John 16 - Jesus Makes Things Very Simple for the Disciples!

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Jesus Warns the Disciples

Jesus tells the disciples that he has given them these promises so they will not fall away. He goes even as far as to say that there will be a time when someone thinks they are doing God a service by killing them. Though they think they know the Father, they show by their ignorance that they don't know Jesus, or the Father. 

Though Jesus is going back to the Father, no one is asking him about it. He knows partly this is because they are already beginning to deal with the grief of him leaving. Yet, he reminds them that it is good for him to go away, because if he does, he will send the Advocate, the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit that will convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. 

Sin is basically the sin of unbelief or not trusting in Jesus. It is only by being convicted of one's sin by the Holy Spirit and believing in Jesus does one find eternal life. Righteousness is the righteousness that Jesus achieved through his perfect obedience to the Father. It is only through Jesus' righteousness that we can be made right in God's eyes. We need a righteousness that comes from outside of ourselves, which can only come from the One who is truly righteous. Ultimately the Holy Spirit's judgment will also fall on Satan himself. Though Satan now stands condemned, one day he will face eternal judgment. 

The Holy Spirit will also guide them into all truth. The Holy Spirit communicates the truth from the Father and the Son. Since it is the Spirit of Jesus, the Spirit will be the voice of Jesus in our lives. The Holy Spirit will help us to do and say the things Jesus would if he were us. 

The Disciples’ Grief Will Turn to Joy

Jesus says in a little while they will see him no more, and then they will see him again. He is referring to his death and resurrection. Jesus will appear to the disciples post-resurrection to confirm the promises he made to them. The disciples were confused by his language even though Jesus had told them a few times now that he would be crucified, and then after three days, he would rise again. 

Jesus acknowledges that they will grieve when he dies, but this grief will turn into joy. He likens it to the pain of a mother in childbirth, which is replaced with the joy of a new, little baby. The joy they will receive when Jesus rises from the dead will be a joy no one can take away. At that time they will be able to directly ask anything in Jesus' name. This will complete their joy. 

“That he should suffer was cause for grief, but that he has now suffered all is equal cause for joy. When a champion returns from the wars bearing the scars of conflict by which he gained his honors, does anyone lament over his campaigns?” (Spurgeon)

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)

As Jesus goes to be the Father, there is a different type of relationship he will enjoy with the disciples. Jesus will speak more directly and plainly rather than preaching in metaphors, figures of speech, and parables. He used these because they did not yet understand these spiritual truths, and he needed common everyday examples for them to get it. 

“Here Jesus is saying: ‘You can go to God, because he loves you,’ and he is saying that before the Cross. He did not die to change God into love; he died to tell us that God is love. He came, not because God so hated the world, but because he so loved the world. Jesus brought to men the love of God.” (Barclay)

Then, Jesus makes his summary statement in John 16:27-28

"No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”

The disciples seem to get what he is saying here because they say to him, 

“Now you are speaking clearly and without figures of speech. 30 Now we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God.”

Jesus' summary statement says, 

1. He came from Father. He existed with God since the beginning.  

2. He entered the world. The Word became flesh. Jesus became incarnate of the Virgin Mary and was made man. 

3. He left the world by dying on the cross. 

4. He went back to the Father. He rose again from the dead and ascended to the Father. 

You will notice several of these statements remind us of the Creed. The Creed is supposed to be a short summary of what we believe. This is also why it is in Trinitarian form. It is what we believe about the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 

Though the disciples felt pretty confident about their belief, a time was coming very soon when they would not be so confident. In fact, they would be scattered and go back to their own homes leaving Jesus alone, though He is not really alone. The Father is with him. 

Jesus' main goal is that he wants them to have peace. He wants to assure them that he has overcome the world. He wants to assure them that nothing in all of Creation can separate them from God's love in Him.