Lesson 19  John 16

 

 

    Jesus finishes his farewell address before going on to pray for  the disciples in chapter 17. Much of what he says is a review, but gains emphasis as these become the final words he gives to the disciples. There are four themes: the fourth and fifth promise of the Spirit, “in a little while,” and in the world you will have trouble. Chapter 16 starts out as a finish to chapter 15. Jesus says, “All this I have told you so that you will not go astray.” Jesus is mapping out for the disciples what life is going to look like and no matter what events unfold, Jesus is in control and they are not to look elsewhere for the Messiah.

 

   The fourth promise of the Spirit moves into the attack mode. The Spirit, as the Voice of truth will convict the world. At this point, the disciples are no longer asking anything, they are consumed with grief. They should be asking why are you going? Jesus wants to them to know that the point of his going is the goal of his glorification and returning to the Father’s presence. In fact it is to their advantage that Jesus departs, so that the Counselor may come to them. It appears that Jesus’ presence on earth is mutually exclusive of the Spirit on earth. The Spirit is released in a new way when Jesus returns to the Father. The Spirit now becomes the prosecutor, convicting the world in regard to sin, righteousness, and judgment. John has continually presented Jesus as doing a sign, teaching a discourse on the spiritual truth involved and the defending his actions/words. Now the Spirit comes and declares that the trial is actually going the other way.

 

    The world has clearly already conducted its trial of Jesus and has found him guilty and deserving of death. The Spirit, whom the world can not know because it does not know or love God, now reveals to the world the real nature of sin, righteousness and judgment. The Spirit in the final moments of the trial exposes the world’s fatal errors. The verdict comes in with the heavenly authority pronouncing the world guilty with the death penalty in place. The Spirit will do his work of revealing truth and convicting the world through Christ’s body on earth-the church. The Spirit gives the disciples confidence as they clash with the world systems. The world judged Jesus as unrighteous, but his death on the cross became his glorification, turning all upside down. As the world rejoiced that Jesus was gone, Jesus was enthroned with the Father. Also the prince of this world, will now be judged and condemned.  

 

    “The presupposition of the convicting work of the Holy Spirit is a courageous belief in the spiritual, moral, and intellectual bankruptcy of the world. The problem with most of us is that we have adapted to the world so successfully that we no longer truly believe that its systems of belief, life, and thought are wrong.” Gary Burge

 

    Therefore the work of the Spirit in the church is to be a voice that holds an honest assessment of the world. It is to be a gyroscope, keeping the truth of Jesus at the core. We are to be alert, empowered by the Spirit to identify and denounce that which in our generation and culture is perpendicular to the truth and purpose of God.

 

   The fifth promise of the Spirit is that of truth and revelation. John understands revelation to mean 1) a historical remembering of Jesus’ words and actions, recalled accurately by the Spirit and 2) on going illumination. This idea of on going prophecy or new information has been controversial and terribly abused.  Jesus said, “I have much more to say to you.” It is the Spirit who is continuing the teaching and conversation that was interrupted when Jesus returned to the Father. There is a tremendous limitation on what the Spirit says. The Spirit does not speak on his own initiative, but only what he receives from Jesus and the Father. The Spirit will always glorify Jesus. False prophets were abundant in the early days of the church, as they are now. John, himself designs the test for a person or a spirit in 1 John 4:1. An example of new information was the entrance of Gentiles into the church. Other issues that the church needed clarified-marriage with unbelievers, circumcision, marriage at all, whether to work and the eating of all kinds of animals. There continues to be more that the Spirit needs to teach us. The Spirit in the last years of John’s life gave a traditional prophecy of things yet to come in the book of Revelation. It is the Spirit that empowers the church to become the fullness of Christ in the world.

 

 

    Jesus says “in a little while” seven times. Jesus is giving them perspective on what is about to happen, so that they will not be overwhelmed. They are still struggling with what Jesus is talking about. Jesus will be gone because he is with the Father and then he will return to be with them conquering death once for all. They will have grief while the world is full of good cheer. But it will be an upset and joy will belong to the disciples. Jesus refers to a woman in labor and the pain involved bringing a child into the world, but the joy of that child is far greater than the pain. Is. 26:16-31 brings together “a little while” and the picture of a woman in labor. This isn’t an accidental separation and reunion. This is going to be the glorification of Jesus on the cross and the resurrection on Easter morning. This combination of “a little while” will change the universe.

 

    We are now to pray asking for things in Jesus’ name that our joy may be complete. This is another command that creates confusion and even frustration with God. We don’t always get our idea of what the answer should look like. We get yes, no, or wait. We may get an old grudge healed instead of the cold we were asking for healing. We pray for salvation for loved ones-certainly that is in line with God’s will and they remain unbelievers. Young mothers die of cancer, sons or daughters die in car accidents, a father gets ALS. I can’t comprehend the mind of God, but I know we are commanded to pray in Jesus’ name. I will continue to do that trusting in the sovereignty and vast love of God.

 

 

    Now come the words that are definitely in our experience. In the world you will have trouble. I had to get over the idea that a flat tire was not a personal insult by the universe, flat tires are a common experience. I had the stomach flu last week-people get the stomach flu. My son, Chris, had his bike stolen at U of A last week, not a unique situation. My daughter locked herself out of her car and had to pay AAA $50, because she has called them so much. Then there are leaf cutter ants, not to mention leaf cutting bees. And I really don’t like getting bit by a scorpion. We are not living in paradise where perfection and love are the order of the day. We are living in a fallen system and things go wrong. How do we continue to live in such a time and place? It is in Jesus that we live. He has overcome the world and he lives in us. It is through his Spirit that he gives us his peace and rest while all around us is in turmoil.

 

    “One sort of peace means the absence of all enemies; the other is freedom from anxiety while struggling with the enemies. Who could not be at peace when there is no trouble?” Gary Burge

 

    It is important to realize that peace and trouble exist together. John tells us that this world has genuine hostility toward the things of God and certainly to the person of God. We are to be discouraged by such treatment, but to rest in the full extent of God’s love.