John 16 begins with these things. These things I have spoken to you. Of course, the precursor to that statement, the things he’s talking about goes back to chapter 15 goes back chapter 14 chapter 13 and we don’t have time to go back and revisit all of these things, but he says, these things, I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to stumble.
What would cause the disciples to stumble? Spiritually speaking, we’re not talking about them, you know, stubbing their toe on a rock, catching their sandals on a, on a route in the garden. That’s not what we’re talking about. What would cause the disciples to stumble? Temptations of the world, Temptations of the world.<inaudible> False teachers, a lack of faith,
persecution,<inaudible>, Political pressure and and and pressures from the Sanhedrin and the Jewish leadership. And you’re going to see just just a few chapters into the book of acts that happening, not, not long after the day of Pentecost there in the temple preaching, they get arrested, they get thrown in prison, they get put on a put before the Sanhedrin.
They get told, do not speak anymore. In this man’s name<inaudible> But above everything else, They don’t expect them to die. Huh. All the way to the trial. Following him to the cross. I don’t expect them to die, Which is why on the morning that he has already told them he is going to rise again. Three days he will be in it,
departed from them and will return. And the sign of Jonah that he’s, he told them about<inaudible> Three days later, the women are coming to anoint his body because they expect him to be in the grave. The disciples aren’t even there. And when they’re told by the women that he’s resurrected, what do they believe? Thank you That these people, these women had had gone crazy.
Wow. And they run to the tomb. Peter and John, They run to the tomb. One stops at the Door, The other one goes in And they’re confused. What’s the side? Correct. That that that had occurred even before the women arrived. But you’ve got to remember too, that Jesus was there.<inaudible> Absolutely. Absolutely. And my,
in fact, we’re going to get into that Jesus even gonna mention that idea here in John chapter 16 that there’s going to be a period where they’ve always had him as that protector And now he’s going away, but he’s not leaving them by themselves. But this whole dialogue is directed to the apostles. It is given to the apostles, it is for the apostles,
it is on the night of his betrayal. It is Mo just hours before his betrayal and it is all given. So they might know what’s coming. So they might not stumble because let’s face it, the apostles don’t know, don’t realize and don’t appreciate probably any better than we do, maybe a little better than we do. We have the benefit of looking back at all of scripture.
They don’t know and they don’t appreciate all of the forces at work that they can’t see that are working against them. I mean other than Jesus telling Peter that Satan desired to, to have him, to sift him as wheat. Peter would never know that. Peter can’t see what Satan’s doing. Christ could. They’re in over their heads and he knows it.
And so he’s preparing them the best way he can for what’s coming. These things I have spoken to you that you should not be made to stumble. They will put you out of the synagogues. So he immediately goes in the context to the pressure from the Jewish leadership. He says they will put you out of the synagogues. Yes. The time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service.
Which apostle will be the first one to die? Excluding Judas. Okay. James. Brother of John at the hand of who? Yeah. And when Herod does it, he will observe that the Jews liked it. And so who will he arrest next? Peter And save for the angel releasing Peter from the prison. Peter was headed the same direction, But who comes most to mind when you read these words that putting you to death?
Whoever kills you will think that he offers God service Saul of Tarsus. Yeah. Paul will be able to stand before the council years later and say, I have lived before God in good conscience to this day. Huh? In spite of the fact that he had persecuted the church to death And these things they will do to you because they have not known the father nor me.
There are things that you just don’t do. If you know God And there are things that your conscience and society and the world around you will be happy for you to do if you don’t know God<inaudible> But these things I have told you that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them and these things I did not say to you at the beginning because I was with you.
Jesus. If this was all coming, why didn’t you tell us sooner? Let’s set aside the fact that Jesus has been telling them for a while that he’s going to Jerusalem to die, that he’s going to suffer at the hands of the chief recent trash, but he didn’t tell them that year. One in the Judy and gal or Judy and ministry and and year one in the Galilean ministry.
He didn’t tell them then he’s been telling them as they’ve been approaching it. Yeah. But he’s, he’s telling them, you didn’t need to be worried about these things. You didn’t need to be told about these things. I was with you. I wasn’t going anywhere. But now you need to know, you know, there is a time and the place to tell people certain things And that time in that place isn’t always the same thing,
isn’t it? Isn’t always Even the same time for different people. Do you realize Jesus is telling them this and yet Mary days earlier has already anointed him because she knows he’s going to die. Mary understand something the apostles don’t understand. Why does she know? And they don’t. I don’t have an answer for that. We could possibly just chalk it up to she’s a female and they’re males and you know,
we’re a little hardheaded and sometimes we miss things when people are speaking that other, the other gender picks up on. Maybe that’s it. Maybe there’s nothing more to it. Maybe not. I don’t know. But notice this, he says, verse five but now I go away to him who sent me. I’m telling you these things I didn’t tell you before because I was with you before.
