Introduction How does the Bible teacher make things simple, understandable, obtainable, accessible? John 16 has been a difficult chapter. The disciples are hurt, broken, confused, terrified. They simply are unable to receive the message that their beloved Savior will be taken from them. Jesus has spoken gently but firmly that God s plan includes His death and resurrection; Jesus must go and prepare a place for them; and send the Holy Spirit to prepare them for that place. The ministry of Jesus has brought great blessing; but now greater blessing through the work of the Holy Spirit will magnify and multiply the work of Christ. We learned that the Holy Spirit convicts the world (vv.1-11); of sin (v.9); of righteousness (v.10); of judgment (v.11) and the Spirit instructs, counsels and encourages the believer (vv.12-15). With encouragement comes specific instructions and in that day (v.23) the Holy Spirit will help the believer experience effective pray (vv.23-33). In sorrow Jesus speaks of joy (vv. 20-22; 24, 33). The simple principle is God brings joy. How does God bring joy? The Lord does not substitute our sorrow for joy--but rather transforms our sorrow into joy. The illustration of the woman giving birth makes this unmistakably clear; the same baby that brings the pain; causes the pain; brings joy; causes the joy. The person in pain, the person in sorrow, the person crushed by sad circumstances or sad news finds it difficult to even imagine a time free from that sorrow and free from that pain. Joy seems so distant so unavailable. The Cross of Calvary looms large in the distance. But that cross--the source of so much pain and so much humiliation will be the portal, the gateway, the road back to The Father. Jesus will rise from the dead. Jesus will return to His Father. Jesus will speak of a little while (16:16-19); a little weeping, a little word, and a little wait. Sometimes time seems to stand still and sorrow acts like a concussion; we are numb and inattentive; the words of Jesus seem spoken under water or under pressure. We read a little while ; we read a little weeping we read a little word we read a little wait but life s sorrow seems to drag on a long while; the sorrow an endless stream of tears; the explanations, incomprehensible; the wait--forever. The resurrection may seem like so much theo-babble; religious words to make religious people feel better about their not so religious situation. The resurrection is not simply a theological concept to make hurting people feel better about their bad situation; the resurrection provides principles that we need to lay hold of; promises we must believe; and positions we must claim. The Perplexity Of A Coming Resurrection (vv.16-19) 1
John 16:16 (NKJV) 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. There seems to be some dispute whether the phrase because I go to the Father appears in the original manuscript or the autograph. The clause is not contained in some older Greek manuscripts; some suggest because I go to the Father was added from verse 10 or verse 17. All of the apostles who heard Jesus speak these words did not live to see the second coming of Jesus. The church seems to have been waiting a long while for the return of Jesus Christ. John 16:17 (NKJV) 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? The disciples do not seem to grasp the words of Jesus. They do what we often do--they begin to discuss among themselves the meaning of Jesus words rather than ask the Lord Himself. John 16:18 (NKJV) They said therefore, What is this that He says, A little while? We do not know what He is saying. Jesus is speaking of His death and resurrection. Jesus predicted His death and resurrection; and the concept and fact of the resurrection continues to perplex people. There are people who deny the resurrection. Those who embrace a naturalist or materialist worldview; who believe the universe is a vast mysterious place of matter and energy; who postulate the possibility of multiple universes; reject the presence of any supernatural forces able to reassemble and reunite the composite particles that are distinctly you. John Burdon Sanderson Haldane 1892-1964; geneticist and evolutionary biologist; It is my supposition that the Universe is not only queerer than we imagine, is queerer than we can imagine. Note: C.S. Lewis wrote his Space Trilogy in response to Haldane s popular lectures on science. C.S. Lewis considered Haldane a very immoral man. Haldane willed his body to science. "My body has been used for both purposes during my lifetime and after my death, whether I continue to exist or not, I shall have no further use for it, and desire that it shall be used by others. Its refrigeration, if this is possible, should be a first charge on my estate." The Three Laws of Arthur C Clarke, (1917 to 2008) Law 1. When a distinguished but elderly scientist says something is possible, he is almost certainly right. When he says it is impossible, he is very probably wrong. Law 2. But the only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past 2
them into the impossible. Law 3. Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. Some people are open but unconvinced concerning a resurrection. John 16:19 (NKJV) 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 in effect is saying; You want to know what I mean--don t you? The Particulars Of A Coming Resurrection (vv.20-22) John 16:20 (NKJV) 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. Jesus makes it clear the disciples will weep and will lament. The world does not want the Lord Jesus Christ or His Church. The world rejoices while Christians suffer. Why will the world rejoice? In their minds the death of Jesus would prove He was no different from anyone else; not really the Son of God; his death would prove He was only a self-described Savior who was now dead. Death would prove Christ false--and his commands and demands non-binding--no more meaningful or meaningless than anyone else. Human beings would not have to deny themselves pick up their cross or follow Him. Our sorrow by definition becomes joy the moment we realize Jesus does not simply cheat death or conquer death; but makes it possible for us to cheat death and conquer death. John 16:21 (NKJV) 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. The expression translated she is in labor is all one word in Greek; tikto--which is the verb give birth to. There is no deep mystery to what Jesus is saying; every woman who has ever had a baby knows that one minute in labor may seem like one hour. Our concept of time changes with our feelings. For me--time stands still in the Dentist s chair. A man was told by his Doctor that he had one year to live. What will I do? The man repeated over and over again. The Doctor replied; Marry an Italian woman. Your one year will seem like many years. And when you die--you ll be glad your gone. 3
