I Came but I Am Leaving

Lesson #269

At the end of our last lesson we introduced the verses we would cover today. They are: “In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God” (John 16:26 – 27 ESV). In John 16:23, Jesus instructed his disciples, and thus us, to pray to the Father in his name. This is repeated here in the statement: “you will ask in my name”. We don’t necessarily pray to Jesus, but we pray to our Father in the name of Jesus and he will provide. The prayer outline Jesus gave to his disciples, starts out with, “Our Father”.

To decide who we pray to, consider the family of God. First there is God the Father and his only Son, who we know as Jesus. Being born again, we become children of God the Father; we are sons and daughters and in this sense Jesus is our big Brother. When you have a need in the family the point of authority is the Father, but there are times when a big brother might be appropriate. For example, I have learned to ask Jesus for his thoughts and his heart on the verses I write about and that he would communicate it to me by way of the Holy Spirit who dwells within me. I also ask that the Holy Spirit will draw people to read what has been posted and to provide understanding. In this way we work together to bring honor and glory to our Father. However, in most cases I pray to my Father in the name of Jesus. To me these two verses are about family. There are times when Jesus does pray on our behalf. There are times when we sin and then Jesus becomes our Advocate and intercedes on our behalf.

Jesus continues and says: “I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father” (John 16:28 ESV). God the Father loved the world with such love that he sent his only Son. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. . . And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:1, 2, 14 ESV). There is no question who Jesus is, but why did he come? He came that he might be to us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption (1 Corinthians 1:30).

Once his work of purchasing salvation through his death is accomplished, Jesus will be raised from the dead and will ascend into heaven to allow the Holy Spirit to be sent in his place to reside within each believer. His ability to return to heaven through his ascension is the assurance that his power on earth will be replaced by that of the Holy Spirit.

Prayer

Father, what a beautiful thing it was that Jesus, your only Son, came into the world to purchase our salvation. Thank you that our faith is made valid by his resurrection and ascension into heaven to sit at your right hand to rule over the kingdom of God. Father, thank you for making us part of that kingdom. Father, have mercy on us because of our lack of love and obedience and forgive us for our friendship with the world. 

Figures of Speech

Lesson #268

With this lesson we begin the last major section of chapter 16 and in the ESV translation it is titled “I Have Overcome the World”. We will pick up our study at John 16:25 (ESV): “I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech but will tell you plainly about the Father.” Let us begin with what “these things” might refer to. Think back to the point where Jesus talked about his Father’s house and that Jesus was going there to add more rooms for the disciples and also for us when we believe. This is the Jewish tradition; when the son goes to bring his bride home, he first must provide space at the father’s house for them. This is what Jesus is going to do. Jesus also talked about the way to the Father and thus to their rooms, but the disciples didn’t understand yet that Jesus was the way and that he had to die on the cross for our sins first to purchase our salvation. This was further illustrated by the vine and branch illustration, from which we learn that we are to abide in Jesus just as the branch abides in the vine in order to bear fruit. He also explained to them that they could not come with him at this time and that his departure would produce sorrow within them, but would soon be replaced with joy. Jesus illustrated this with an example of a mother giving birth to a child. All of these examples seem easy to understand, but the spiritual implications seem to be hidden from them, just as it is hidden today from those who do not believe. Saying “these things” with these kind of examples are the “figures of speech” expressed in our verse.

Jesus continues by saying: “The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech but will tell you plainly about the Father.” That hour may point to two different times: the first occurring after his resurrection when he meets with them and the second at the time of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit comes to give understanding to them. What the disciples are going through is the same process an unbeliever goes through in becoming a believer. At first nothing makes any sense, but gradually as the Spirit works in them they gain understanding and then one day, at their spiritual birth, the Holy Spirit comes to indwell them and they come to life spiritually and they see. This is not unlike a child being born from the darkness of the mother’s womb into the light of the world. Spiritually, we go from spiritual darkness into light as God comes to dwell within us.

Jesus continues to tell his disciples: “In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God” (John 16:26 – 27 ESV). We will need to reserve an entire lesson for these two verses and possibly verse 28, so we will end here and continue next time.

