[Transcript represents full sermon's text]

       John chapter 16, starting in verse 1:“I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you” (ESV).

       Before our eyes is an often overlooked verse, and this overlooked verse is John 16:1. John 16:1. If only people would take it to heart. Yet, it is usually what we don’t want to hear. What Jesus is telling us is that choosing to be a Christian does not necessarily equate to roses and cherries. In becoming saved—choosing to surrender our life over to God—over to Jesus—doesn’t equate to only receiving worldly blessing after worldly blessing. Sure, that may happen and blessings will come, but it may also not happen. Jesus stated, “I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away.” He didn’t say, “I have said all these things to you to keep you full of faith and happiness.” Why not? If it was only blessings to come, wouldn’t that have been the case? Certainly so. But because it may not be that way—because persons may in fact come against us—because Satan and his powers may war against us—Jesus was informing his disciples and informs us today that bad circumstances can happen. The warning set before us is there to try to prevent us from arriving at a wrong idea. Some Christian teachers, as many of us are aware, teach and preach that wrong idea as the only and always. They can seem to make it out that everything is going to be good from here on out. Commit your life to Christ, and life will get better and better. More and more blessings they may say. Jesus is telling his disciples, “Hold up. I’m telling you that bad stuff is going to happen, so that when it does happen, you won’t fall away because you are surprised by it.”

       Specifically, in our context on John 16, Jesus is speaking of things from a Jewish perspective. That’s why, right off the bat, he says, “They will put you out of the synagogues.” The implication is obvious that for those who become Christians, chances are they’re going to be thrown out of the Jewish church. A big deal that would be, a big deal. Remember, we are talking about more of a collective society at this time period, wherein individuals leaned on each other more than they do in our day and age, at least in twenty-first century America. People’s social-identity as at stake. They were going to lose it. Then, if that wasn’t enough already, Jesus notes that this will lead all the way—all the way to a lose of life for people. Big costs, all the way down to giving one’s life for their belief in Jesus. On top of that, the people, again the Jewish individuals in the context, who are doing this will in fact think, they will believe, that what they are doing, in killing the Christians, is actually what God in Heaven wants them to do. In the name of God will these works be done—thinking he is on their side. That’s the worst of the worst, a particularly bad day. Already, we know it’s going to happen to Christ himself within the next 24 hours from this scene, and of course we know it’s going to happen to most, if not all of the Eleven disciples. And we also know that it’s going to happen to numerous other believers, right after this time, namely from people like Saul of Tarsus (aka Paul), and others. It will happen all the way up into the present time. Many, many Christians will give their lives for their belief in Jesus.

       Nowadays, to us, as twenty-first century American Christians, this idea, at least immediately to us, is a foreign idea. Sure, we hear the stories of Christians who suffer around the world. Perhaps our church sponsors a family or two who’s run into trouble overseas. Their lives probably haven’t been given up, but perhaps they’ve had other issues wherever they are serving. That’s about as far as it goes for most of us. Yes, we hear the stories on the news every once and a while, and we may even throw up a prayer every once in a blue moon for certain, specific situations, but we aren’t really close to these matters most of the time. The idea of giving our lives up because we believe in Jesus seems distant. Really, defensiveness sets in since we believe we have the ‘right’ to have faith in Jesus. Indeed we do, at least, in the United States. Our freedom of religion is present, a beautiful freedom. We possess that right. Howbeit, many others around the world do not, and some even deliberately give up that safety and venture into regions where that right doesn’t exist to try to help other persons. It’s a big calling, and some are daring enough, and gifted let’s not forget, in order to do that. These are folks, it seems safe to say, who will be among the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven. Truly, for sure.

       Hebrews chapter 11, specifically staring in verse 32, recounts these types of sufferings, and we are all aware of the sufferings of the last 2,000 years of Christian history to some degree. Likely the most prominent in our minds is the sufferings which occurred in Europe over the last 500 years or so. The sufferings of our forefathers of our faith, starting with Martin Luther and going from there. Of course, we may be familiar even with the sufferings of the Anabaptists, which are recorded and remembered in their book titled ‘Martyrs Mirror,’ which was first published back in the 1600s. Those brothers and sisters still recount the events and sacrifices to this very day. We Evangelicals learn of the sufferings during the grade-school years to some degree, but we assuredly aren’t as familiar with them, much to our discredit.

