit when you sensed the lack of righteousness in your life and your need for Jesus? Have you sought him for forgiveness? This is the work of the Spirit in your life. Do you know of the convicting work of the Holy Spirit when you long for more purity and holiness that comes only from God’s grace? The Spirit is the one who will awaken your heart to pursue godliness and righteousness, being transformed from the inside out.

Have you experienced the convicting work of the Holy Spirit when you first thought about the eternal consequences of your actions and realize that you must live with an eternal perspective? Have you believed in Jesus to secure your everlasting life, rather than facing judgement? This is the work of the Spirit in your life. Do you live with the reminder of the final judgment in the back of your mind? The Spirit is the one who reminds you that Jesus is the final judge, through whom you can find grace.

What a blessing to know that we are not left alone when we speak to others about Jesus. The Holy Spirit will be with us working in the hearts of those who hear. And Jesus tells his disciples, that they will be bearing witness about Jesus.

This is my second point: 

2. We Bear Witness (verse 27).

John 15:27
And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.

This isn’t a command, as if Jesus is calling his disciples to go and bear witness about him. No, it’s a statement of fact:

John 15:27a
You also will bear witness.

We have a dog. We have an old dog. She is an old, white and fluffy dog. One thing that she likes to do is watch the world go by through our picture window in our living room. And one thing that she can’t help but to do is to bark at everything that she sees moving outside. Whether it’s our neighbors or a squirrel or a family taking a walk. She see them, she barks. We try to calm her down, we try to tell her not to bark. Nothing ever works, except to draw the shades so that she can’t see what’s taking place outside. That’s the only thing that can stop her from parking.

What is true of our dog is true of people. Give just a little bit of time, and people will talk about what they love the most. Whether it’s football or boating or whisky or grandchildren or their new diet or their latest workout routine or the latest Netflix series or bitcoin or their latest political outrage or vacation plans or a new relationship or their new car or their latest tech upgrade or a book that helped them or a preacher they love, or how they found minimalism. People simply cannot help but to talk as an overflow of what they love.

This is what Jesus says about his true disciples: "And you also will bear witness." You will not be able to help it. Even if you are told not to bear witness, you will be compelled to do so.

I love how Jesus tells them why they will witness:

John 15:27b
because you have been with me from the beginning.

In other words, there is something about being with Jesus, that will compel these disciples to bear witness about Jesus. This is best illustrated in the story recorded in Acts, chapters 3 and 4, when Peter and John were put in jail for bearing witness about Jesus. If you remember, in chapter 3, they healed a lame man by the power of Jesus. Then, with the crowd gathered to see exactly what happened, Peter stood up and proclaimed the gospel. He said,

Acts 3:12-16
“Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk? The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him. But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. And his name—by faith in his name—has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all.

Then, Peter called them to repent and believe in Jesus (verses 17-26). When the religious leaders heard of the commotion, that the apostles were bearing witness about Jesus, proclaiming in him the resurrection of the dead, They arrested Peter and John and put them into jail (Acts 4:3). The next day, Peter gave his account to the religious leaders:

Acts 4:8-12
“Rulers of the people and elders, if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

This is the core of the gospel, that Jesus, the cornerstone, the foundation stone, the most important stone in the building, was hated without a cause. But this Jesus is the way of salvation. As he said in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." This is exactly what Peter said as he bore witness of Jesus. "And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

The response of the leaders comes in the next verse:

Acts 4:13
Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.

This is exactly why Jesus says that his disciples would bear witness about him in our text: "And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning" (John 15:27). There is something about being with Jesus, that will compel you to bear witness about Jesus.

It’s as simple as this: If you want to bear witness about Jesus in your life, spend time with Jesus. If you want to bear witness more about Jesus, then spend more time with Jesus. Talking about Jesus will spew out of your life.

A week and a half ago, we were at my dad’s house. He had a problem with his internet, so I called technical support of his behalf. And with the resetting of the modems and the routers, there were a few times where there was a lull in the support. When the woman, trying to make small talk with me asked how things were going for me, I could easily have said, “Oh, it’s fine.” But I intentionally shared more than I needed to. I knew that. I shared about my father and why we were at his house. I shared about being a grandfather She replied how she’s not quite ready to be a grandma, as her children are 19 and 20. I affirmed the blessing of being a grandparent.