Prayer

Father, I believe this lesson gives us some understanding as to why the disciples were so slow to understand and why today many unbelievers require years to come to salvation. Just as an unbeliever will not understand spiritual things today, neither did the disciples as unbelievers understand then. It is clear that belief and thus understanding requires spiritual life. Father, thank you for causing us to be born again so that we can know you, love you, serve you and worship you forever. 

In the Name of Jesus

Lesson #267

We ended the last lesson at the end of the first sentence of John 16:23 (ESV): “In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.” Since writing the last lesson I have done some more thinking about the statement: “In that day you will ask nothing of me.” When Jesus was with the disciples they could ask him for what they wanted, but when he leaves them they will no longer be able to do that.

Saying “truly, truly” is like us underlining or using bold print or italicizing to emphasize something. Thus, what Jesus is going to say next is important and relates to asking nothing of him. He tells them they are to ask the Father to supply their need, but they are to ask him in his name. When we end our prayers we make to our Father, we usually end them by saying, “In Jesus name.” This is where that comes from.

When Jesus ascends to his Father and is replaced on earth by the Holy Spirit, Jesus then begins his role as Mediator. As long as Christ was here on earth, he did not yet exercise the office of Advocate, that through him the prayers of believers might be acceptable to God. After Jesus left and the Holy Spirit came they were to pray to the Father, as we are today, to meet their needs, but in the name of Jesus.

Jesus continues: “Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full” (John 16:24 ESV). “Until now you have asked nothing in my name” is repeated, again stressing its importance. The disciples were trained during Old Testament times and were required to access God through the priest. They could not go directly to God. When Jesus died on the cross, access to God changed as the veil in the temple was torn from top to bottom, revealing the holy of holies. Jesus rose from the dead as the great high priest and ascended into the heavenly sanctuary to intercede for his people. Each believer is now a temple of the Holy Spirit and are priest under Jesus the great high priest. As a priest, each believer has direct access to the Father in the name of our high priest, Jesus. This is a major adjustment for the disciples to make. We know it is an important one to make because of the emphasis. Even in light of this emphasis, the catholic church today still believes direct access in not possible, with confessions being made to earthly priest.

The focus shifts from earthly priest and animal sacrifices to Jesus becoming the high priest and he the sacrifice. This is a major shift and Jesus tells his disciples to begin to ask the Father directly, but in his name and if they do that the Father will provide and their joy will be made full. When someone asks you why you end your prayers with “In Jesus name,” you now know why and its source; Jesus commands we do this when we pray to our Father.

Prayer

Father, it is in Jesus name that I come to you in prayer. What joy it is to know that I have direct access to you as my Father because of the death and resurrection of your Son Jesus. Father, I completely overlooked the change of prayer from the Old Testament to the New; from indirect access to direct access and as a result I had to completely rewrite this lesson. What joy it gave me when this picture became clear to me. This is another good example why Bible study is important. It has taken me 65 years to understand what Jesus meant as covered in these verses. Should the disciples not have trouble understanding also. Father, thank you for this understanding. 

Sorrow Now, Joy Later

Lesson #266

We ended the last lesson with Jesus telling his disciples that they would weep and lament over his leaving, but their sorrow would soon turn into joy. Jesus then gives an example of sorrow turning into joy: “When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world” (John 16:21 ESV). The fact that joy very often comes out of sorrow is seen in Romans 8:28 (NKJV): And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Even when believers experience death in the face of persecution they will experience joy in heaven. When I listen to or read testimonies of those who experience suffering under persecution, there is usually an expression of joy experienced at some time during their suffering. Love, joy and peace are from God and remain with us through suffering because God remains with us. There will be, however, periods of darkness as we adjust to the conditions of suffering and get our focus back onto God.

Jesus continues: “So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you” (John 16:22 ESV). To witness the death of Jesus on the cross and then to be laid in the tomb, the disciples would naturally experience sorrow over their loss. This period of darkness, when joy seems to escape them, is only temporary, because soon Jesus is raised from the dead and joins them for a short time, providing assurance that he lives and goes to the Father, to be joined by the disciples at their death. This joy that is set before us is something we as believers have that the world knows nothing about. Their joy ends in eternal destruction, but ours is eternal.

