5 15 2016 “Contrasts to Come” John16:16-33
There are many ironies and contrasts in being a citizen of God’s Kingdom and a Follower of the Lord Jesus. Jesus covers some of those contrasts which the disciples would soon experience as He is walking on the way to the Garden of Gethsemane to face His execution.
We pick up our study in John16:16: "A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me, because I go to the Father." 17 Then some of His disciples said among themselves, "What is this that He says to us, 'A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me'; and, 'because I go to the Father'?" 18 They said therefore, "What is this that He says, 'A little while'? We do not know what He is saying." 19 Now Jesus knew that they desired to ask Him, and He said to them, "Are you inquiring among yourselves about what I said, 'A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me'?
Jesus’ Disappearing Act
Jesus again reminds His disciples of His upcoming “disappearing”: "A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me, because I go to the Father.”(16) before He would “disappear”, He would be lifted up on the cross as the sin-bearer for all to see, and after His physical death and His resurrection there would be those few days when He would disappear. This could be what Jesus meant in verse 16.
Another possibility could be the time between Jesus’ ascension (40 days after His resurrection) and the Spirit’s appearance on Pentecost (50 days after His resurrection). Jesus would be bodily away from His Disciples because He would ascend to His Father in Heaven
but as He promised, the Holy Spirit would descend upon the disciples and abide with them forever at Pentecost.
Jesus again demonstrates the unity between Himself, the Father, and the indwelling of the Spirit with believers. Jesus came from the Father, having been in perfect existence with Him from all eternity. Jesus promises the Spirit who will come FROM the Father after He returns to the Father, implying that the Spirit has also existed with the Father and the Son from all eternity. We have the undivided unity of the Trinity or Tri-Unity.
I love the fact that John throws in the character of Jesus’ Omniscience-that He is all-knowing even while He has temporarily put on human flesh. Verse 19 says: “Now Jesus knew that they desired to ask Him, and He said to them, "Are you inquiring among yourselves about what I said, 'A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me'? The wording is very interesting: Jesus not only knows our thoughts but also our desires. There is no hiding from Him: He lived in the flesh and can very easily identify with our thoughts, fears and desires. There is truly no one like our Lord and Savior!
Reaction and Benefits of Jesus’ Departure
Look at some of the reactions and benefits of Jesus’ Departure in verse 20-22: “Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy. 21 A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. 22 Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.”
There would be times of intense sorrow ahead for the disciples; the Jesus whom they loved as Rabbi and Master would die a horrible death as Savior. They would weep and lament His loss, while at the same time, the hateful realm of mankind would rejoice at having killed Jesus. The intense sorrow of Jesus’ followers would be turned into joy. We see that in the book of Acts as the Church, the body of Christ, is born into the world. One of the central descriptions of the early Church is that they had exceedingly great joy: there was the realization that Jesus had died for their sins and that He had arisen for their justification.
They experienced Jesus as the Bread of Life and the Light of the World. They knew Him as the Door for the Sheep and The Good Shepherd who laid His life down for His sheep. Jesus became for them the resurrection and the life, the Way, the Truth and the Life. Jesus was indeed the True Vine of Israel, producing the fruit of Righteousness so that anyone who was grafted into Him by faith, would receive the very life of Christ. They possessed abundant joy and met together daily to praise their RISEN Lord and Savior. Even through severe persecution, their joy in the Lord Jesus remained full; it was indestructible joy because it was the joy of the Lord Himself.
There will one day be a very huge irony in the realm of humankind who had rejoiced at the death of Jesus. Though the world takes pleasure in trying to extinguish and kill the glory of the Gospel, the rejection of Jesus’ death for sin to anyone who believes will also be the source of eternal weeping and sorrow because unbelievers will then realize that Jesus was their only hope to escape the judgment upon sin. While no one will ever take away the joy that belongs to those who are in Christ, no one will ever take away the grief from those who have willfully denied and rejected the Savior. They will experience indestructible grief.
The cross is the source of joy for those who believe, but it is the symbol for God’s perfect justice and righteousness. The cross is where justice and mercy meet. The cross is the source of hope for those who believe, but it is a symbol and reminder that those who reject the Son are rejecting the Father as well. Unresolved, unrepentant, continual rejection of God’s Salvation will bring death and judgment: God’s Word declares it and this is not up for a vote or popular opinion. It is what the Sovereign God declares (John 3:16-19)!
New Prayer Benefits
Look at verse 23: “And in that day you will ask Me nothing. (or “you will no longer ask me anything”.) Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. 24 Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. 25 "These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; but the time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but I will tell you plainly about the Father. 26 In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you; 27 for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God. 28 I came forth from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world and go to the Father."
The disciples had grown immensely in their relationship with Jesus. They no doubt asked Him many more things than those which are recorded in scripture. John ends his Gospel saying: “And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.” (John 21:25) They had followed their Rabbi closely. (There was a saying, “May you be covered in the dust of your Rabbi.”) Since Jesus would be gone BACK to His Father, the disciples could now ask anything directly to the Father in Jesus’ name. The “Whatever you ask” in Jesus’ name would be requests consistent with the essential being, character, will and purposes of the person of Jesus Christ, who would be the exalted Son. This would be in light of the mission of bringing the Gospel and making disciples, not in any self-serving context. This is extremely important to understand.
