You never know what you might miss by not knowing your neighbor s name!

Transcription

1 THE VICTORIOUS, RESURRECTED CHRIST JOHN 16:25-33 Author Sidney Sheldon and Groucho Marx were close friends and neighbors for a number of years. As Groucho got well into his 80s, he started a daily habit of visiting Sidney's house each afternoon for a snack of an apple and a piece of cheese. It became such a ritual that my wife and I looked forward to it every day, Sheldon recalls. Groucho would eat his snack and walk back to his own house. Then Sheldon and his wife leased the Hollywood house and moved to Rome, where he began work on a novel. One day in Rome, he got a letter from the new tenant, who wrote: We love the house, but there is one strange thing. Every afternoon, there s a little old man, about 85 or 90, who knocks on our kitchen door and asks for some cheese and an apple. He s too well dressed for a hobo. Can you tell us who it is? [Reader s Digest, July 1978, 160.] You never know what you might miss by not knowing your neighbor s name! And sometimes you can miss even more. Consider the plight of the disciples: three years they spent with Jesus, and during that time they knew and understood the claims of Christ as the Messiah. So Peter knew enough to declare, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God (Mt. 16:16) and James and John knew enough to have their mother ask if they could sit on either side of His throne in His kingdom (Mt. 20:20ff). And yet for all their knowledge of Christ, they really didn t know Him. When Jesus stilled the storm they asked, Who is this? When he repeatedly told them of His coming death and resurrection, they repeatedly argued with Him and were puzzled over the statements. They knew Him and who He was, but they didn t really know and understand. So on Thursday night of the Passion Week, Jesus spent several hours with the disciples in the Upper Room, inaugurating the first Lord s Supper, and teaching them and preparing them for His death and resurrection in the coming weekend. And Christ s instruction to them is encouragement to us as well. It is a reminder of the incarnated, resurrected, and ascended Christ and His work on behalf of His believers. As John recounts Jesus words in John 16, here is the lesson for the disciples and us THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST IS THE POWER AND HOPE OF THE BELIEVER FOR EVERYDAY LIVING. 1. The INCARNATE Christ: Teaching His Followers (v. 25)! His CONFUSING teaching! His EXPLAINED teaching 2. The ASCENDED Christ: Interceding for His Followers (vv )! The Father s LOVE (vv )! The Son s POSITION (v. 28) 3. The RESURRECTED Christ: Victor for His Followers (vv )! The believer s TROUBLE (vv )! The believer s HOPE (v. 33) page 1 / 8

2 THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST IS THE POWER AND HOPE OF THE BELIEVER FOR EVERYDAY LIVING. 1. The INCARNATE Christ: Teaching His Followers (v. 25) Jesus primary purpose in coming to earth was to live a righteous life that could be imputed to those who would trust in Him (which is why He lived for 33 years on earth) and then to die a death that would satisfy God s wrath against sin. But along with those purposes, Christ also gathered a group of followers whom He taught and discipled. In addition to dying, He also came to teach and equip as the incarnate Word of God. Yet not all that teaching was immediately understood by His disciples. They were sometimes confused His CONFUSING teaching! Jesus likely had been teaching for several hours in the Upper Room; the disciples hadn t understood everything (e.g., 14:8ff; 16:17-18). So when Jesus says these things, He means most literally the things He has spoken on Thursday night. But He likely also is referring to His teaching that preceded that night. There were many things that Jesus had spoken in figurative language (often translated parables, but it can also simply refer to obscure language).! There were several reasons the disciples were confused: Sometimes they were confused because of their humanness their finite minds could not grasp the eternal and infinite truths (Mk. 9:9-10, 30-32; Jn. 2:19, 22; 12:16; 16:17-18). Sometimes they were confused because of sin their hearts were hardened to the truth (Mt. 16:8; Mk. 4:38-41; 6:52). Sometimes they were confused because Christ was intentionally hiding truth from them (e.g., in unexplained parables, Mt. 15:15-18). The failure of the disciples and so many others to understand Christ s teaching is a clear reminder that spiritual truth cannot be discerned by human means; it takes the Spirit of God to inform men of the truth of God (and that s what Christ addresses next).! So while Christ came to teach the disciples, they didn t grasp all that He taught; yet here He makes a wonderful promise to them about His teaching it would be explained His EXPLAINED teaching! An hour is coming refers to the coming of the Holy Spirit to teach the disciples so that they would know about the work of Christ (14:26; 16:12-15).! In that coming hour, they know plainly of the Father. Part of that revelation was through Jesus own post-resurrection teaching (Acts 1:3); most of it was through the ongoing teaching work of the Spirit who taught them so that they knew what to write about Christ s advent (16:13-15).! When the Spirit came to the disciples, they knew and understood not only about the work of Christ, but also the work of the Father (cf. Jn. 2:22; 12:16, 32-33; 14:28-30). page 2 / 8