Yvonne is in the other room, sighing, as I’m sharing so much information about our lives. But I wanted to speak with her on the phone, giving her a flavor of my life. And when talking about grandchildren, I was able to talk about my children, and the blessing we experience as they are walking with the Lord. I quoted 3 John 4 to her, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” So, I shared where my true joy was, in watching my children serve the Lord from their hearts. all involved in church. all of them geared up to train up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

I was open to letting the conversation go as she wished. But she was polite. She didn't press further, so I didn't go further. I’m not sure where she was with Christ, but I do know that if I were to make any impact in her life, it must be the Spirit who convicts her of sin, righteousness and judgment.

This is the mysterious working of the Spirit of God. We open our mouths and witness about Jesus, but it all depends upon the moving of the Spirit. And the more time you spend with Jesus, the more compulsion you will have in your life to speak about Jesus.

After Peter preached to the religious leaders, they counseled with each other. In their counsel, they said,

Acts 4:16-17
“What shall we do with these men? For that a notable sign has been performed through them is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.”

After their counsel, we read the following:

Acts 4:18-20
So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.”

Remember how Jesus said to the disciples, "And you also will bear witness" (John 15:27)? This is exactly what we see here. Peter says to the religious leaders, who had authority to punish them, "We cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20). They were witnesses of Jesus. They could not stop talking of what they had witnessed.

They kept right on speaking about Jesus. This got them in more trouble, just as Jesus had predicted in John 15:20, “If they persecuted me, they will persecute you” (John 15:20). We read of this persecution in Acts 5, as the story continues. The leaders in Jerusalem arrested the apostles and threw them in jail for the evening.

Acts 5:19-20
But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, “Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.”

They did that very thing, which caused them to be arrested again. They were brought before the council, who said to them,

Acts 5:28-32
“We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man's blood upon us.” But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”

There was this inner compulsion for the apostles to bear witness about Jesus. This is exactly what Jesus said would take place, "You also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning." So strong was their compulsion, that they felt it an honor to suffer for the name of Jesus. After being physically beaten with rods as a punishment,

Acts 5:41
They left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.

What about you? Do you have an inner compulsion that just must speak? If you are worried what to say, really, it’s not that difficult. We are called here to witness about Jesus. We aren’t called to defend the faith against a Ph. D. atheist in a formal debate. We are simply called to share our experience with others.

Consider what the man born blind said. when he was told to give glory to God by calling Jesus a sinner, he said, “Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see” (John 9:25). When he said, this, he hadn’t even formally believed in Jesus, because he didn’t even know who he was. But when Jesus appeared to him later, he said, “Lord, I believe” (John 9:38). So, he was giving witness even before fully believing in Jesus.

This is what you are called to do. You simply are simply to speak with others is to give a witness of what Jesus has done for your soul? You aren't called to prove anything. You simply need to bear witness of what you have experienced.

May I recommend that you always be prepared to speak of what you read in the Bible today, this morning! When people ask you who you are doing, quote Psalm 70, the Psalm of the day. “I read Psalm 70 this morning. Verse 4 says, ‘May all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you.’ I’m rejoicing and glad in Jesus this morning.”

Now, if the conversation goes further than that, that’s great. But all Jesus calls us to do is to bear witness about Jesus. Like any good witness, just talk about what you have seen and heard.

Consider the Gerasene Demoniac. When Jesus healed him of his legion of angels, and was in his right mind, he wanted to go with Jesus. He tried to get into the boat with the other disciples, to join them across the Sea of Galilee. “He begged that he might be with [Jesus]. He did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you” (Mark 5:18-19).

This man submitted to Jesus and did this very thing. And what sort of reception do you think he received?

Mark 5:20
And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.

Everyone marveled. Did they marvel at his erudition? Did they marvel at his intellectual arguments? No. They marveled because he was transformed from being an out-of-control maniac to a sound individual. He certainly told the story of how this happened and how he wanted to return with Jesus, the man who delivered him from these demons, but was turned away and told to bear witness to his own people. And everyone marveled as he simply told them what he experienced.

This is all that you need to do. And people will marvel at what you say as well. And if the Holy Spirit is working to convict them of sin, righteousness and judgment, they may come to believe through your testimony.

My counsel to you simple: be enthralled with Jesus. Be captivated by what a great Savior he is. Be amazed as how kind he was toward us in dying for our sins, reconciling us to God through faith. And the more you saturate your mind with these sorts of thoughts, then pray for opportunities and for boldness to speak it forth giving all praise to God for what he as done for you in Jesus.

That's the call of this text. The Holy Spirit bears witness and we bear witness.

This sermon was delivered to Rock Valley Bible Church on October 19, 2025 by Steve Brandon.
For more information see www.rockvalleybiblechurch.org.

[1] The categories are from Octavius Winslow, “The Work of the Holy Spirit,” (London: Banner of Truth, 1962), 153-155.