Jesus continues: “In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you” (John 16:23 ESV). “That day” reaches ahead to the time when they would experience a great light of understanding from the Holy Spirit. The days the disciples were with Jesus, were like learning the ABC’s and then words and then short sentences, but when the Holy Spirit comes at Pentecost their understanding will soar and so will their joy. At that time the mysteries of God will begin to unfold before them and will take shape in the formation of the New Testament. “In that day” Jesus has ascended into heaven and the Holy Spirit has come to dwell within believers. In place of Jesus, he now provides the understanding they need.

We will end this lesson at this point and begin the next lesson by covering the remaining part of the verse: “Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.”

Prayer

Father, with sin came death in so many different forms and with death came sorrow because of loss, a loss which is heightened during persecution. Paul said: “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ” (Philippians 3:8 ESV). Once Paul experienced Jesus, the loss of all things came within reach. Under the suffering of persecution, it is with great sorrow that we are asked to give up everything to hold onto Jesus Christ, but through that sorrow of loss, the joy we have in Jesus magnifies itself in us. Father, thank you for that joy that no one can take away.

What Does Little While Mean?

Lesson #265

With this lesson we will start the next major section of chapter 16, titled in the ESV translation, “Your Sorrow Will Turn into Joy”. The section begins with Jesus saying, “A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me” (John 16:16 ESV). In “a little while” Jesus would die on the cross and be placed in the tomb where he would be concealed from their view. Then after three days he would rise from the dead and appear to them. Who else saw Jesus after he rose from the dead?

When people saw Jesus and in what order is not clear from the gospels, but we know that Mary who went to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus did; the two disciples on their way to Emmaus saw him; when the disciples were gathered together and Jesus appeared among them (Luke 24:36 – 49); a group of more than 500 saw him (1 Corinthians 15:6) are some examples. This link is to a document listing twelve appearances Jesus made to different groups ranging in size from one person to more than 500.

This statement from Jesus was not understood by his disciples as we see from the next verse: “So some of his disciples said to one another, “What is this that he says to us, ‘A little while, and you will not see me, and again a little while, and you will see me’; and, ‘because I am going to the Father’?” So they were saying, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We do not know what he is talking about.”” (John 16:17 – 18 ESV). Not much more needs to be said about these verses other than the disciples really did not understand and would not understand until later when various events would occur.

“Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, “Is this what you are asking yourselves, what I meant by saying, ‘A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me’?” (John 16:19 ESV). Jesus doesn’t try to clear up the confusion, but turns their focus to how they are going to feel when this occurs. Jesus said to them: “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy” (John 16:20 ESV). When Jesus leaves them through his death on the cross, the disciples “will weep and lament” over their loss of one they loved and lived with for the last three years, but the world will rejoice that he is finally gone, so they think.

Prayer

Father, when I try to imagine being a disciple to understand what they were experiencing, I think of how I felt when I was a college student and the professor just presented some complex new material. Like the disciples, I look to a fellow student and ask what they thought he meant. Maybe that feeling was similar to what the disciples were experiencing. 

Sin, Righteousness and Judgment

Lesson #261

In our last lesson we learned that when the Helper, the Holy Spirit, comes he will convict the world concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment. In this lesson we will look at some details of these three words. Let us begin with the word sin: “concerning sin, because they do not believe in me” (John 16:9 ESV). Paul describes our condition in pretty definite terms in Ephesians 2:1 – 3 (ESV): “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.” Without being born spiritually and having the Holy Spirit dwelling within, we have nothing in us but that which leads us to continue to sin. Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6 ESV). As long as we do not believe in Jesus and surrender our will to him, we will continue to be children of wrath, will continue in our sin, and will continue to be separated from him and his many eternal benefits.

Then, “concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer” (John 16:10 ESV). The world must be convinced of their sin, because without they will see no need to be convinced of their need of righteousness. Without being convicted of their sin they will lack the humility needed to surrender to Jesus Christ. This righteousness does not result from our efforts, but is from Jesus Christ as a gift of grace. Paul expresses this in 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV): “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” This is established because of the ascension of Jesus to heaven and his position at the right hand of the Father.

Then, “concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged” (John 16:11 ESV). “We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one” (1 John 5:19 ESV). Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, the evil one was defeated, but left in power until God was through using him. When that time comes the evil one will be removed from power and Jesus Christ will restore all things to their original perfect state, free from the effects of sin.

