John - Chapter 16: Jesus Guaranteed Guidance
JOHN 16:1-15
Application: The student will be assured that no matter what troubles he may face, God will guide and empower him to face them.
IN TODAY'S LESSON WE BEGIN THE NEXT PHASE OF THE UNFOLDING OF THE LORD'S ETERNAL PLAN FOR HIS CREATION, HIS PEOPLE, AND FOR HOW HE INTENDS TO PROVIDE HIS LOVING CARE.
HERE TODAY WE SEE ONE OF THE TWO THINGS THAT MAKE CHRISTIANITY DIFFERENT FROM ALL OTHER FAITHS:
WE SERVE A RISEN LORD, NOT A DEAD ONE.
WE HAVE THE LORD HIMSELF DWELLING WITHIN US.
THIS NEW PROMISE MADE BY JESUS WAS A MOST DIFFICULT ONE FOR THE DISCIPLES TO ACCEPT.
IT WAS A NEW AND STRANGE CONCEPT FOR WHICH THEY WERE NOT YET PREPARED.
NOW TODAY, JESUS MAKES THE PREPARATIONS FOR THEM TO BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND THE NEW RELATION GOD HAD ARRANGED.
IN VERSES 1-4 JESUS BEGINS HIS TEACHING BY GIVING THE REASON FOR HIS WARNING TO HIS OWN DISCIPLES, NOW SOON TO BE CHANGED INTO APOSTLES (THOSE SENT).
HE TELLS THEM OF CERTAIN PERSECUTION TO COME TO THEM.
AS WE VIEW THIS WARNING WITH OUR PERFECT HINDSIGHT WE KNOW THAT ALL OF THEM EXCEPT JOHN WERE SLAIN FOR TESTIMONY & PREACHING & TEACHING.
BUT AT THIS MOMENT, THESE MEN DID NOT HAVE THE BENEFIT OF THE KNOWLEDGE WE NOW HAVE.
SO THEY WERE MUCH CONCERNED.
SINCE THE LORD DID NOT WANT THEM TO STUMBLE, HE PROVIDES CERTAIN INFORMATION FOR THEIR UNDERSTANDING.
THEY WILL BE SHUNNED FROM THE SYNAGOGUES.
WHOEVER KILLS THEM WILL FEEL SURE HE IS DOING A SERVICE TO GOD.
WE RECALL THAT THIS IS EXACTLY THE ATTITUDE SAUL, LATER PAUL, SHOWED.
HE FELT HE WAS CLEANSING THE FAITH BY PERSECUTING AND KILLING THOSE WHO WERE FOLLOWERS OF JESUS CHRIST.
HE STOOD BY THE STONING OF STEPHEN AND APPROVED IT.
JESUS TEACHES THAT THESE ACTIONS WILL BE TAKEN BECAUSE THOSE WHO PERSECUTE THEM HAVE NOT KNOWN EITHER THE FATHER NOR HIMSELF.
HE IS TELLING THESE THINGS NOW TO HELP THEM WITH THEIR UNDERSTANDING AND HE DID NOT TEACH THEM BEFORE BECAUSE HE WAS PHYSICALLY WITH THEM. NOW HE IS LEAVING PHYSICALLY BUT WILL REMAIN WITH THEM IN SPIRIT & GUIDANCE.
WE SHOULD REMEMBER THAT NOT ONLY HAVE FOLLOWERS OF JESUS BEEN PERSECUTED BY OTHER RELIGIONS, BUT ALSO BY OTHER CHRISTIANS SUCH AS THE ROMAN CHURCH FOR CENTURIES.
IN VERSES 5-7 JESUS EXPLAINS THE BENEFITS TO THEM OF HIS DEPARTURE.
HE IS GOING BACK TO THE ONE WHO SENT HIM.
THERE WERE SOME QUESTIONS TO HIM BEFORE AS TO WHERE HE WAS GOING (PETER IN 13:36) BUT THESE WERE IN THE THOUGHT OF WHERE PHYSICALLY WAS JESUS GOING, AND NO ONE HAD ASKED HIM WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THEM WHEN HE IS GONE.