We see again the Unity of the Trinity or the Tri-Unity. This privileged relationship is in and through the Son, by the power and presence of the indwelling Holy Spirit, in the ever-present love of the Father. Remaining or staying in the Son (the True Vine) is characteristic of disciples of Jesus. Remaining in Christ will produce Godly fruit, and joy from the Lord is part of that fruit, isn’t it? The joy of Jesus is the joy that comes from His finished work. Prayers to the Father in Jesus’ name would certainly include our heart’s desire to be more like Christ, being submissive and obedient to God’s Will even as Jesus was. Whole-hearted obedience to the God who saved us in Christ should most certainly give us joy. The Joy of the Lord is knowing the Lord and His Will and doing His Will. In John 15:11 Jesus said: “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.”
Untried Faith
Continue in verse 29: His disciples said to Him, "See, now You are speaking plainly, and using no figure of speech! 30 Now we are sure that You know all things, and have no need that anyone should question You. By this we believe that You came forth from God." 31 Jesus answered them, "Do you now believe? 32 Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.”
At first glance it seems like the disciples finally “got it”. We almost breathe a sigh of relief, right? They seem to understand what Jesus is saying. They make a marvelous confession of Jesus Omniscience: “Now we are sure that You know all things, and have no need that anyone should question You. By this we believe that You came forth from God.” They also say that there is no more need for doubtful questions; this definitely shows progress, and in essence, they profess a saving faith in the Lord Jesus.
But Jesus’ reply may have a hint of doubt along with a warning. Jesus’ question implies, “Do you believe just at this moment?” After all of the evidence, testimony and teaching, they should believe, and do…but it is not a seasoned and tried faith by any means because before the night is over, all of them will be scattered and desert the very one to whom they had just confessed faith! They are perhaps more confident in themselves than in the Lord Jesus; they are still very weak in their faith, although they are saved. Strong Faith takes a lot of painful “exercise”, much testing, many highs and lows, denying and relinquishing your control to the Savior. There was still much room to grow for the disciples…and for us.
Last Words of Promise
Jesus leaves His disciples with these words of encouragement and promise before going to the cross in Verse 33: “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." You may recall that Jesus had given a similar promise in John 14:27: “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” It is not merely the absence of war; the peace of the world is fleeting not lasting. The peace of God flows from a right relationship with God and fellowship with the Son. The lasting, indestructible peace of God and peace WITH God is only found in the person of Jesus Christ. “These thing I have spoken to you, that IN ME you may have peace.
Jesus gives the antithesis that “in the world you will have tribulation.” There is no lasting peace in the world. The Greek phrase here tells us that the trials, afflictions, distress, and character of the world’s system and thought process will continually and habitually remain. The world’s system characteristically lacks any of the peace, joy, light or life that comes from knowing God.
These words are given first of all to the disciples in light of the immediate arrest and crucifixion of Jesus. He wants them to know that what is about to happen is not only the way in which He secures victory over sin death, and its “prince”, but also that it is firmly set in the providence of God that Jesus has ALREADY overcome the world. The decisive battle has been waged and won, although the world continues its attacks for a limited time, but those who are in Christ share the victory which Jesus has won.
1 Corinthians 15:57 tells us: “But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” We rest in Him for forgiveness, for life, and victory over sin and death. His promise to the disciples is also to us…by faith and by the power of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. Amen.
I. Jesus’ Disappearing act: “A little while and you will not see me…and you will see me.” (Vs. 16-19)
A. There would be a time between Jesus’ death and His resurrection.
B. There would be a time between Jesus’ ascension and the Spirit’s appearance.
C. Jesus demonstrates the unity of Himself and the Spirit with the indwelling of believers.
D. Jesus knows the hearts of man: “Are you inquiring among yourselves about what I said?” vs. 19
II. Reaction and Benefits of Jesus’ Departure (20-28)
A. You will weep and lament…the world will rejoice.(20a)
B. Your sorrow will be turned into joy(20b): The example of a woman in childbirth.
C. Jesus brings Indestructible joy. (22b)-The cross is the source of joy also judgment.
D. Your prayer will be directly to the Father in Jesus’ name. (23-28)
1. Unity of the Trinity (TriUnity).
2. Relationship of believers is with the Father through the Son.
3. The Joy of the Lord is knowing the Lord and doing His Will.
III. The Disciples display “saving faith” but not tried faith. (29-32)
A. A certainly of Jesus’ omniscience.(30a)
B. No more doubtful questions. (30b)
C. Confess Jesus’ home and deity; a saving faith. (30c)
D. Scattered: Still room for growth. (32)
IV. Last Encouraging Words before the Cross
A. In Christ there is peace, joy, and victory-In the world there is habitual tribulation.
B. God, in His Divine providence, has firmly set Jesus’ victory over sin, death and the world.
