John Chapter 16
Jesus knew that difficult times would come for His disciples, and He wanted them to be aware of it so they would not fall away from the truth. Jesus was going away, and He wanted them to remember these loving warnings that He gave them before His death. Recalling His Words would give them strength in their time of need. And with His physical absence something wonderful would happen; the Comforter would come and dwell in every believer revealing the truths of the Father to each individual.
Let's Reflect
1. Jesus revealed truths to the disciples on His last evening with them that He said He had not told them previously. The timing was not right. Now that His hour had come He knew that He was leaving them. What question did He want them to ask Him and really understand? They had asked this question previously but in the sense of wondering what would happen to them.
2. Jesus said that the Comforter coming was to their advantage. What advantages did He point out for them?
3. Jesus had more He wanted to teach them, but He knew they were not ready for it. The resurrection of our Savior would be the catalyst that increased their strong faith in Him. The same is true for us. As we walk with the Lord and different things happen to us, we gain more understanding of His truths. These truths of the Father are revealed to us by whom? Please note that the truths revealed to us are never in opposition to the Scriptures; but our understanding of Scripture becomes clearer over time.
4. All of these truths that Jesus wanted to share with His disciples were truths from His Father. These truths when revealed to us through the Holy Spirit are given to us to glorify whom?
5. The disciples were having a difficult time understanding what Jesus meant by “in a little while they would not see Him.” What example did Jesus use to demonstrate the temporary pain that they would feel regarding His crucifixion?
6. The joy that they would feel when they saw Jesus in His resurrected body was something that no man could take from them. There are plenty of things that this world can do to us, but there is one thing they cannot do, and that is to take away our joy because of the knowledge we have about the power of the resurrected Savior. The fact that these disciples would become eyewitnesses of His resurrection, all doubts would be erased – Jesus is the Messiah! To champion our faith in that power He promised us something else what is it? See verses 23-24.
“Ye have not as yet considered me the great Mediator between God and man; but this is one of the truths which shall be more fully revealed to you by the Holy Spirit.” [Clarke]
“Because of Jesus’ great work, disciples have unlimited, undeniable access to God through Him. The disciples had yet to really pray in the name of Jesus, but He would teach them.” [Guzik]
7. According to verse 26 when we pray asking in Jesus’ name, what happens?
8. When Jesus told them that He was leaving the world and going to His Father they thought they now understood His meaning. They understood His declaration of being equal with His Father. Jesus could read their hearts and know at what level they truly understood Him. He knew that in just a few short hours their eyes would be opened in a whole new way that they could not possibly understand at that present moment. What words of comfort did Jesus leave with His disciples?
Devotionals
