John 16 (NIV)
1 “All this I have told you so that you will not go astray. 2They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God. 3They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. 4I have told you this, so that when the time comes you will remember that I warned you. I did not tell you this at first because I was with you.
The Work of the Holy Spirit
5″Now I am going to him who sent me, yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6Because I have said these things, you are filled with grief. 7But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: 9in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; 10in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. 12″I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. 15All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.
16″In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.”
The Disciples’ Grief Will Turn to Joy
17Some of his disciples said to one another, “What does he mean by saying, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me,’ and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?” 18They kept asking, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand what he is saying.” 19Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about this, so he said to them, “Are you asking one another what I meant when I said, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me’? 20I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. 21A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. 22So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. 23In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 24Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.
25″Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father. 26In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. 27No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. 28I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”
29Then Jesus’ disciples said, “Now you are speaking clearly and without figures of speech. 30Now we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God.”
31″You believe at last!” Jesus answered. 32″But a time is coming, and has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.
33″I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
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November 29th, 2007 at 6:02 am
Even with our historical perspective, it is hard to know exactly what Jesus is talking about at times. What it must have been like at the time! But, His last statement here, ″I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” motivates me to dig deeper and to invest the time to write His words on the walls of my heart. The world gives trouble…but Jesus is offering peace. It’s good to know Him. It is good to want to know Him more.
November 29th, 2007 at 7:28 am
I have been trying to imagine this morning what it would have felt like to have been there when these words were spoken. They are challenging, confusing, encouraging. The disciples were falling away, getting it, questioning, believing.
Where are you at today? Where is your heart?
November 29th, 2007 at 8:20 am
“But take heart! I have overcome the world” These words Jesus gave us help so much. No matter what you are up against in the world; whether it be from an internal or external source, Jesus has already overcome it. There is no question about how it will turn out. Jesus has your back!
I have to admit that I appreciate the disciples’ concern with Jesus’ timeline, though. What is a ‘little while’ and yet another ‘little while’. I’m always asking that but can never know. It’s really enough to remember that the outcome is certain. The timing is almost always a suprise!
November 29th, 2007 at 9:14 am
Great stuff Debbie and Mary. I want it all solved right now. He is so patient and faithful.