John 16

In My Name…

JOHN 16:01-33

1“These things I have spoken to you so that you will not be led into sin. 2 They will ban you from the synagogue, yet an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering a service to God. 3 These things they will do because they have not known the Father nor Me. 4 But these things I have spoken to you, so that when their hour comes, you may remember that I told you of them. However, I did not say these things to you at the beginning, because I was with you.

5 “But now I am going to Him who sent Me; and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ 6 But because I have said these things to you, grief has filled your heart. 7 But I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I am leaving; for if I do not leave, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.8 And He, when He comes, will convict the world regarding sin, and righteousness, and judgment: 9 regarding sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 and regarding righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you no longer are going to see Me;11 and regarding judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.

12 “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them at the present time. 13 But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take from Mine and will disclose it to you. 15 All things that the Father has are Mine; this is why I said that He takes from Mine and will disclose it to you.

16 “A little while, and you no longer are going to see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me.” 17 So some of His disciples said to one another, “What is this that He is telling us, ‘A little while, and you are not going to see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me’; and, ‘because I am going to the Father’?” 18 So they were saying, “What is this that He says, ‘A little while’? We do not know what He is talking about.” 19 Jesus knew that they wanted to question Him, and He said to them, “Are you deliberating together about this, that I said, ‘A little while, and you are not going to see Me, and again a little while, and you will see Me’? 20 Truly, truly I say to you that you will weep and mourn, but the world will rejoice; you will grieve, but your grief will be turned into joy! 21 Whenever a woman is in labor she has [f]pain, because her hour has come; but when she gives birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy that a [g]child has been born into the world. 22 Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one is going to take your joy away from you.

23 And on that day you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you. 24 Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.

25 “These things I have spoken to you in figures of speech; an hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech, but will tell you plainly about the Father. 26 On that day you will ask in My name, and I am not saying to you that I will request of the Father on your behalf; 27 for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came forth from the Father. 28 I came forth from the Father and have come into the world; again, I am leaving the world and going to the Father.”

29 His disciples *said, “See, now You are speaking plainly and are not [h]using any figure of speech. 30 Now we know that You know all things, and that You have no need for anyone to question You; this is why we believe that You came forth from God.” 31 Jesus replied to them, “Do you now believe? 32 Behold, an hour is coming, and has already come, for you to be scattered, each to his own home, and to leave Me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. 33 These things I have spoken to you so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

JOHN 16:01-04

These things I have spoken to you so that you will not be led into sin

Earnest Shackleton supposedly took out an ad in the London Times on 29 December 1913 attempting to recruit explorers on his expedition to the Antarctic Circle.

“Men wanted for hazardous journey. Low wages, bitter cold, long hours of complete darkness. Safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in event of success.”

It is also alleged that 5,000 people responded to that ad. People don’t necessarily shirk away when they are called to a challenge—especially if the result has great meaning.

Jesus gives the same challenge to his closest followers. He was less than 5 kilometers away from where he would be tried and killed and knew he only had hours before they would come, and he would offer himself up. He had spent three years preparing the apostles for his succession and now the time was upon him.

This has not changed. If following Christ has been the easiest, most social, most popular choice you have made in your life, then you’ve been deceived, this is not the way of Jesus. The way of Jesus is a way of compassion, sacrifice and advocacy—but also great meaning.

Like Shackleton, Jesus is saying, “This will be the hardest decision you ever make, you will be ostracized for it, perhaps even tortured and killed. But you will also be bringing hope to the world.”

They will ban you from the synagogue, yet an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering a service to God.

In the last chapter, we learn that God is less into Big Plants as much as healthy vines. Sadly, many churches and denominations don’t follow this precedent. They have bought into the consumer belief that bigger is better.

How can you tell if you’re “growing healthier,” as compared to just “getting larger?” We can actually look at our own bodies for clues to this question. Here are five signs of healthy growth (physically as well as in our churches/denominations).

1. Does our increase in size correspond to an increase in strength and stamina?

Danger Sign: The church spends more time on internal experiences than community development

2. Does our increase in size correspond to a healthier looking physique?

Danger Sign: The church spends more time on internal experiences than community development

3. Does our increase in size correspond with an increase in energy and alacrity?

Danger Sign: The educational focus on the church is more about doctrine than social justice

4. Does our increase in size correspond to an increase in the capacity of our vital organs?

The church uses debt to finance internal growth

5. Are we increasing size in all the right places instead of the wrong ones?

The leadership spends more time working on Sunday Worship experiences than community restoration

Another consumer trap churches and denominations fall into is marketing. The only marketing that these groups should do is to let their works speak for them to the community. Instead of working on marketing or even on sermons, pastors should be leading people into service. You can tell a church is “on the vine” of Christ if their growth is coming from the most vulnerable in town and the worship is filled with personal experiences of people serving in the community. People always learn more working with each other than listening to a preacher.

Business guru and million-selling author, Tom Peters, coined the phrase, “Underpromise, Overdeliver” in his book, In Search of Excellence. It means to promise less than one intends to deliver. Christ would have none of this, he prepared his followers for the worst scenario. There was probably no punishment worse in a Jewish community than ostracism and this is part of the price that Jesus “sells” to his apostles. They will be ostracized; they will be tortured, and they will be killed. How’s that for a poster marketing your church’s services?

· Sin (Stumbling), skandalizō, [4624], from skandalon, [4625], a snare, bait, to cause to stumble

JOHN 16:05-11

“…it is to your advantage that I am leaving; for if I do not leave, the Helper will not come to you.”