Now I’m telling you, and I’m telling you now because I’m leaving. I’m telling you now because I’m returning to him who sent me and none of you asked me where are you going? But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.<inaudible> Step back in your mind to the things we read about, the conversations that were going on between the apostles at the beginning of the supper,
who would be the greatest in the kingdom? Who all joy in and looking forward in expectation to the kingdom they’ve just witnessed over the last few days, Jesus being confronted by the scribes, by the Pharisees, by the lawyers, by the Sadducees. Uh, everybody’s come to him and he’s, he’s won every time he’s defeated every argument he’s, he’s presented himself over and over and over and the people have have thrown their,
their clothes at his feet as he is come into Jerusalem. Every thing looks like victories nigh. The kingdom’s coming. We’re, we’re, we’re days away looking for that physical kingdom and here they are eating this, this Passover meal. And their attitude has gone from hope and expectation to curiosity at what Jesus is saying about the one who’s going to betray him.
And Jude is departing from them being sent out. They think he’s outgoing on an errand and now these statements are being made. Yeah. And their whole disposition, we don’t read it in a description, but we read it in Jesus revealing to us. They’re in a house sorrowful. They’re sad.<inaudible> The whole perspectives changed. Have you ever sat down to eat and through the course of a con family conversation,
you went from happy at the beginning of the meal to not happy at the end of the meal. Yup. Everybody’s done it. They go from, from feasting and taking part in, in this religious ceremony that brings back the Memorial and the memory of God’s deliverance of Israel in Egypt from the death of the first born And all of the things involved in it and presence with Christ to being told,
I’m leaving and you’re not going with me.<inaudible>, But then he says this<inaudible>. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away. Now you talk about a hard pill to swallow. I have the, I have the son of God, deity in the flesh right here with me day in and day out.
You tell me how I’m better off than in that situation And he’s going to. He says, nevertheless, I tell you the truth. That is to your advantage that I go away for if I do not go away, the helper will not come to you, but if I depart, I will send him to you. There’s an advantage in the difference in how the Holy spirit will function in them and their relationship to Christ.
Christ was there with them physically. The spirit would indwell them spiritually And that was to their advantage. Though they again, they don’t understand these things yet. Notice he says, and when he has come, he will convict. He’s going to do three things. Jesus describes here when he comes, he will convict the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment of sin because they do not believe in me of righteousness because I go to my father and you see me no more of judgment because the ruler of this world is judged.
Christ says, I’m departing, I’m leaving, but I’m sending the spirit of truth, the comforter, the helper, I’m sending him in my place. And it is to your advantage that this happens because he has a job to do. He’s coming for a reason And he’s going to accomplish a goal. And it’s threefold. He’s going to convict to convince the world of sin That sin and that conviction and that convincing begins in acts chapter two.
You read through the sermon on the day of Pentecost and the very first thing that gets told and and and spoken to them after the, the spirit has descended upon them and the sound of the mush rushing mighty wind and the clothing tongues upon their head and the speaking in tongues and everyone hearing in their own languages and the supposed one that, that, that they’re drunken.
And Peter’s denial of that. The very first thing is the prophecy of Joel about the coming of the spirit has been fulfilled in front of you And leads directly into you’ve put to death the son of God, Conviction of sin. But he says not only of sin because they did not believe in me, but of righteousness. Not only do you have to turn over to acts chapter two for just a minute.<inaudible> Verse 14 beginning,
but Peter standing up with the 11 raised his voice and said to them, men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you and heed my words for these are not drunk as you suppose since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel and it shall come to pass in the last days,
says God, that I will pour out my spirit on all flesh. Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy and your young men shall see visions. Your old men shall dream dreams. And on my men’s urbans and my maidservants, I will pour out my spirit in those days. And they shall prophesy. I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath blood and fire and vapor of smoke.
The sun shall be turned into darkness. The moon in the blood. There are before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord and it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Men of Israel hear these words, Jesus of Nazareth, a man, uh, tested by God to you by miracles,
wonders and signs which God did through him in your midst as you yourselves also know him being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God. You have taken by lawless hands have crucified and put to death their sin whom God raised up Having loosed the pains of death because it is not possible that he should be held by it. For David said, concerning him,
I for saw the Lord always before my face, for he is at my, at my right hand, that I may not be shaken. Therefore my heart rejoiced and my tongue was glad. And moreover my flesh also will rest in hope for you will not leave my soul in Haiti’s, nor will you allow your Holy one to see corruption you have made known to me the ways of life you will make my foot make me full of joy in your presence.
Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried and his tomb is with us to this day. What’s he saying? He’s saying David wasn’t talking about himself. David wasn’t speaking of himself. David was speaking prophetically about Jesus because he was dead and he was buried And his tomb might be here,
but he’s not in it. So notice there’s not only the conviction of sin, there’s the conviction of righteousness, the righteousness of the one who was put on trial, who was convicted by men, who was scourged, who was beaten, who was put on a cross, who was hung between two thieves and who was declared a wicked individual by men, But righteous by God Through the fact that he resurrected him from the dead.
And that he is ascended back to the father. He’s no wicked individual. He’s without sin. So he’s convicting the world of sin. He’s convicting the world of righteousness, the righteousness of the the son, but then consider as well of judgment Because the ruler of this world is judged. It looks like victory for Satan Christ on the cross. Looks like he won.
If if that didn’t look like victory, why is it that we read that Satan entered into heart of Judas to get him there? It was the goal. It was what Satan thought he wanted<inaudible> And it’s what judged him. Turn over to Hebrews chapter two<inaudible> Verse 12 begins with a prophecy. I will from the old Testament, I will declare your name to my brethren.
In the midst of the assembly, I will sing your praise and again I will put my trust in him and again, here I am. Excuse me. Here am I and the children whom God has given me and as much then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared in the same that through death he might destroy him.
Who had the power of death, that is the devil And release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. Satan thought I got him on the cross, I win, And the moment he died, Satan lost. The moment he died, Satan was judged Because three days later He got back up. He didn’t stay there, He didn’t stay dead And Satan was judged and Satan was defeated.
Now he’s still been trying, but it’s already over. Now notice I still have many things to say to you.<inaudible> We teach and we preach and we study with individuals. Okay, And one of the things that I grew to appreciate when I was in the school of preaching, I did the math on it one time And the three years that I was in the school of preaching at tri cities added up the hours that we spent in class,
not the hours spent studying outside of class, the hours we spent in class, and I thought about what that would equate to mathematically speaking to the hours spent in In normal worship settings, Bible class, worship, Sunday morning, Sunday evening, Wednesday night. It factors out to about 41 years of Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night in three years.
And there was a lot more that we didn’t get taught. The teachers would tell us, uh, boys, we’re giving you the skeleton. You go put the meat on the bones, you gotta go do your own studying. We don’t have time.<inaudible> Jesus was with them day in and day out for three and a half years. He says, I still have to tell you,
He says, I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them. Now, However, when he, the spirit of truth has come, he will guide you into all truth. The all truth here is not exhaustive truth on every subject of human curiosity. That’s not the context. This is not the, the apostles had, uh,
had master levels, degrees in microbiology, not, not the discussion here.<inaudible> All truth that Christ was going to reveal to them all truth we have here the result of the revelation of the spirit. All truth needed for life and godliness. First Peter chapter one. Okay? And so he says, when I depart from you, I’m sending the helper.
He’s going to come and he’s going to tell you All the things I haven’t yet had the opera or haven’t yet told you because you weren’t ready for them. He says, he will guide you into all truth for he will not speak of his own authority, but whatever he hears, he will speak and he will tell you things to come. Christ said when he was on the earth,
I don’t speak my own words, I speak with the father’s given me. The Holy spirit is going to come and he’s not going to speak his own words. He’s going to speak whatever Christ gives him. The next chapter, chapter 17 when we get into that on Wednesday night, we’ll, we’ll diagram this either on the board or or we’ll pull in a chalk board or something,
but the, the progression of revelation and authority in religion is mapped out In John chapter 17 in Jesus’ prayer to the father. There is no better passage anywhere in all of scripture, in my opinion, to take someone in a denomination to, to show why the scriptures have authority and how they got it. John 17 is in my opinion, the one stop shop for how you can explain Bible authority and be done,
But we’ll get into that Wednesday. Let me save that for, for Wednesday, verse 14 he will glorify me for, he will take of what is mine and declare it to you 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 on now. They’re really going to get confused.
They already was departing. They heard they can’t go with him. They, they, they heard that they will eventually go with him and now they hear, I’m going away for a little while and you won’t see me. And then you’ll see me again because I’m going to the father. Then some of his disciples said among themselves, what is this? He says to us a little while in,
you will not see me. And again, a little while in you will see me and because I go to the father, Alright? They said, therefore, what is this? That he says a little while, we do not know what he is saying. 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 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. So what is the little while<inaudible> Three days, you’re not going to see me. Why I’ll be in the grave. Well then a little while and you’ll see me again during the time that he’s not with them,
where they won’t see him. The world will rejoice, the world will be glad and they will be sorrowful, but their sorrow will be turned into joy<inaudible> Because they’ll see him again. Come that Sunday morning, they’ll see him again because he’s going to his father. So then notice he says 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. She’ll be able to describe that, the pain involved, But it won’t be the same thing as going through it because she’s on the other side of it. And that child’s there And what all of the pain and anguish and labor was was for Is here.