Prayer

Father, we have a world system emerging where sin is perceived as righteousness and righteousness as sin. Terrorists believe they are righteousness and doing God’s will and they see the righteousness of Christians as sin. In order to turn this around, the Holy Spirit must convict them of sin as we witness to them, even in the face of death.

The Spirit Declares to Us

Lesson #264

In the last lesson we finally finished up verse 13, leaving verses 14 and 15 to cover to finish this section of chapter 16. Jesus continues by telling his disciples: “He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you” (John 16:14 ESV). Jesus came to reveal God to us in a personal way and to die on the cross for our sin, purchasing our salvation. When the Holy Spirit comes he will, under the direction of Jesus Christ, establish the kingdom of Christ and populate it with believers. Jesus is the head of the body, the Church, but the Holy Spirit is the connection between him and us and together the body of Christ is formed. In this way Jesus is glorified.

What belongs to Jesus that is to be declared to us? In his online commentary, Calvin gives some examples: “That we may be washed by the blood of Christ, that sin may be blotted out in us by his death, that our old man may be crucified, (Romans 6:6,) that his resurrection may be efficacious in forming us again to newness of life, (Romans 6:4;) and, in short, that we may become partakers of his benefits. Nothing, therefore, is bestowed on us by the Spirit apart from Christ, but he takes it from Christ, that he may communicate it to us” (http://biblehub.com/commentaries/calvin/john/16.htm). It is the job of the Spirit to display those treasures that are hidden in Christ and enrich our lives with them.

Jesus continues by saying: “All that the Father has is mine; therefore, I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you” (John 16:15 ESV). If Jesus had not been equal with the Father, he could not have said “All that the Father has in mine” without blasphemy. All that he has received from the Father he communicates to us by the Spirit. Jesus is our connection to the Father and all that he has, but the majority of people deceive themselves that this is so and they pass by Christ and determine their own way to God, but that way ends in death because Jesus is the source of eternal life.

Prayer

Father, I feel the need to pray for my brothers and sisters that read these lessons and for those who face persecution for their faith that most Christians in America don’t understand. I pray for those who come to read that they may find what they are looking for and that it will help them in their walk with the Lord. I pray for any needs they might have at this time. For those facing persecution, I pray for their encouragement and for endurance, that they not yield but stand firm in their faith with Jesus. I pray that they are able to leave the need for justice in the hands of God allowing them to love and forgive their persecutors. 

The Holy Spirit Declares the Future

Lesson #263

In our last lesson we started John 16:13 and covered the first part of the verse: “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth”. It was pointed out the importance of context in understanding phrases like “all the truth”. Verse 13 continues with: “for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.” The Holy Spirit does not speak as if prompted by himself, but he shall declare what is communicated to him. This has practical meaning to me; for example, when I write these lessons I pray that I will know the Lord’s mind and heart concerning the verses I am writing about. Jesus communicates this to the Holy Spirit who communicates it to me. Because of my sinful nature, the reception is not always really good, so I tend to miss part of the message. I long for that day when in heaven the reception will be 100%. In the context of this verse the Holy Spirit will inform us of things to come. This could relate to changes that were to take place in the Jewish nation. It could also be that the disciples were inspired to predict future events which would take place in the church and the world.

Some examples are as follows: “And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world (this took place in the days of Claudius)” (Acts 11:28 ESV); “And coming to us, he took Paul's belt and bound his own feet and hands and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘This is how the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’”” (Acts 21:11 ESV); “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth” (1 Timothy 4:1 – 3 ESV). The whole book of Revelation was delivered to John by the Holy Spirit.

We will end this lesson here and cover verses 14 and 15 in the next lesson.

Prayer

Father, thank you for the presence of the Holy Spirit in my life; for making known to me that I am saved; convicting me of sin; guiding, directing and giving me understanding; encouraging, strengthening and comforting me when needed. He is the presence of God in my life and for that I thank you. 

When the Spirit of Truth Comes

Lesson #262

In the last lesson we looked more deeply into the three words: sin, righteousness, and judgment. The things Jesus has been telling his disciples were not really understood and were causing a certain amount of anxiety. What Jesus says next is not going to help: “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now” (John 16:2 ESV). What those things are that Jesus would like to tell them is unknown and it is therefore foolish for anyone to try to guess what they are because there is no way to prove their guess is right. Whatever they were, Jesus felt his disciples were not ready to hear them. This reminds me of some extraordinary event that may have occurred that affected or relates to a small child that cannot be told until the child has matured enough to understand and be able to accept it emotionally.