       Verse 4 continued: “I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it 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 go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged” (ESV).

       The older we are life, the more likely it is we know what it is like to lose a friend. In grade-school we experienced that on a basic level. We would move up a grade and be in a different class, and perhaps our best friend was no longer there next to us. Perhaps growing up we even experienced a move to a different town, and in doing so we lost our friends. Christ is going back to the Father, and the disciples are filled with sorrow. Interestingly enough, they probably aren’t filled with that sorrow due to Christ’s departure, but rather due to what he just spoke in the last section regarding the sufferings they are going to face. There is, no doubt, at this point a lack of surrendered-ness among them. They aren’t surrendered as pertains to the world. Still in love with the world they were, as we so often are. The eyes were fixed on that Millennial Kingdom which they believed was right around the corner. Moments away, they thought. On the contrary, Jesus is totally pulling a 180 on them from their perspective. Instead of becoming governing royalty, they arrive only to find that the opposite is true. Actually, suffering was on the plate for the Gospel’s sake, and not only suffering but eventually death. Many of the people are going to hate them, especially and immediately their fellow Israelites—those of their own blood. It’s a total shift in thinking for them, and they aren’t taking it well. Probably don’t even entirely believe it, as we still know that Peter is going to deny Jesus. Their minds just aren’t there yet.

       Anyhow, the focus of Jesus is on the good part of his departure, and this is going to lead to, like it was supposed to be from the very beginning, they are going to be able to live alongside with God—God actually inside them, with them at all times. Adam and Eve had unbroken fellowship with God, though he would himself come and go. Now, the disciples of Jesus are going to have back that unbroken fellowship. God with them at all times. It’s an incredible thing. The real advantage of Jesus’ departure. It’s not simply God with them, but Jesus calls him their “Helper.” His arrival will be to help them along the way, just as he helps us today in our lives—even though we mostly don’t face any kind of persecution here in America. Yet, his job won’t only be to indwell the disciples, but he will work with the world. Jesus says it is going to be his responsibility to “convict the world concerning sin.” That’s the first thing. To show persons how they are sinning. Then, he will “convict them concerning… righteousness.” He will show individuals what is right, and what they ought to be doing, how they ought to be living. And finally, he will “convict the world concerning… judgment.” He’s going to show people what will happen if indeed they choose not to make any change. A foretaste of that will they receive from time to time, and a warning as pertains to the coming Hell. He will warn them that if they don’t take God’s provided provision for them, because he loved them, that events are going to get ugly, and really ugly at that.

       This conviction of “sin and righteousness and judgment” also has direct application to the Jews, to the Israelites. He’s saying that they have sinned since they have rejected him as the Messiah, and, of course, many still hold to that belief to this very day. In fact, most Jewish persons do, whether they realize it directly or not. The righteousness part denotes that a person did come to the earth and follow the Jewish Law perfectly, and yet the Jewish people won’t acknowledge that. A lack of acknowledging the righteousness of Christ which is visible in looking at his life in the past. And finally, the judgment part shows that all these people are actually counting on their own father to save them—that person we know as Satan—but the problem is that he is already been judged. He has been shown to not be in control like they (unconsciously) think that he is. The god they are counting on, ironically, has already lost and they don’t realize that fact. It’s a serious error, a serious error. The belief is present that the God of the Old Testament is on their side, but that God isn’t, at least, as pertains to salvation. The god they actually believe in, the one they are following, is God’s arch enemy. He’s the one at the root of their unbelief. Since they are counting on him, they are condemned already because he can’t save them, isn’t going to save them, doesn’t want to save them, and doesn’t even have the power to save them if wanted to. The problem is what John has already told us, “And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God” (John 3:19-21, ESV). The true Jew is the one who comes to the light, who comes to Jesus.

       Verse 12: “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you” (ESV).

       For Christ to go over everything that he wants his disciples to know would be a complete overload at this point. Their understanding of things is a process, just like it is for us, and we have to learn slowly over time. Now, we know that the Holy Spirit is going to lead the disciples into further truth, as he starts that process at the beginning of The Book of Acts, specifically on the day of Pentecost. The disciples continue to learn more and more, both through study and understanding and also through experience. We know that the whole New Testament will end up being written, which we believe is the inspired Word of God, the final authority of everything God has for us in the end. The Spirit has indeed revealed everything to us, everything that we need to know. Interestingly enough, Peter would write later, “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire” (2 Peter 1:3, 4, ESV). That pretty much summarizes the whole thing. Everything the Spirit has given to us, all the words of the New Testament, are from Jesus, and those things are actually from the Father. All three Person of the Trinity are in agreement.