The rest is in the past.<inaudible> 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’s a joy that is found in knowing Christ, in knowing what he’s done in knowing that he’s the Victor, knowing that it’s finished, knowing that he has paid the price and and been resurrected.
And is it the right hand of the father? There’s a joy that if we have the correct perspective on it, on that, and if we hold fast to that, Paul says, that can’t be taken from you. Okay? Christ will say this to them. That joy can’t be removed from you. No one can take that back. And in that day you will ask me nothing.
Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the father in my name, he will give you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name, ask and you will receive that. Your joy may be full<inaudible> Why haven’t they asked anything in his name to this point? He’s still with them. They’d ask him, but he won’t be there.
And so they’ll ask the father in his name. He’s talking about his position, his role as mediator, as go between. They’ll ask the father knowing that the mediator is standing there with the father<inaudible> These things. I have spoken to you in figurative language, but the time is coming when I will no longer speak to you and figurative language, but I will tell you plainly about the father in that day.
You will ask in my name and I do not say to you that I shall pray to the father for you, for the father himself loves you because he has because you have loved me and have believed that I came forth from God. I came forth from the father and have come into the world again. I leave the world and go to the father.
Christ was with the father before he was born, before he took on flesh, he was with the father. He left the father to come, to be born as a human, to live as, as a man, to die as a man, to be resurrected so that he might return to the father That he might accomplish all of this<inaudible> Christ is not a created being.
Christ was born in the flesh and took on flesh, but Christ deity is not a created being.<inaudible> John chapter one verse one in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God not was a God. As the Jehovah’s witness translation, we’ll try and make it was God Before Abraham was No. Was I am present tense,
always present tense. Aye. I was with the father. I left the father. I came to you. I’m going back to the father. I have come forth from the father and have come into the world again. I leave the world and go to the father. His disciples said to him, seen now you are speaking plainly and using no figure of speech.
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’re they’re certain and they’re speaking and trying to reassure him of their certainty that he’s come from God, But as often as the case with Christ. When you try and tell him how confident you are,
he will tell you how little you understand. And that’s the hard thing about good teachers. Good teachers know you better than you know you. They see things in you you don’t yet see. And, and for some people that’s very hard to deal with, that’s it’s very hard to, to be reminded. You’re not there yet. Jesus is, do you now believe and D 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. There’s a, there are many other passages we could go to for the sake of time. We won’t. But there’s a lesson here and in those passages for us, Hebrews chapter 13 verses six through eight,
it’s a great example. There’s a reality that we need to come to and we need to be confident in and we need to be assured of that. It doesn’t matter what people in this life do, and whether our friends or family or a brethren at some point forsake us and leave us alone. We’re not alone So long as we are faithful to the Lord.
So long as we are doing what the Lord says, we can be assured of these words. I will never leave you nor forsake you. Jesus told them I’m leaving, but I’m sending someone in my place and I’ll still be with you, but you’re going to be scattered, but don’t worry. My father’s still with me, and then he says this first 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. My favorite phrase, I have overcome the world. He’s not even gone to the cross yet. He’s not resurrected. He’s not gone through all of this. When it’s already over, he already knows how it’s going to turn out. He’s read the last page.<inaudible> You know we do that sometimes.
Don’t we get into a good book? Things aren’t going real well. Maybe the story’s turning a little bit. You go, is this person going to be alive at the end? I’ve overcome the world. You turn to first John chapter five and you read that is our faith that overcomes the world. How is it that our faith overcomes the world?<inaudible><inaudible> List is above the world,
but it sets us apart, but it’s faith in who Jesus is. Father, it’s faith in the one who’s over come the world and yet here’s important point. Don’t miss this one from apostles down to the lowliest Christian, 2000 years later, Jesus never assured that your faithfulness would keep you out of tribulation from the world. He said the exact opposite. He said,
if they hate your master, they’ll hate you And he’s warning them tribulations coming Like they had never experienced before. Why? Because he was with them. He was protecting them all that time, but now he won’t be with them and they’ll be on their own and they’ll be scattered. But there’s something that’s important. One last thing for reclose, The strength that comes by building associations with those who are faithful to God.
Because while they will not understand and while they will be scattered and while they will struggle and while they will be sorrowful, and while on the first day of the week, they will be not be at the, at the tomb. Where will they be Together Finding strength in one another. And that’s important That we learned the value of the strength of the being with those who are faithful.
It’s part of the reason why the church exists. It’s part of the reason why we assembled together on the first day of every week. It’s Hebrews chapter 10 verse 25 that we might provoke one another to love and good works Because their strength in being with the faithful comments or questions before we hit.