3 The promise of the Spirit here is a promise to the disciples of what Christ would do for them through the Spirit as they would do His apostolic work in the church. But it is also a blessing and reminder to us that Christ has not concealed Himself from them or us. He came to reveal Himself so that He would be known and understood. John would later say that there aren t enough books in the world to contain all the works of Christ in His advent (20:25). But just because we cannot know everything about Christ doesn t mean we can t know something. And He has revealed much about Himself through the disciples in His Word. There may have been a temporary confusion in the disciples, but when they preach in Acts and write their epistles, they are not confused (e.g., 1 Peter 1:3ff, 17-21; 1 Jn. 1:1-4; 2:22-24; 5:10-12). So Jesus spoke of His provision for the disciples in His incarnation He would teach them. And in verses He moves to an explanation of His work when He will be ascended 2. The ASCENDED Christ: Interceding for His Followers (vv ) The Father s LOVE (vv )! On this night, Jesus is not only preparing the disciples for his death and resurrection, but He is also preparing them for the time when He will leave them, which is what He means by that day (e.g., 14:19-21, 25-26; 16:1-4, 20, 23).! Their temptation when He was ascended would be to ask, Who do we ask for help now? And in v. 26 Jesus tells them that they have direct access to the Father in prayer: you will ask in My name that is, they would pray to the Father directly, as they had been taught beginning in the Lord s prayer (Mt. 6:9). And they would pray in Jesus name as Jesus had just reminded them (14:13). To pray in His name is to pray in submission to His will and desires.! And notice that Jesus says, I do not say that I will request of the Father on your behalf. In other words, you don t need to pray to Me to ask Me to intercede on your behalf to the Father, because you already have direct access to Him. Such a statement would have been considered blasphemous by the Pharisees; and in the OT, it would have been inconceivable (God was addressed as Father only 7x). But in the NT, it is the believer s privilege and duty to pray to the Father since we have been adopted as sons (Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:1ff).! And this is true not only of the disciples, but of all believers (Heb. 4:16).! And notice why the disciples (and ultimately, we) have this access: for the Father Himself loves you Here is humbling and overwhelming reality Christ loves us. And the Father loves us. He loves us with a particular and fatherly love reserved for those who love Christ His Son (notice Jesus says because you have loved Me ). The disciples loved Christ and Christ loved the Father and was loved by the Father, so the Father loved the disciples with the love He had for the Son. And so they were invited into the Trinitarian relationship. God does not need to be persuaded to be gracious!! And even more remarkably, that same love is experienced by every believer cf. 17:20-23, 26. page 3 / 8

4 ! [Aside: how do you know if someone loves Christ? Very simply do they obey Him? Cf. 14:15, 21, 23; 1 Jn. 3:1-6. Those whose habit and practice is to obey Christ are the ones who love Him (because He has enabled them to obey Him through the gift of the Holy Sprit living in them). And those whose habit and practice is to disobey Him do not love Him and are not followers of Him.]! My friend, if you are in Christ, you are loved not only by Him, but you are also loved by God the Father and you can ask of Him and He will provide and care for you with what is very best for you (Mt. 7:7-11). It is our duty and privilege to ASK of the loving Father.! Similarly, if you are not in Christ, then you are not loved by God and His wrath is pointed toward you (which is what we ve been seeing in Romans 1-2), no matter how good you think you are. You must repent of your sins and turn to be a follower of Christ.! But notice that while Jesus says that He does not have to ask the Father for us, He is still working The Son s POSITION (v. 28)! When Jesus says I came forth from the Father He s talking about His incarnation, taking on manhood and living on earth (Jn. 1:1-18). And He came for the purpose of salvation (12:27, 47; Mt. 1:21). We should not overlook His divine origin; He must be a man to be a substitute for men, but He also must be eternal God to pay an infinite debt of sin and absorb God s infinite wrath. If Christ did not come from God, He could not be the Savior of men.! But Christ did not come to earth to stay on earth. So He says, I am leaving the world again. That is, He is returning to Heaven to resume His exalted position. What does He mean by this? This phrase means that Christ is accepted by the Father in Heaven. Even before He went to the cross, He knew that the Father would accept Him back into glory. His death would be satisfactory; the sin debt would be paid and He would be restored to His exalted position. For Christ to go back to the Father meant that He was returning to His position at the right hand of the Father as sovereign over the world (e.g., Phil. 2:8-11; Col. 1:15-20). For Christ to go back to the Father also meant that He was returning to Heaven as a seated High Priest. The work of redemption was complete; no one would ever have to offer a sacrifice for sin again His work completely, finally, and fully paid the debt of sin (Heb. 10:11-14). And for Christ to go back to the Father finally meant that He was going there to assume His position as intercessor to the Father (Rom. 8:34; Heb. 7:25) and advocate for the believer (1 Jn. 2:1; Rev. 12:10). He worked on earth for the believer and He still works in Heaven on our behalf. While we do not need Him to intercede on our behalf, yet part of the work and the Spirit is to take our prayers which are often imperfect and tainted by impure desires, and sanctify them and present them according to His will and name to the Father.! We have in this verse the entire ministry of Christ: He preincarnate position in Heaven, His incarnation, His crucifixion and resurrection (implied), and His ascension. He was sent by the Father to accomplish redemption of sinners and having done that, He returned to the Father. page 4 / 8

