Gospel of St. John

Warning – 16:1-11

At the end of the last chapter, Jesus spoke encouragingly of the Comforter.  Here he will return to warning them of the challenges to come.  They have been promised happiness and joy but only in a spiritual nature and in the world to come.

“These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended.  They shall put you out of the synagogues:  yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.  And these things will they do unto you, because they have not know the Father, nor me.  But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them.  And these things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you.”  Jesus explains that he is giving them such dreadful news to forewarn them against the coming persecution.  They will be put out of the synagogues, as was the blind man Jesus healed, because he would not deny Jesus’ divinity.  This is a significant offense.  They were not only cut off from their place of public worship;  they were shunned.  They would become outcasts in lasting disgrace and perpetual danger.  Being excommunicated often preceded death because the excommunicated were considered sub-human.

Then they are told they will be killed by those who think they are doing God a service.  These things will be done to them because the perpetrators are not acquainted with the Father or the Son.  Then Jesus gives them another reason for bringing such bad news to their attention.  When these things happen, they will remember that Jesus told them what to expect.  Such remembrance will increase their faith in Him and encourage them to depend on His promises.  If the evil things come to pass as He predicted;  they can expect the good things He promised as well.  Finally, Jesus explains why he had not told them these things before.  The full revelation was more than they could bear until they had grown in the faith learned to depend on His promises.

 “But now I go my way to him that sent me;  and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou?  But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart.  Nevertheless I tell you the truth;  It is expedient for you that I go away:  for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you;  but if I depart, I send him unto you.  And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:  Of sin, because they believe not on me;  Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;  Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.”  Jesus is saying, “I know you are saddened by the prospect of my departure;  however, there is a need for me to go.”  The promised Comforter was not going to come to them until Christ left.  The Holy Spirit was to come with “saving” influence.  That could not be achieved until the sacrifice for our sins had been completed.  It was not just necessary that Jesus leave the scene.  He must die to complete the Atonement.  Any change to that scenario would leave them stranded with the Jews under the Law of Moses.

The Comforter will reprove the world of three things.  This does not refer to the work of the Holy Spirit but to the result of the Holy Spirit’s influence.  The world will be rebuked of:

Ø      Sin, because they did not believe on Jesus.

Ø      Righteousness, because they ignored Jesus’ righteousness.

Ø      Judgment, because that is all that awaits a world that ignores both sin and righteousness.

Sorrow then Joy – 16:11-22

“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth:  for he shall not speak of himself;  but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak:  and he will shew you things to come.  He shall glorify me:  for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.  All things that the Father hath are mine:  therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.  A little while, and ye shall not see me:  and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father.  Then said some of his disciples among themselves, What is this that he saith unto us, A little while, and ye shall not see me:  and again, a little while, and ye shall see me:  and, Because I go to the Father?  They said therefore, What is this that he saith, a little while?  We cannot tell what he saith.”  The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth and will guide us into all truth.  He will only speak what he hears and only shew the things he is shown.  He will glorify Jesus by showing the things of Jesus which are the things of the Father.  Our life requires a trustworthy guide, and an infallible teacher.  He is not found in the “Church”, the “voice of tradition”, the “intuitive faculty” or in “reason.”  He is only found in the Spirit of God.

There are three classes of people who need to be “guided”:

Ø      Those who are blind – By nature, we are spiritually blind.

Ø      Those who are unable to walk alone – We are spiritually infants and must learn to walk in the Lord.

Ø      Those in unfamiliar territory – We are in unfamiliar territory as we attempt a spiritual ascent into the Heavenly Realm.

“Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him, and said unto them, Do you inquire among yourselves of that I said, A little while, and ye shall not see me:  and again, a little while, and ye shall see me?  Verily, verily, I say unto you, that ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice:  and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.  A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come:  but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.  And ye now therefore have sorrow:  but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice and your joy no man taketh from you.”  It is no wonder the apostles were unable to discern what Jesus meant by “A little while, and ye shall not see me:  and again, a little while, and ye shall see me.”  His explanation is a little more direct.  After his crucifixion, they will not see him for a little while and they will weep and lament.  At the same time, the world will rejoice that they have eliminated the troublemaker.  When Jesus is raised from the dead by the Father, the little while is over and their sorrow is turned into joy.  For a little while again, He would remain with them and their hearts would rejoice.  But this joy could not be taken from them even when He left them again.  The resurrection and ascension provide the proof that He was indeed the “anointed” Son of God.  And the Comforter would be their guide into all truth.

Return to the Father – 16:23-33

“And in that day ye shall ask me nothing.  Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.  Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name:  ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.  These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs:  but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father.  At that day ye shall ask in my name:  and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you:  For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me and have believed that I came out from God.  I came forth from the Father and am come into the world:  again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.”  The day to which Jesus refers is the day the Holy Spirit was given to guide believers into all truth.  Up to this point, believers asked Jesus to intercede for them with the Father.  They expected the Father would answer Jesus’ request.  After the crucifixion, they can ask the Father directly in Jesus’ name.  That was not possible before the sacrifice and resurrection.  Is it appropriate to offer one of our prayers in an ecumenical gathering and leave off the phrase, “through Jesus Christ our Lord”?

Parables are truths given and yet concealed from those who cannot or will not receive them.  Yet to the ready heart they can be made known.  Many of the incidents in parables have truth that would only be open to the ear and eye of a new man, enlightened and exercised by the Holy Spirit.  Complete fulfillment was given in the coming of the spirit to guide them into all the Truth.  At that point, the heart can plainly discern the glory of the Lord.

Again the apostles are told to ask of the Father in Jesus’ name.  Jesus does not need to make the requests of the Father for us.  The Father loves us because we love Jesus and believe that He is the Christ.  Jesus declared His existence from the beginning of time and His incarnation into the world.  Now He is announcing his departure to return to the Father.

 “His disciples said unto him, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no proverb.  Now are we sure that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee:  by this we believe that thou camest forth from God.  Jesus answered them, Do ye now believe?  Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone:  and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.  These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace.  In the world ye shall have tribulation:  but be of good cheer;  I have overcome the world.”  The apostles are confessing their renewed faith.  The assurance that the Father Himself loved them comforted their hearts.  Jesus’ declaration that they loved and believed in Him gave them new confidence.  They surely did not understand all his discourse but they were refreshed by the tone of his comments.  They believed that Jesus was the promised Messiah and that he came from God.  They were not yet realizing that he would return to the Father and leave them again.

They believed in God as the one Divine Being who is over all – Creator, Governor, Sustainer and Judge.  But understanding the significance of God the Father was beyond them.  They did not recognize the change from the Old Testament Covenant to the new relationship they must have with God in the New Covenant.

Jesus reminds them that the hour has come that they would be scattered, every man to his own, and would leave him alone.  Yet He would not be alone because the Father is with him.  He again explains that He spoke these things to them that they might have the peace of knowing what awaits them in the spiritual world.

The final words are clear.  “In the world ye shall have tribulation:  but be of good cheer;  I have overcome the world.”  We, like them, must expect tribulation while we are in this world.  Nevertheless, we can be of good cheer.  We can enjoy the peace of knowing what awaits us in the next life.  It is assured because Jesus has overcome the world.