NOW HE PERCEIVES THAT HIS TEACHING HAS BROUGHT SORROW TO THEIR HEARTS.
TO THEM THE MOMENT WAS DARK BUT HE WANTS THEM TO UNDERSTAND THEIR FUTURE IS BRIGHTER BECAUSE HE IS LEAVING.
HIS LEAVING IS THE NEXT STEP IN THEM GROWING AS TRUE APOSTLES WHO WILL THEN TEACH OTHERS.
BUT THE NEW ARRANGEMENT IS ONLY A TRANSFORMATION OF HIS PRESENCE FROM ONE THAT IS PHYSICAL TO ONE THAT IS SPIRITUAL.
IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT FOR THE DISCIPLES TO BELIEVE, BUT JESUS IS ACTUALLY TEACHING THEM THAT IT IS BETTER FOR THEM IF HE DEPARTS.
HE SAYS IT IS EXPEDIENT (MEANING BETTER) FOR THEM IF HE LEAVES, TEACHING THAT IT IS TO THEIR ADVANTAGE.
THEY MUST HAVE THOUGHT “HOW CAN THIS BE?”
AS EVENTS UNFOLDED IN THE NEXT HOURS, IT BECAME EVEN MORE DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO ACCEPT AND BELIEVE THIS TEACHING.
WAS IT BETTER FOR THEM:
THAT JESUS WAS ARRESTED?
THAT HIS TEACHING & MIRACLES ENDED?
THAT HE WAS PHYSICALLY BEATEN?
THAT HE WAS PUBLICLY MOCKED?
THAT HE WAS SENTENCED TO BE EXECUTED?
THAT HE WAS NAILED TO A CROSS IN HUMILIATION?
THAT HE DIES IN THE COMPANY OF COMMON THIEVES?
THAT HIS DEAD BODY WAS SENT TO THE GRAVE?
BUT JESUS USES A STRONG WORD TO PRESS HIS TEACHING WHICH IS NEVERTHELESS.
HE SAYS THAT IN SPITE OF ALL THESE THINGS THAT ARE SOON TO BE IS STILL IS BETTER FOR THEM THAT HE LEAVES.
HE PRESSES THE TEACHING EVEN MORE BY ASSURING THEM HIS WORDS ARE A GREAT TRUTH FOR THEM AND WERE POSITIVE FOR THEM EVEN THOUGH HE KNEW THEY WERE FILLED WITH SORROW.
THE WITHDRAWAL OF THE BODILY PRESENCE OF JESUS WAS THE ESSENTIAL CONDITION OF HIS SPIRITUAL PRESENCE, WHICH WOULD SOON BE KNOWN TO INHABIT NOT ONLY THEM BUT EVERY BELIEVER TO COME.
NOW JESUS WOULD BE NOT ONLY WITH THESE ELEVEN, BUT WOULD FOREVER BE WITH ALL BELIEVERS AT THE SAME TIME.
SO THE ADVANTAGE FOR THEM WAS THAT THEY WILL NOT BE SPREADING CHRIST PHYSICALLY, BUT MUCH MORE IMPORTANTLY SPIRITUALLY.
PAUL WRITES OF THIS VERY MOMENT IN 2ND COR 5:16 :
“... even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer...'
BEFORE JESUS LEFT, THE DISCIPLES WERE CONFUSED, THICK HEADED, AFRAID, SELFISH AND SELF-CENTERED.
AFTER JESUS LEFT AND THE COMFORTER HAD COME, THEY BECAME WISE, SURRENDERED, AND BOLD AND GIVING.
TRULY IT WAS TO THEIR BENEFIT THAT THIS CHANGE OCCURED.
NOW IN VERSES 8-11 JESUS OUTLINES THE WORK OF THE COMFORTER, THE HOLY SPIRIT, THAT IS COMING.
HE WILL:
CONVICT THE WORLD OF SIN
HE WILL CONVICT THE WORLD OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
HE WILL CONVICT THE WORLD OF JUDGMENT
SIN IS THE TRUTH ABOUT MAN, RIGHTEOUSNESS IS THE TRUTH ABOUT GOD, AND JUDGEMENT IS THE SURE COMBINATION OF BOTH.