5 ! And having returned to the Father, He continues to work on behalf of those He has redeemed.! Christ consistently reiterated to the disciples on this night that He was not leaving them alone; and He promised the gift of the Spirit as evidence of His presence. But it should also be noted that because He is still working in Heaven for His followers, He is still with us now. He s not deserted us, but is an ever-present help in time of need (Ps. 46:1).! Christ is ascended and He is working for us and in us. And in His incarnation He has taught and is teaching. But there is one more work of Christ that He promises the 12 one that is particularly significant on Easter morning 3. The RESURRECTED Christ: Victor for His Followers (vv ) The believer s TROUBLE (vv )! Having heard of Jesus explanation of His incarnation and ascension, the disciples claim that they now understand and believe Christ that His plain speech has made it clear to them. Some have suggested that the disciples are speaking impulsively and arrogantly that they really don t understand yet and won t until after the Spirit is given to them. And given Jesus gentle correction of them in v. 31, it seems that they have spoken somewhat rashly. But it is also true that this is the strongest and clearest statement by the entire group of who Christ is and their faith in Him. It is an affirmation of His omniscience (know all things), His authority (no need for anyone to question You), and role as Savior (believe You).! Jesus responds with a test and warning for them. Do you believe? He is not asking if they believe that He is the Savior. Certainly that has been tested already and their lives have evidenced faith. But the question does test whether their faith is hearty and adequate. Will they stand in difficulty and trouble? So He gives a warning of the days to come An hour is coming for you to be scattered That scattering was just hours away. When Christ went to the cross, everyone scattered. Only Peter and John were at the trial, and Peter denied Him. And hours after that, all the disciples were hiding in a locked room, wondering what would happen to them. And even after Jesus appeared to them, seven of the 11 (including Peter and John) went to Galilee to contemplate a return to their fishing careers (Jn. 21:1ff). Jesus prediction came true. They did all go to their own homes, they did leave Him alone. The failure of the disciples in that hour is a sober reminder for us: it is possible to have faith, understanding, and assurance, and still fail the Lord [Wiersbe, John 13-21] Failure in the believer is not fatal or final (if there is repentance). There is always hope for restoration. And their failure is also a reminder that the church depends ultimately on what God has done in Christ, not on the courage and wit of its first members. [Morris] or any other members! page 5 / 8