For the disciples there are four events yet to come that will propel them in to a powerful ministry. Those events will be the crucifixion, resurrection, ascension, and Pentecost. The first three will provide some understanding, but it will be Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within them that they will then become a new creation in Christ with understanding and power. As an example, compare Peter before and after Pentecost and you see two different people; before Peter denied he knew Jesus three times in a row, but after Pentecost, he was willing to stand up before a great multitude of people and risk his life to preach about Jesus, leading thousands to salvation.

In the next three verses, Jesus tells the disciples what to expect when the Helper comes: “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come” (John 16:13 ESV). Unlike the devil, who is the father of lies, the Holy Spirit can bear witness of only that which is truth and as a result he is referred to as the Spirit of truth. Jesus is trying to encourage them by ensuring them that the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, will in some way guide them, or lead them like you would lead a small child by the hand, into understanding of what now eludes them.

We will finish this lesson with some comments on the meaning of “all the truth” and finish the verse in the next lesson. “All the truth” is like “all things” you encounter in various verse. It is critically important to understand the range of “all” as it relates to the context in which it is found. I regularly teach about context in My Faith Notes blog. The context at this point relates to Jesus preparing his disciples to establish the Christian church, which had its beginning at Pentecost. “All the truth” would then refer to what the disciples need to understand to teach and lead people in the process of establishing the church. This body of truth is revealed by the Holy Spirit, as needed, through those teaching and writing the New Testament. Looking at the first and second chapters of Acts, we find the disciples learned more in just a few days about the true nature of the Christian plan than they would have done in months or even years under the teaching of Jesus himself. This was the fulfilment of the promise Jesus was making to his disciples at this time.

Prayer

Father, I find this promise being fulfilled in my life. As I sit to write these lessons, I am learning about an important partnership. In prayer I seek the Lord’s mind and heart on what is to be said and ask that I will be guided by the Holy Spirit in writing down what he want said. I find this to be a learning process, but as I grow in this partnership, I believe my lessons improve and my readers benefit all to the glory of the Father. As I die to self and allow Jesus to live through me, I find this partnership of Jesus, the Spirit, and me to be a beautiful thing to the honor and glory of our Father. 

The Convicting Work of the Helper

Lesson #260

With this lesson, we come to John 16:8, which begins an English sentence that continues through verse 11. In this lesson we are to learn more about the Helper that is to be sent by the Father when Jesus returns to heaven. “And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:” (John 16:8 ESV). This work of conviction by the Helper is seen in Acts 2:37 ESV: “Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”” The Helper or Holy Spirit cannot be received by the world; only by believers (John 14:17), but is present in the world doing the work of convicting sinners of their need for a savior. As a believer, we are led by the Spirit in sharing the gospel, which the Spirit uses to bring conviction. He does not convict the whole world, but just those of his choosing. The more I study the Scriptures, the more convinced I am that the Father chooses those the Holy Spirit will convict of their need for salvation and they will respond as in Acts 2:37, above.

I find it interesting that the three things the Spirit will convict the world of are sin, righteousness, and judgment, and that these three words can be related to three persons. It was through Adam that sin entered the world, resulting in the need of salvation. It was through the death of Jesus on the cross that our salvation was secured and our righteousness provided, and through the resurrection of Jesus the penalty of ultimate judgment will fall upon Satan. It was those of the world, like the Pharisees that said, “Give glory to God. We know that this [Jesus] is a sinner.” (John 9:24). These Pharisees “trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt” (Luke 18:9). Their judgment against Jesus eventually hung him on the cross; they “killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead” (Acts 3:15). The Spirit was to “convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment”, which is lived out by the Pharisees as they were guilty of sin, thought they were the righteous ones, and judged the Author of life, sentencing him to death. As we consider the human race, from Adam to the Great White Throne, we see a race of sinners in need of redemption, who seek righteousness through good works, and end up being judged and left under the curse of God that was given to Adam in the garden.