THE SPIRIT DOES NOT ONLY ACCUSE MEN OF SIN, HE BRINGS A SENSE OF GUILT THAT CANNOT BE ESCAPED SO MEN REALIZE THEIR SHAME AND HELPLESSNESS BEFORE GOD.
JESUS REVEALS THE WORST DEPTH OF THE SIN OF MAN WHICH IS UNBELIEF IN THE MESSIAH SENT BY THE FATHER TO SAVE SOULS.
IT IS A TOTAL REJECTION OF THE ETERNAL HOLY PLAN OF GOD.
JESUS IS FULFILLING THE ETERNAL PLAN AND IS GOING TO SIT AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE FATHER TO BE OUR MEDIATOR FOREVER FROM THIS TIME ONWARD.
THIS IS HOW THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL CONVICT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, WHICH HAS BEEN REVEALED TO THE WORLD IN THE INCARNATION OF THE LORD IN THE LIKENESS OF OUR FLESH.
THE SPIRIT WILL CONVICT OF JUDGMENT BECAUSE THE RULER OF THIS WORLD IS TO BE JUDGED BY THE ATONING DEATH OF THE LORD, WHICH WILL CONQUER SATAN, HELL, DEATH, AND THE GRAVE.
NOTICE HERE THAT JESUS HIMSELF ACKNOWLEDGES THAT SATAN IS THE RULER OF THIS WORLD AND THAT A FINAL RECKONING IS COMING TO THIS REBELLIOUS CREATURE WHO HAS SPREAD EVIL.
BUT SATAN HAS BEEN THE SERVANT OF GOD EVERY DAY SINCE HE HIMSELF FELL WITH ONE THIRD OF THE ANGELS.
HE HAS NEVER BEEN ABLE TO DO ANYTHING THAT GOD DOES NOT EITHER COMMAND OR APPROVE. (JOB ONE & TWO IS OUR PROOF)
NORMALLY CONVICTION IS FOLLOWED BY JUDGMENT AND THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL PROVIDE AN “IN BETWEEN” STEP WHICH IS TO REVEAL RIGHTEOUSNESS WHICH WILL SATISFY THE JUDGMENT OF THE CONVICTED SINNER WHICH IS US.
THE RULER OF THIS WORLD IS JUDGED AND ANY WHO CLING TO HIM BY REJECTING THE SAVIOR OF GOD WILL SUFFER AN IDENTICAL FATE THAT HE WILL HAVE IN THE LAKE OF FIRE.
NOW IN VERSES 12-15 JESUS BRINGS FORTH THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AMONG THE DISCIPLES.
I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT YOU CANNOT BEAR THEM NOW.
WHEN THE SPIRIT ARRIVES HE WILL GUIDE YOU INTO ALL TRUTH.
HE WILL NOT SPEAK ON HIS OWN AUTHORITY.
HE WILL TELL YOU THINGS TO COME.
HE WILL GLORIFY ME FOR HE WILL TAKE CARE OF WHAT IS MINE AND WILL DECLARE IT TO YOU.
ALL THINGS THE FATHER HAS ARE MINE.
HERE WE SEE AGAIN THE WORK OF CHANGE IN THE WORLD IS THE WORK OF ALL THREE PERSONS OF THE GODHEAD.
THE MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IS TO REVEAL JESUS TO US, TO BEAR TESTIMONY OF JESUS AND ALL HE DOES IS IN SERVICE TO THIS EFFORT TO SAVE THOSE WHO ARE LOST.
AND IN VERSES 19-22 JESUS WILL TEACH THAT ALL SORROW FELT BY THE DISCIPLES WILL BE TURNED TO JOY.
HE TELLS THEM THEY WILL SEE HIM AGAIN AND WHEN THEY DO, THEIR HEART WILL REJOICE.
AND IN VERSES 23-27 JESUS WILL TEACH OF EVEN GREATER JOY TO COME UPON THEM REGARDING THEIR GREATER ACCESS TO GOD THROUGH THE SPIRIT AFTER HE DEPARTS.
ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST, TOUGUES OF FIRE PROVED HIS TEACHING TO BE TRUE.
