And when He comes, He will convict the world in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because they do not believe in Me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see Me; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world has been condemned.
John 16:8-11
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The trial reopened
Jesus is speaking about the Holy Spirit, who will come once he has gone. The verb he uses, convict, comes from the courtroom: to convict someone, so that they have nothing left to say in their defence. A few hours later Jesus himself is condemned. John tells it as if the Spirit then reopens that trial.
The Spirit turns around what the world thought it knew. Sin is first of all not trusting Jesus. He is in the right, because he is going to the Father. And the one condemned isn't him, but the power that brought him to the cross.
Question for today
Which verdict on myself can I bring before God?
Prayer
Lord, let your Spirit show me where I judge wrongly, about others and about myself. Bring me back to Jesus. Amen.
My prayer
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