       Verse 16: “A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me.” So some of his disciples said to one another, “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 am going to the Father’?” So they were saying, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We do not know what he is talking about” (ESV).

       Several meanings could be attributed to what Jesus is saying. In once sense, he could mean that they won’t see him anymore as he’s about to be killed on the cross. And then they will see him when he rises from the dead. That’s one understanding. Another understanding is that they won’t see him anymore when he ascends to Heaven, and then they will see him in the Person of the Holy Spirit when he comes upon them on the day of Pentecost. That’s another interpretation. Still yet, a third understanding could be that they won’t see him again until the Second Coming, or some might even say The Rapture of the Church. Nevertheless, under this third understanding, it is significantly later. Really, in analyzing it, it could be any one of the three possibilities. We know in Matthew chapters 24 and 25, right toward the end of his earthly ministry, that Jesus discussed The Second Coming. A clear presentation in those chapters. So, he definitely had The Second Coming on his mind, thus making that a possible interpretation. Whatever the case, there is going to be an absence, whether that is a short period of time or a long period of time. Despite that, the Holy Spirit will be with them. So, the actual absence without God directly present with them, or within them, will be short. Unfortunately, in all of this, despite what he has taught to them as recorded in John 15 and 16, and despite what he taught in Matthew 24 and 25, they still don’t get what he means. The glory of the possibly of the Millennial Kingdom as right around the corner is holding its place in their minds.

       Verse 19: “Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, “Is this what you are asking yourselves, what I meant by saying, ‘A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me’? Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full” (ESV).

       No question exists that the disciples aren’t going to like the fact that their plans, what they thought was going to happen, isn’t going to happen. When Jesus is crucified, when the leader of their group, their uprising almost if you, is killed, there plans of the glorious Millennial Kingdom are going to be brought to nothing. At least, that’s the way they will perceive it. Notice that Jesus says “the world will rejoice.” Pause should be taken at this point, as, in the context, the use of the word “world” denotes the Jewish population, particularly those who do not believe in him. It’s those folks Jesus has in mind when he notes “the world.” Some question exists, in our day and age, whether everyone on the earth, those who aren’t Christians, are always against Christians. It is assumed in Evangelical Christianity that those who aren’t part of the church are automatically against the church. Of course, many times that is the case, but it may not universally be the case. The Gentiles see the world differently from the Jews, and there are groups of Gentiles who strive not to be against anybody. Even Jewish persons in our time may not be particularly against Christians. Unfortunately, with Evangelicals, as pertains the people of the world outside the church, there is way too much of an “us” versus “them” mentality. Defensiveness and more defensiveness. People want to draw clear lines, and those lines often end up divisive and turn persons off from the faith. The Evangelicals usually want to fault other groups for being intolerant, but they themselves can be a very intolerant group of people.

       Just as a mother has to go through the unfortunate pain of childbirth due to the curse caused by sin, so Jesus has to go through the unfortunate misery of the cross due to the curse of sin. Neither is good in the pain-part of it. Neither was God’s original design, or what God originally wanted all the back before sin entered the world. But this is what events have come to. This is what God’s plan in the moment is. Jesus knows that the pain will pass, as the writer of Hebrews has noted, and he’s telling the disciples that the pain will be short-lived. The whole event is going to pass. Sin will be dealt with once and for all, and individuals will now have the opportunity to be in right relationship with God without the problem of the sin-issue. Just as Jesus will be happy when it is all over, so will the disciples. Happiness will ensue for each of them.

