Written ~ 04-25-2024
Read John Chapter Sixteen
John 16
Chapter sixteen is a continued conversation that Jesus is having with His disciples, we can go back and read chapters 13, 14 and 15 to bring us to John 16:1…
“I have told you these things so that you won’t abandon your faith.”
What things? In chapter 13, Jesus has shown them by example to be servants to one another. In chapter 14, Jesus is asking them to trust in Him, to trust the Father in Heaven, and when they need help the Holy Spirit will be given to them for guidance. Then in chapter 15, He is confirming His love for them, plus giving them a warning of the persecution they will have to endure.
Jesus goes on to say…
John 16:2-4…
2 “For you will be expelled from the synagogues, and the time is coming when those who kill you will think they are doing a holy service for God.
3 This is because they have never known the Father or Me.
4 Yes, I’m telling you these things now, so that when they happen, you will remember my warning. I didn’t tell you earlier because I was going to be with you for a while longer.”
This message seems a little bleak, but it was vitally important for Jesus to convey to His followers just how crucial everything He was teaching them would need to be put into action when He was gone. The moment of His betrayal was drawing near and time was of the essence now for Jesus to make sure His disciples understood what He was saying to them. In every Gospel (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) you will read about the confusion the disciples had with the things Jesus would say. They studied with Him, they walked with Him, they witnessed incredible things, but even now in John chapter 16 Jesus needs to make sure they understand what He is telling them. John 2:22 says, “After He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered He had said this, and they believed both the Scriptures and what Jesus had said.” There were many times that during Jesus’ teachings their understanding was not clear. It wasn’t until Jesus died and rose again that they remembered everything Jesus had taught them. That’s why He says in John 16:1, “I have told you these things so that you won’t abandon you faith.”
This is why we study the Scriptures, so it can bring understanding, so when this world and all its trickery tries to get the better of us, we won’t abandon our faith. No matter what is thrown our way, we stand firm in the truth of the Word of God.
Jesus was letting His disciples know that soon He would be going back to the Father. It may have been something that was extremely difficult for them to hear, but it was time now for them to step up and accept what Jesus was telling them.
Let’s continue to read the words of Jesus…
John 16:5-7…
5 “But now I am going away to the One who sent Me, and not one of you is asking where I am going.
6 Instead, you grieve because of what I’ve told you.
7 But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate (the Holy Spirit) won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send Him to you.”
When Jesus went back to the Father, He sent the Holy Spirit to dwell inside us, this happens when we become believers and followers of Jesus Christ. We understand this fact maybe a lot more than the disciples did. The disciples couldn’t understand that anything would be better than having Jesus right there alongside them as their Master and Teacher.
What happens when the Holy Spirit comes into the world? Look at what Jesus says about Him in verses 16:8-9 and 13b-15…
8 “And when He comes, He will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgement. 9 The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in Me. 13b He will not speak on His own but will tell you what He has heard. He will tell you about the future. 14 He will bring Me glory by telling you whatever He receives from Me. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine; that is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever He receives from Me.’”
Besides the guidance we receive from the Holy Spirit, one of His main roles is to convict the world of its sin. No one can escape the judgement that is coming, but when you have Jesus as your Lord and Savior He stands as the mediator and proclaims we are His. Verse 16:9 plainly says, “The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in Jesus.”
Verse 16:12-13a says… “There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now. When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth…”
In their grief and their lack of understanding… Jesus says in verses 16:22-24…
22 “So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again; then you will rejoice, and no one can rob you of that joy.
23 At that time you won’t need to ask Me for anything. I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and He will grant your request because you use My Name.
24 You haven’t done this before. Ask, using My Name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy.”
These verses are the hope every Christian. We will see the Lord again! We may suffer for a while and we will go through trials and tribulations, but Jesus is coming back again! We also have the promise that when we “Ask, using the Name of the Lord, we will receive, AND we will have abundant joy!” We have so much to cling to when we put our trust in the Lord. Even though at times it may seem like He is far away, don’t believe it! Because He is right there, He is a breath away.
Let’s finish up this chapter with these final verses…
John 16:29-33…
29 Then His disciples said, “At last you are speaking plainly and not figuratively. 30 Now we understand that You know everything, and there’s no need to question You. From this we believe that You came from God.”
31 Jesus asked, “Do you finally believe? 32 But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when you will be scattered, each one going his own way, leaving Me alone. Yet I am not alone because the Father is with Me. 33 I have told you all this so that you may have peace in Me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”
I don’t know about you, but when I read those words from Jesus, all I imagine is the love in His eyes. He does not want our hearts to be filled with sorrow, He doesn’t want us to feel alone in our trials. What He does want, is for us to share in His glory, to spread the gospel message and use the Holy Spirit’s help to live a life full of joy no matter our circumstances. If our minds are filled with the lack of clarity like that of the disciples, let’s be reminded that the Advocate is here to infuse our confused minds with truth and guidance, He will speak to our hearts and minds with the words of Jesus.
“…Take heart, because I have overcome the world…”
Don’t you just love that promise!
No matter what we face, no matter the persecution from the unbelieving world or the trials that come our way… we have the absolute assurance that Jesus our Lord and Savior has overcome the world and He will be back to take us home!
So here is a question, straight from the mouth of Jesus, John 16:31…
“Jesus asked, ‘Do you finally believe?”
My prayer is that each of us would ask ourselves that question.
Do we believe in everything Jesus did and said while He walked here on the earth? Do we believe He is the Son of God? Do we believe He died on the cross, and paid in full, the entire debt for the penalty of our sins? Do we believe He stayed in that grave for three days but on the third day rose again, alive, and glorified? Do we believe He is now seated at the Right Hand of God? Do we believe that one day He will come again and bring us all back to Heaven to live with Him for all eternity?
The Holy Spirit is the one who helps us answer all those questions with a resounding, YES!
Let’s end here with these words of Jesus from John 20:29…
“Then Jesus told him, ‘You believe because you have seen Me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing Me.’”
Be blessed, my dear ones that you believe even without seeing Jesus here on earth. Be blessed for believing even without witnessing His marvelous works with your own eyes. Yes, we are blessed for believing in Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God.
~AMEN~