How about you? Has your sin been covered by the blood of Jesus? Are you clothed in his righteousness? By faith has he taken your place and died in judgment for your sin? Has the Helper convicted you concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment, and how have you responded?

Prayer

Father, thank you for choosing me and sending the Holy Spirit to convict me of my sin and need to accept Jesus Christ as my Savior. Father, since my own righteousness was like filthy rags, I thank you that I am now clothed with the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Thank you that I no longer stand under judgment, condemned for my sin, but have been raised us up with him and seated with him in the heavenly places. Father, we need to sharpen our focus on this and walk in a manner worthy of our calling in Christ Jesus. 

Does Sorrow Fill Your Heart

Lesson #259

In our last lesson, Jesus made it very clear that he was leaving them and going back to his Father who sent him. It was also pointed out that the disciples probably were still not clear what he really meant by the statement “going to him who sent me”. Jesus then tells them: “But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart” (John 16:6 ESV). The Lord knew this was a difficult time for the disciples as there was so much yet to understand, fear and worry over all this talk about persecution and death has them worried, and the definite departure of Jesus leaving them alone with all the responsibility. In light of this I believe Jesus spoke to them out of tenderness and compassion, rather than in censure. Jesus knew how difficult it was for them to grasp the full meaning and significance of the events that were to unfold before them. It is no different for us today. Time and time again we face situations we don’t understand; times of great loss, or a great setback, or being forced to live in a way that is dangerous and very difficult. There are times when we find our hearts filled with great sorrow and we are not sure the outcome or what we should do.

Jesus says: “Nevertheless, 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 I go, I will send him to you” (John 16:7 ESV). In spite of how they feel and how hopeless it all seems, Jesus ensures them that he is telling them the truth, that it is to their advantage that he leave them and return to the Father. How is this to their advantage? Looking at verses like Matthew 20:19, Matthew 26:2, Mark 9:31, Mark 10:33, Luke 9:44, and Luke 18:32, we see that it is absolutely necessary that Jesus die for our salvation and rise again in victory over death. Here, Jesus speaks of the Helper, or Holy Spirit, that will not come to them unless he returns back to the Father.

A great mystery has been hidden through ages past that is about to be revealed, for “To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27 ESV). Jesus stood among them as one person, but when he leaves, the Holy Spirit will come to replace him by entering the lives of all believers. With Jesus God was with them, but when the Holy Spirit comes, God will dwell within each believer, “which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” This will be a life changing event that they will not understand until Pentecost occurs, but when it does they will go forth with great power to do the Lord’s work. There is much they have yet to experience before they will understand, just as there is much for us to experience before we can understand why some things happen to us or what God is doing in our lives.

Prayer

Father, it was at the end of 2014 that a friend in China called me and asked me about my faith. That call resulted in a series of lessons on the Christian faith, which are found at the beginning of this blog. After doing those it was decided to do a verse by verse study of John, which we are still working on. During this period of study, I find that I have gained a fresh understanding of my relationship with the Trinity. I am learning the importance of prayer, asking Jesus for his mind on the verses being covered, for the Spirit to communicate this to me and for him to draw readers to the lessons to read and then to learn, all to the glory of our Father. This partnership, tied together with prayer, is becoming so much more a reality in other areas of my life and helps me better understand those going through persecution. Father, thank you for how life changing this blog writing has been for me. I pray it is benefiting many readers also. 

We Need to Wake Up

Lesson #258

In the last lesson we learned that those who persecute us do so because they do not know the Father nor Jesus Christ, because if they did they would have a whole different view of life. Jesus now brings to an end his discussion about coming persecution with the following comment: “I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you” (John 16:4b ESV). When bringing up children there are things we don’t share with them until they are ready or its time to do so. The same was true with the disciples. At first they needed to learn about who Jesus was and his purpose for coming and then as he got closer to the cross, it was time to begin to share the suffering he was to endure and once that began to take hold, it was time to inform them that they would also suffer. This kind of teaching should be taught to Christians in America so that we would know how to pray for and help our brothers and sisters who are suffering from persecution in various parts of the world. We need to learn from them and how various Scripture verses apply under persecution and how to live them out. I believe the pre-tribulation rapture position tends to discourage this need to prepare for persecution here in the west. If those who proclaim this position are wrong, it will be with great shame that they will have to stand before their congregations and ask for forgiveness for not preparing them for the suffering that our brothers and sisters are already experiencing. Look at the seals and compare what you read with what is happening in parts of the world already. The only difference is that the seals declare the persecution to be worldwide, which would include the western Christian. Jesus foretold his suffering and the suffering for those who follow him. That may soon include us here in the west.