       When Jesus is present with the disciples again, they won’t have to ask anything of him, and after he leaves, they will ask the Father. They will be indwelled by the Holy Spirit starting at Pentecost, where God’s work through them will begin. There, they will ask God of what they need. We remember the famous section in Acts where Peter is imprisoned and they are all praying to God. We can look at that as a famous fulfillment of this section of Scripture. The whole thing of asking and receiving seems to be tied to the work that the disciples are going do. It’s not that we can’t ask God for anything we want. We certainly can and do. In the personal experience, it has been noted that when asking God as pertains to his work, the answer almost seems to be prioritized versus personal requests. It’s not that God doesn’t care about the personal requests or doesn’t think they are important, but it’s just something about asking for things when we are in ministry. When there are ministry needs, it seems like sometimes as if God moves those to the top of the priority. Certainly, God wants more and more people to believe in him, and he wants individuals to be helped in general through the good works of the church, whatever those works may be. Of course, this makes us as believers joyful, and even full of joy at times. We like to see persons helped. Herein seems to be more of the focus to what Jesus is discussing. It’s not that God becomes a genie in a bottle ready to give us this or that. He cares, but that doesn’t appear to be the image in mind.

       Verse 25: “I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech but 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 will ask the Father on your behalf; for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God” (ESV).

       Part of the reason Jesus is likely speaking in figures of speech is because these statements have the Jewish people in mind. We can remember that he told all his parables in the other Gospels—though those aren’t recorded for us in John. In fact, Matthew records a reason why Jesus spoke like this, in what we might call in our language today as conceivably cryptic, when it says, “All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without a parable. This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet: “I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world” (Matthew 13:34, 35, ESV). So, there’s a reason. Nevertheless, the day is coming when events and circumstances will be made plain. Of course, we as believers nowadays know this has happened. It happened through The Book of Acts and the epistles. Jesus spelled things out about as clearly as one can spell them out. Truly, a beautiful thing. That’s why we understand the Gospels even better than those listening at the time probably did. We have all that took place afterward, and the explanations from people like the Apostle Paul, Apostle Peter, and even the Apostle John himself in his epistles.

       Take note that Jesus tells the disciples that the Father himself loves them. An important point presents itself at this moment. It’s not that the Father is against the disciples, and Jesus has to twist his arm to see things differently. It’s not even that he has to stand before them and say, “See, I died for their sin, so you can love them.” Now, many, many, many preachers will tell you that’s the way it is. The speaker, in all probability, has taught that in the past. But John already noted that God loves the world before anyone is actually ‘saved,’ to use an Evangelical term. God already loves individuals before they decided to believe in Jesus. Have you ever realized that fact? It’s an important one, and if considered carefully, it will change how you see God. God is not some domineering dictator who has to be coerced into loving persons. That’s not the way it works. There’s also the point that the disciples loved Jesus, whom they saw with their eyes. In seeing this, God all the more loved them, because they accepted his only Son. It’s not just the general love the Father has at this point, but now he loves them, the disciples, as his own. It’s double for us. It is as Paul told the Romans, “Who shall bring any charge against God's elect?” (Romans 8:33, ESV). When we have chosen God, God really stands up for us.

       Verse 28: “I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father.” His disciples said, “Ah, now you are speaking plainly and not using figurative speech! Now we know that you know all things and do not need anyone to question you; this is why we believe that you came from God.” Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (ESV).

       In all of this discussion, Jesus finally tells the disciples plainly what he is talking about. Nonetheless, it’s not a time to celebrate. It’s not a time to rejoice in the disciples belief in him. They are all, in essence, going to deny him, not just Peter. Sure, Peter verbally does, but they all are really going to do it, including John. The Person they say they love, that Person they are going to abandon and leave alone. Regardless, Jesus encourages himself that really he’s not alone. He speaks that of himself. He reminds himself that the Father is with him. Presented before us is a foreshadow and encouragement, since, no matter where we are, God is with us in the Person of the Holy Spirit. Really, Jesus will later tell these disciples, and really us, that he will be with us always, and at no time will that cease. This is our true peace, our true peace. There is nothing on the earth that can give us greater peace than knowing that the Father is with us. Consider that. Everything else can be taken away from us and lost. All people, places, and things. Yet, the Father, he cannot be taken away from us, no matter what. Satan cannot take that. The earth cannot take that. Other people cannot take it. That’s our peace. Jesus tells us that certainly the world isn’t going to cooperate with what we want all the time. That’s the nature of the world. People aren’t going to believe in the disciples’ message, just like not everyone believed in Jesus’ message. In the end, no matter what, we can rest. We can “Take heart” as Jesus put it, because in overcoming the world, we always have him, and he holds everything in place.

- Daniel Litton