Here we have the Parakletos again, as well as the Spirit of truth, which Christ said had been dwelling with the disciples. When we acknowledge the figurative language, we can easily grasp that Jesus is simply referring to Himself, though in a different form than the disciples had known. Whereas He had been with them in the flesh, after He went away, He would return to them in a way that there would be no physical constraint to His operations.
We will switch gears for a moment, and consider the verb “send.” Remember, in John 14:26, Jesus says that the Father would send the Parakletos in Christ’s name. Here, in John 15:26, Jesus says that He Himself would send the Parakletos. And if you look forward to John 16:7, Jesus again says that after He departs, He will send the Helper. Jesus sending Himself sounds odd enough that many just assume He is talking about a third being. This is why Christ summarized these chapters by saying, “This is figurative language. It is not plain.” In fact, Christ used this pattern of figurative language throughout the book of John.
So, even though Jesus sending Himself may sound odd, it does not negate the fact that He identifies Himself as the Helper, the Holy Spirit, and Paul and John say the same thing.
The word “send” can mean, “To cause to be conveyed or transmitted.” It can also mean, “To commission, authorize, or direct to act.” The fact that the Father also sends the Helper might stretch our minds a bit, because He is also sending Himself, since He is in Christ. But we can understand their sending of Themselves as an indication of their unified will that their people receive the divine indwelling to help them grow into the divine image. The Father and the Son both cause their spiritual essence to come into the minds of the elect, and they both make their home with us. The indwelling comes by their full authority—they both commissioned this indwelling.
