March 16, 2025
Morning Service

As we enter Chapter 16 of our study of John, Jesus continues to prepare the disciples for a major change in life as they know it.  He has prepared them so far by comforting them with His promises and emphasized to them to “Believe in Me!”  He has revealed to them the promise of the coming of the Holy Spirit that will help, comfort, and guide them in the future.  He even warned them to be ready for those of the world to hate them as He was hated by them.  Today is His final words directed towards them before He prays for them and then is immediately arrested.  He starts today reasoning with them about why He is revealing all of this to them.

Joh 16:1-4 "These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to stumble.  (2)  They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service.  (3)  And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me.  (4)  But these things I have told you, that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them. "And these things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you.

            Most of the prophecy of what was about to happen to Him and to the disciples went right over their heads in this moment.  But, Jesus knows that in the future when everything He has told them comes true, they will remember that He had already revealed to them exactly as it was about to happen.  This will build their faith even stronger, making it harder for them to stumble and give them a solid foundation to stand upon when the many trials come their way.  The same should be true with us.  Always remember what God has done for you and know that He will be with you and finish what He has started.  He now again emphasizes the coming of our Helper, the Holy Spirit.

 

Joh 16:5-15 "But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, 'Where are You going?'  (6)  But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.  (7)  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 depart, I will send Him to you.  (8)  And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: (9) of sin, because they do not believe in Me; (10) of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; (11) of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.  (12)  "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.  (13)  However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.  (14)  He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.  (15)  All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore, I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.

            Jesus realizes that the news of this change that is coming to these men is bringing sorrow to their hearts.  They don’t want a change; they like it just how it is right now (ever have that feeling?).   Jesus reassures them that “it is to your advantage that I go away” in that the Holy Spirit will come upon them and empower them to an even greater level.\

  He then shows us more about the Spirit’s working in that He will “Convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgment.”  Convict means to “convince, expose the facts, refute or cross examine.”  The Spirit living in us will convict of these things from an internal perspective of ourselves not as an external set of rules like the Law of Moses.   The Holy Spirit will convince us to admit and own up to our own sinfulness and push us to a time of repentance.  He will reveal to us the high standard of God’s righteousness and challenge us to seek to imitate Him.  Finally, He will demonstrate Jesus’ authority in His ultimate judgment of all that is evil; the reality that God has the final word.  These three convictions together can give us the motivation to follow Jesus faithfully. Jesus promises us that the Spirit will guide us to the truth, speaking only the Words of God, glorify Him, and take all that is His and declare it to us.  The Spirit is our direct connection to God.  It is through Him that we grow in our faith and are empowered to do far more than we are capable of ourselves.  Jesus now returns to the change coming.

 

 

 

 

 

John 16:19-24 Now Jesus knew that they desired to ask Him, and He said to them, "Are you inquiring among yourselves about what I said, 'A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me'?  (20)  Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy.  (21)  A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.  (22)  Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.  (23)  "And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My Name He will give you.  (24)  Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

            Literally in just a matter of hours Jesus will be nailed to a cross and give up His life there.  The world will rejoice, but the disciples will be “weep and lament” the loss of their leader and friend.  But as Jesus tells them it will be as a mother giving birth as the pain will quickly be dispelled when they see Him once more alive and well.  Truly their sorrow will be turned into joy; joy unspeakable and full of glory!  Just as their sorrow turned to joy, so will ours one day when Jesus returns as He promised and our faith will become sight.  This hope should lie so strongly upon us that we can live in the joy of His presence in this lifetime believing Jesus’ promise; “I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am there you may be also.”  Notice in verse 22, Jesus tells us that this “joy no one will take from you!”  Also notice that once Jesus leaves this world and sits down next to His Father, that makes each of priests with a direct line to Him to make intercession for us with the Father (Heb. 7:25).  Jesus continues that thought.

 

Joh 16:25-33 "These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; but the time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but I will tell you plainly about the Father.  (26)  In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you; (27) for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God.  (28)  I came forth from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world and go to the Father."  (29)  His disciples said to Him, "See, now You are speaking plainly, and using no figure of speech!  (30)  Now we are sure that You know all things, and have no need that anyone should question You. By this we believe that You came forth from God."  (31)  Jesus answered them, "Do you now believe?  (32)  Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.  (33)  These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

            Jesus again tells them that unwanted changes are coming upon them quickly.  The hour of chaos was coming upon them soon and Jesus would be betrayed, arrested, judged, tortured, crucified, and rise again.  He again reminds that these words of prophecy are for their peace as when it all happens, they will remember and truly believe.  He ends this teaching with another unpopular promise but with a twist of hope with it.  He promises that it is not IF tribulation comes, but WHEN it does.  Jesus is very transparent in that He is not calling us to a “health and wealth” way of life, but one is which we will have tribulation and suffering for His sake.  The second part of the promise though is much more powerful.  Though they (we) will be called to endure tribulation from this world, “be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.!”  In each of our lives we are facing changes, trials, and perhaps even persecutions.  The path Jesus leads us down may not be the one we would have ever chosen to walk, but here we are. Take His words to heart this morning and know whatever difficult path you are facing right now, it will end with you overcoming it all through Jesus our Lord and Savior.  He has won the war for us, we must just continue to battle, be faithful, and believe in Him until we to are overcomers and enter into a place where there is “joy unspeakable and full of glory!”

 

Heavenly Father, we come to you this morning with many of us being weary of our travels through this life.  We come asking for a refreshing from you to renew our joy and enlarge our peace that we find in You.  Grant us an undeniable faith that you are with us and in total control of all things.