Courage To Overcome

We are at the end of John 16 today and as Jesus is preparing to leave this earth and return to His Father in heaven, He is making sure that His disciples will be well equipped for their mission. Jesus has given them the promise of the Holy Spirit which assured them of several things:

? that they would be in constant fellowship with Him,

? they would have greatest love indwelling them to overcome the hatred in this world

? the Holy Spirit would provide a steadfast hope to overcome their grief and sorrow and give them a joy that no one could take away.

In this next passage, Jesus is promising His followers His peace to overcome the internal and external pressures that come from this world.

Why is this relevant for us today? It’s because we are not living in the Age of Aquarius (which is supposedly the age of peace and spiritual harmony) but rather in an Age of Anxiety. If we are honest about it, most of us are moving through life in a pretty fast pace and some of us are professional worriers - concerned about every conceivable scenario, real or imagined. What Jesus is promising to us is what everyone on this earth is longing and searching for: love, hope, joy, and peace. In chapter 12-16 He is talking about these things. If you knew that you had the assurance of a new life, a perfect life in heaven that will never end, a hope that could not be disappointed, prayers that would be answered in accordance with God’s will, you will have a joy that no one can take and a peace that passes all understanding. This will give you peace and make all the pain and grief you have gone through in this life seem like a distant memory.

Let’s turn to John 16:25-33 (NLT):

25 “I have spoken of these matters in figures of speech, but soon I will stop speaking figuratively and will tell you plainly all about the Father. 26 Then you will ask in my name. I’m not saying I will ask the Father on your behalf, 27 for the Father himself loves you dearly because you love me and believe that I came from God. 28 Yes, I came from the Father into the world, and now I will leave the world and return to the Father.”

29 Then his disciples said, “At last you are speaking plainly and not figuratively. 30 Now we understand that you know everything, and there’s no need to question you. From this we believe that you came from God.”

31 Jesus asked, “Do you finally believe? 32 But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when you will be scattered, each one going his own way, leaving me alone. Yet I am not alone because the Father is with me. 33 I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

What is Jesus talking about in this passage? When He sends the Holy Spirit to dwell within the disciples – they will have...

Clearer Communication - the will bring them...

Closer to the Father - and give them...

Courage for the Call

Clearer Communication

In v. 25, Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you in figures of speech.” What things was He talking about? It could have been the things He had just been teaching them or maybe the parables and different analogies He used over the past 3 years. Figure of speech (also seen in John 10:6), refers to language where “the meaning does not lay on the surface, but must be searched for and thought about.”

In every language and culture, you find figures of speech, storytelling, illustrations, abstract thinking - which can be the hardest things to understand because there can be so many layers and meanings. It makes people have to dig deeper - to discover, perceive, and reach a conclusion through information and reasoning.

Many times, Jesus used figures of speech and parables that couldn’t be discerned with the natural mind. It was only His followers who asked about the meaning behind what He was saying. So Jesus said, “an hour is coming” (referring to the future) where the Holy Spirit will communicate His words about His Father directly to their innermost being. His words will be straight, clear, powerful, and convincing. As they walked with Him, the Holy Spirit would teach them all things, which means learning will be a process. He would illuminate their minds and clarify their confusion and doubt about who the Father is and their relationship to Him.

Later, this was the apostle Paul’s prayer for the church - “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him” ??(Eph 1:17). Jesus wants us to know His Father, He wants us to know all that we have in Him. He wants His disciples' joy to be full, for them to grow deeper in the faith, to go from drinking milk as infants to eating meat as spiritually mature adults (no offense to the vegans / vegetarians). But this will take time.??