May
3rd John
16
1:
These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended.
2: They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh,
that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. 3:
And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known
the Father, nor me. 4: 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.
The
Lord teaches – Holy Spirit
5:
But now I go my way to him that sent me; and none of you asketh me,
Whither goest thou? 6: But because I have said these things unto you,
sorrow hath filled your heart. 7: 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 will send him
unto you. 8: And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin,
and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9: Of sin, because they
believe not on me; 10: Of righteousness, because I go to my Father,
and ye see me no more; 11: Of judgment, because the prince of this
world is judged. 12: I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye
cannot bear them now. 13: 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. 14: He shall glorify me: for he shall
receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. 15: All things that the
Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine,
and shall shew it unto you.
The
Lord teaches – Prayer
16:
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. 17: 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? 18: They
said therefore, What is this that he saith, A little while? we cannot
tell what he saith. 19: Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask
him, and said unto them, Do ye 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? 20: 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. 21: 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. 22: 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. 23: 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. 24: Hitherto
have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that
your joy may be full.
Christ
gives this teaching so that the disciples will not be offended. First
they will be excommunicated from the Jewish religious communities. In
fact there will come a time when those who try to kill you will
mistakenly think that they are doing Gods service. They will be
mistaken because they do not know the Father or his son. The future
ministry of the Apostles, at this time, is focused only on the Jewish
communities of Israel. Then Christ said, l am going away yet none of
you ask me where l am going. And because l have said this to you, an
overwhelming sorrow has come upon you. However it is necessary for me
to go away because if l do not go away the Holy Spirit will not come
to you. But if l do go l will send the Holy Spirit to you. When the
Holy Spirit comes he will convince the world of sin, righteousness
and judgment. The sin that the Holy Spirit will convince the world of
will be unbelief. The righteousness that the Holy Spirit will
convince the world of will be the fact that Christ the righteous one
has ascended to the Father. And the judgment that the Holy Spirit
will convince of will be the judgment of the Prince of this world
which took place at the cross. Then Christ said a strange thing. I
have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
What would they be? Well at this time they could not even comprehend
the Cross let alone the resurrection. They had no concept of a
ministry to Gentiles. They had no concept of ‘the Church’; it
remained at this time a mystery later to be unfolded by the Apostle
Paul. The Later epistles of Paul – The prison epistles, would
contain a body of truth that most believers in that future day would
reject. Yet they were the teachings of Christ which at this time they
were unable to bear now. We must never forget that some truth is
difficult for people to understand or accept. The true Pastor
understands where people are in their understanding of divine truth
and teaches stage by stage, as the people are able to bear it. Then
Christ says, when the Holy Spirit comes he will lead them into all
these truths, stage by stage. He will take all the truth regarding
Christ and reveal it to the disciples and he will tell them things to
come – Prophesy. We must never apologise for teaching Prophesy.
What is the matter with us if we do not have an interest or teach
prophesy. The Holy Spirit will ‘show you things to come’. Christ
then said l am only going to be away for a little while. The
disciples asked him about this. And he said, of a truth, of a truth,
I am telling you the ultimate truth, you will weep and mourn but the
world will rejoice: and you will be full of sorrow, but your sorrow
will be turned into joy. Like a woman who when she has given birth
forgets the pain of childbirth because of the joy which fills her
soul at the birth of a child. And now you will have bereavement but I
will see you again and when l do see you your hearts will be filled
with joy and nobody will be able to take your joy from you. In that
day all you questions will be answered. Of a truth, of a truth, I
tell you the ultimate truth. What ever you will ask the Father in my
name, he will give it you. So far you have asked for nothing in my
name: In that day - ask, and you will receive, and in that your joy
may be indescribable.
- How does Christ prepare the disciples for persecution? And how did they react to this prophecy?
- What will the Comforter do when he comes?
- How does Christ encourage the disciples for the coming troubles?
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