Time is drawing close to Jesus leaving the disciples. He says: “But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ (John 16:5 ESV). These words seem to belong with John 16:4, and gives the reason why he shared those things with them; the reason is, he is going to leave them and return to his Father who sent him. With Jesus gone, the disciples would be responsible for the work Jesus started and would thus become the targets of persecution.

In John 13:36 (ESV) “Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward.”” At that time Peter had no idea that Jesus meant he was going to leave this world and return to his Father in heaven. He thought Jesus meant he was going to a different country. In John 14:2 (ESV) Jesus said, “In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?”, but they didn’t seem to understand that either. I am sure they will not understand this until after the ascension.

Prayer

Father, it is clear, from the growing intensity of spiritual warfare, that the end is drawing near. Frontlines are intensifying in many countries, with many being wounded and many causalities among those who stand firm in the face of persecution in defense of their faith in Jesus. To be effective, frontlines require strong supply lines and that is where the resources of the west should be used, but on the most part we have ignored the frontline need and spent the resources on ourselves. We go about life ignoring those who are dying for their faith, leaving behind loved ones who need our help. We don’t know what they are experiencing so we don’t know how to pray or help. Father, in fact, I don’t think very many care. When persecution comes to us there won’t be anyone around to help us. Father, we really need to wake up before it is too late. 

They Do Not Understand

Lesson #257

In the last lesson, Jesus reminds the disciples again about persecution they will experience. He is concerned about them “falling away” after he leaves and they begin to transfer their hate for him over to them. He wants them to be prepared to be mistreated by those who think they are doing God a service by even killing them. This warning is for us also, because there is a growing belief that Christians stand against what they think is best for the world. They believe we are a hindrance to social advancements and thus our influence needs to be reduced. The question is, “Why do they think they are doing God’s will and persecute us who identify with Jesus?”

“And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me” (John 16:3 ESV). These things include putting them out of the synagogues and even taking their lives; they were doing this because they did not know the Father or Jesus. These Jews boast of their knowledge of God, but they demonstrate by their words and their actions that they do not know God as the Father and sender of Jesus Christ and he as the true Messiah. Since they did not know the Father or Jesus Christ, it is no wonder that they would mistreat the disciples of Jesus. Their zeal was not according to knowledge, it was a blind and misguided one based on their own misconceptions. We see this zeal exhibited today by radical Islamic terrorist who believe they know the truth and are willing to do all that is in their power to eliminate those who disagree with them. Neither they or the Jews are out of the reach of mercy, because they are acting ignorantly in unbelief. This is why it is so important for us to turn justice over to God, freeing us to love and forgive those who mistreat us. This unnatural witness of love and forgiveness has softened the stone hard hearts of terrorist, drawing them to salvation in Jesus Christ.

Jesus continues by saying: “But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you” (John 16:4a ESV). Jesus knows what his disciples will experience and he warns them of what to expect and when the hour comes when wicked men rise against them they will not be surprised and fall away from following him. This persecution is common in many countries and may soon be experienced to some degree here in the west. We need to heed this warning that we may soon face persecution and be prepared by understanding how to stand our ground with Jesus. We have much to learn from our brothers and sisters who suffer under persecution. We must wake up and be prepared, even if some of us older ones don’t live long enough to see it. At 80 years of age, I may not live long enough to experience such persecution, but I have a responsibility, as long as I have my health, to learn from the Scriptures and from those who are suffering and pass on what I learn to my readers so they will understand and take steps to be prepared.

Prayer

Father, such joy and excitement fills my heart as I study the word and prepare these lessons. It is also with great joy and anticipation as I post these lessons and watch the growing number of readers from a growing number of countries. Father, this is not about counts, but about more people being fed from the word. My constant prayer for my readers is that their lives would benefit from the word and that it would not return void, but would accomplish in their hearts and lives what you intend. Father, bless my readers, protect them, encourage and strengthen them when needed, and fill their hearts with your love. As my brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, I love them and pray for them.