6 The success of the church is not dependent on the 11. Or us. It is dependent on Christ and the Father. While the disciples scattered and left Christ alone (a fulfillment of Zech. 13:7), He also notes, I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. That statement is profound. Jesus uses the present tense now the Father is with Him (when He is speaking those words). And in the coming hours, as the disciples leave, the Father is with Him. Even on the cross, as the Father was pouring out His wrath on the Son, there was still a sense in which Christ was not abandoned by the Father. Even in His death, He was satisfying to the Father (Is. 53:10-12; Jn. 8:29).! The disciples would be scattered. They would run in fear. They had trouble. From Friday, just before dusk, through Sunday morning they contemplated life without Christ if He was put to death, what would become of them?! And then in v. 33 Jesus promised them even more trouble in the world you have tribulation. That is, the world oppresses Christ s people and there are many kinds of distresses and afflictions and trials and burdens there are the problems of living in a fallen world (cancer, colds, and car accidents), and the battle against sin, and the difficulties of relationships (and how sin effects those relationships) and our physical limitations, the need to care for our children and grandchildren and spouses, and the burden of so many who need Christ, and corrupt governments and judges and laws do I need to go on? There are trials in this world. Those trials wouldn t be avoided by the disciples and they won t be avoided by us.! The disciples were scattered after Christ s death and the church was scattered (by persecution) in the first century, and the church is still being scattered, both through the sinful rebellion of rejecting Christ, and the persecution of the church by the world. This is the reality in which the disciples lived and we should expect nothing different.! But that does not mean that they or we should be hopeless. And here we come to the culmination of this passage The believer s HOPE (v. 33)! Frequently Jesus said things that just didn t seem to fit the context. Things like Your sins are forgiven and I and the Father are One and (to Peter) Get behind Me, Satan. And this verse contains another of those shocking statements: These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. Really? the disciples had to be thinking You said that ( tribulation ) so that we would have peace?! Indeed He did. When Jesus used the word peace, He used it to refer to an absence of strife and a sense of contentment and rest in the midst of suffering. This was a particular theme on that night (Jn. 14:27) and after the resurrection (20:19, 21, 26). And remember that Jesus advent began with a declaration of His coming peace (Lk. 2:14) a peace that came from reconciliation with God; now His ministry culminates with a declaration of a life of peace in the midst of turmoil. Whatever the trouble, peace prevails. [Carson] page 6 / 8

7 ! And then He adds take courage. The word means be of good cheer, be comforted, be bold Most people are generally bold when there is no trouble. But give some trouble and mix in a little trial and stir it with interpersonal conflict and boldness and courage flees. Yet Jesus says to the 11 in the coming troubles and trials, be bold and strong.! How can Jesus say this? It seems preposterous. He says it for one reason and this is the heart of this passage I have overcome the world. He doesn t say, be courageous because you have overcome the world. The personal pronoun is emphatic I. I, Jesus. I alone. Because I have overcome the world, you be strong. What does He mean by overcome? It is the basic word for victory. He means I am the victor. And this victory is not merely a personal victory of Christ He has protected Himself and His life He is victor over the world for all men and on behalf of all who will believe. It is a corporate victory accomplished by Him alone for His body, the church. And He has defeated everything on earth everywhere on earth. It s all in submission to Him. And notice that He doesn t say, I am about to go to the cross and I will die and be resurrected and on Sunday morning I will overcome the world and sin and death. No, He says, I have (already!) overcome. On Thursday night before the cross Jesus is already victorious and the conquering King. The cross and the resurrection will affirm and reveal it, but He is already the Conqueror. And the force of the verb overcome also means that Christ has overcome and His victory extends forward in time He already is and always will be victor. Where did Christ win this battle against the world? over Satan in the wilderness of temptation (Mt. 4:1-11) in binding the power of Satan (Mt. 12:29) in repeatedly casting demons from people (cf. Mk. 1:22ff) in preventing Satan from carrying out his plan until it became God s time (Lk. 22:53) in living a life of righteousness fulfilling every aspect of God s Law (Mt. 5:17-18)! Before Christ ever went to the cross, He was already victorious. That was a Savior in full control of His destiny in the courtroom and on the cross and in the grave and on resurrection morning. Every action of Christ on those days were the actions of a victor, doing the work to demonstrate His victory.! And friends, the astounding part of this message is that the victory wasn t for Him. It was for us. He was victor over righteousness and sin and death and Satan so that we could be freed from sin and the wrath of God and the hopelessness of life and so that we could live boldly with and for Him.! Friend, you don t have to sin. Christ is victor.! Friend, death never wins. Christ is victor.! Friend, righteousness is possible. Christ is victor.! Friend, peace and contentment and boldness are not empty commands. Christ is victor.! Friend, take courage. Christ has overcome the world. page 7 / 8

8 CONCLUSION: If Christ is not resurrected and Christ is not victorious, then there is nothing else in the Scriptures that is worthwhile or purposeful. If we have pursued Christ and He s beaten and conquered, then everything about following Him is useless and vain. But because Christ is victorious, everything about following Him is worthwhile. Which is why Paul says, Just as it is written, for your sake we are being put to death all day long; we were considered as sheep to be slaughtered. But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. (Rom 8:36 37). Christ is risen. Christ is victorious. Take courage. BENEDICTION: Romans 8:31-39 page 8 / 8