John 16:22 (NKJV) 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....but I will see you again... Franz Kafka the atheistic existentialist famously said; The meaning of life is that it ends. Jesus Christ refuted Kafka when He proved the meaning of life must include the fact that it never ends. Jesus gives the immediate application; your sorrow will soon become joy. The ultimate application applies to every Christian in every age; who has experienced the death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ for themselves in their lives. The believer s joy is the knowledge that Jesus really did rise from the dead; but that death and resurrection allow for the forgiveness of sins and abundant eternal life. The joy is permanent, deep-seated and unmovable. The trials and the sorrows come; but we experience those trials and sorrows always in light of Christ s resurrection. Peter encouraged people that God does not measure time the way we measure time. While we wait we measure our sorrow and our trial and our affliction not on the basis of substitution but rather on transformation. If we expect to grow, if we expect to mature, if we expect to complete the process of character transformation we must allow the work of God to continue in our lives--until we die--or until Christ comes. We are given permission to weigh our current suffering against the coming glory (see also Rom. 8:18). The Presence To The Father In The Resurrection (vv.23-24) John 16:23 (NKJV) 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. ask Me nothing --here the word translated ask is erotao which means ask a question (ask Jesus no more questions) but you ask the Father in My name (ask translates aiteo) which is to ask for--as in ask for something. What day is Jesus making reference? Is this the day He rises from the dead? Clearly Jesus keeps his promise when He appears to the apostles and disciples during the 40 day period between His resurrection and ascension into heaven. Wiersbe suggests that day cannot refer to the day He returns for His church because there is no evidence in the Scripture that we pray to Jesus once we are in His presence in heaven. Wiersbe likes the idea that it refers to the day of Pentecost; the coming of the Holy Spirit; the days following the outpouring of the Holy Spirit (see TBEC Vol.1; p.365). 4
John 16:24 (NKJV) Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. Once again the verb translated ask is aiteo--ask for something--the resurrection of Jesus gives us access to the Father. We can approach the Father. We can ask in Jesus name--that is we ask for that which is consistent with Christ s character and counsel and will. We believe we are accepted in Christ; we are made righteous in Christ; For he has made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him (2 Cor.5:21). The Provision Of Revelation About The Father In The Resurrection (vv.25-27) John 16:25 (NKJV) 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. paroimia = figurative language. The word means sayings hard to understand. What has Jesus told us plainly about the Father? John 16:26 (NKJV) In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you; John 16:27 (NKJV) for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God. loves you and loved Me the Greek verb in both cases is phileo which expresses fondness or affection. The statement itself is stunning. the Father Himself loves you. It is not simply the statement, but the timing of the statement; Jesus speaks these words before He dies on 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 Vol. 2). Jesus has told us something about the Father s compassion; the Father cares for those who are gripped by sin and death; of salvation; the Father s willingness to save us from the bondage of sin and death; of God s power--his ability to carry out that plan by overruling all and by raising us from the dead! Jesus has revealed something about God s justice--by not allowing someone completely innocent; someone unjustly killed to remain dead--but has raised Jesus back to life. 5
1 Peter 1:3-4 (NKJV) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, The Positive Proof In The Resurrection (v.28) John 16:28 (NKJV) I came forth from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world and go to the Father. The resurrection proves Jesus claim to be the Messiah. The Proof Of Weak Faith In The Prophecy Of Resurrection (vv.29-32) John 16:29 (NKJV) His disciples said to Him, See, now You are speaking plainly, and using no figure of speech! John 16:30 (NKJV) 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. should question You erotao The disciples affirm their understanding, their faith, their assurance. Jesus has told the disciples a little about the Holy Spirit; about how to transform sorrow into joy; they have listened to Jesus teaching on communicating with the Father; the disciples have been assured of God s love. Pretty heady stuff. Is it possible to understand, to have faith, to have assurance and still fail the Lord? Wiersbe: Unless we practice that faith, apply that understanding, and rest on that assurance, we will fail when the time of testing comes. That is what happened to the disciples, and Jesus warned them that it would happen (TBEC Vol.1p.366). John 16:31 (NKJV) Jesus answered them, Do you now believe? Jesus asks them a bigger question; a sobering question; a question each person is confronted with sometime in their life. Do we really believe all that Jesus has said? John 16:32 (NKJV) 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. Zechariah 13:7 (NKJV) Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, 6
Against the Man who is My Companion, Says the Lord of hosts. Strike the Shepherd, And the sheep will be scattered; Then I will turn My hand against the little ones. The Perfect Peace Planned In The Resurrection (v.33) John 16:33 (NKJV) 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. George Morrison defined peace as the possession of adequate resources. 1 John 5:4 (NKJV) For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world our faith. Conclusion The resurrection turns our sorrow into joy. God transforms sorrow into joy. But the principle makes no sense and has no meaning unless we believe His promise and pray. God has ordained that His work is accomplished through believing prayer. But we will not be able to pray effectively until we claim our position as conquerors in Jesus Christ (TBEC Vol. 1; p.366). Prayer is not a last extremity, it s a first necessity. Prayer will put backbone where your wishbone is. 7