Advantage was a strong word in the Greek of John’s time, it was forceful and implied bringing about what is profitable—for the common good. Not for self, not for my tribe, but all people. What “drives profit” for your life? For your group? Christ points to the “bottom line” of the Gospel-Centered life. Pursuing what is best for the common good.

You can tell so much about a leader if he/she is constantly preparing people for what will come after him/her. If a leader is not doing this and is, instead, trying to hold on to power, that is an indication that they are not doing their work for the common good, but for their own ego satisfaction.

I observe a lot of religious and political leaders today and do not see many who are constantly thinking about their succession plan and what is best to do for the Common Good. Not just their personal good, not just the good of their organization (party, church), but for all people—especially the vulnerable.

How do we make sure we are seeking the same type of “advantage” that Christ intends in our roles as leaders?

1. Lead to your strengths, but build teams around your blind spots

2. Passionately seek divergent opinions

3. Grow deep relationships with the vulnerable

4. Be extremely clear about your vision and values

Seeking the advantage of the common good is a lifelong pursuit and all-encompassing. It demands that one relinquish one’s ego and seek to humbly serve. It begins with the question, “How will I let go of the attention and grow someone else (or a team) committed to serving the common good?”

· Advantage, sumpherō, [4851a], to bring together, to be profitable, for the common good from [4862], Sun, together and [5342], pherō, to carry, bring forth, to endure, to be driven, to produce, to reach

And He, when He comes, will convict the world regarding sin, and righteousness, and judgment

How can you tell someone is prompted by the Holy Spirit? They know they have sinned; they feel a prompting guilt about the actions that continue their errant direction. No prompting/no Spirit. I say prompting guilt because it prompts a person to action; to change behavior, seek forgiveness or provide restitution, it is not a dwelling on sin or reveling/wallowing in guilt to draw attention to oneself. Dwelling on sin and guilt is missing the point (which is the literal definition of sin) as well. It is a way of self-massage and trolling for pity.

The Conviction of the Spirit leads us to change, to grow and to heal—ourselves and those we have harmed. It leads us to accept responsibility for our actions and to quit blaming others. A person who is full of blame is not full of the Spirit.

· When he comes, erchomai, [2064], to come, to go, to light, to give, to grow

· Convict, elegchō, [1651], to expose, to rebuke, to reprove

JOHN 16:12-15

“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth…”

I’m always interested when people say, “Let me be honest about this…” what does that mean? That they have been misleading me up to that point and will continue to mislead me without a disclaimer?

When people have to announce or advertise that they’re going to be honest, doesn’t that put into question what they are stating? I’m thinking particularly about Donald Trump’s Truth Social right now. Which, beside going bankrupt and unable to secure the legal rights to its own name, is built on a central lie of history, that the 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump.

One of the terms that define the Greek word, Truth, is certainty. There is certainty in truth. You don’t have to tell others you’re being honest if you’ve been honest all along and you certainly don’t have to remember what you made up.

It’s amazing to watch the Trump defenders—even his family—try and explain the ex-president’s actions and words. While watching them speak, you begin to understand the difference between “getting your facts straight…” and “getting your stories straight…”

It’s an obvious page from the Trump playbook (used by misleading autocrats for centuries) to try and get ahead of the narrative. Admit you did something less evil than what you will be convicted of doing, spin the story, wag the dog. Trump’s descent into half-truths following the Mar-A-Lago property raid by the FBI, is a classic study. First the Trump line was “there were no documents,” then, “whatever documents are found, were planted,” then, “they didn’t find any nuclear documents…”

Alternatively, Gospel-centered Christians are guided by truth. Truth is their teacher—and though sometimes—even though the lessons are hard—they are embraced. When we lie, we not only get stuck in the past, but we begin to dis-integrate. Our integrity falls apart. It tears at our life’s fabric.

It’s no wonder that famed social-psychologist, Erik Erikson, titled the last of the seven psycho-social developments in our lives, “Integration vs. Disintegration.” To the point that we can look back at our lives and see the pattern of truth and consistency, our well-being is assured. If our lives are fabrications and filled with deceiving ourselves and others, we begin to fall victim to our own falsehoods. Instead of peaceful closure to our days, we fall apart, even as the stories of our lives unravel.

If you’ve not necessarily lived a completely truthful life—few have—there’s hope for you in these words; as long as they lead to new action. The Guide of Truth (Holy Spirit) is available at any time and willing to compel us back to truth. This road back to honesty can seem hard, but compared to a disintegrating life, it is liberating.

· Guide, hodēgeō, [3594], to lead, to guide, to teach

· Truth, alētheia, [225], truth certainty, rightly, [from 227], alēthēs, to escape notice, truth, truthfully

He will disclose to you what is to come.

The Spirit is an advocate who brings back truth and announces of what is to come. This doesn’t mean we can become fortune tellers, but it does mean we can become prophetic. To be prophetic means to “forward tell…”

Jesus tells us that the poor will be prophetic and that we will always have them to remind us of the Lord’s work on earth. What do the prophetic do?

1. They make us uncomfortable when the status quo does NOT reflect justice

2. They remind us that society is not healthy if the vulnerable lack access to basic rights and freedoms

3. They move us to action on behalf of justice

To the extent that we do these things for others, we are acting in the Spirit of Jesus.

· Disclose, anaggellō, [312], to bring back word, to announce, to report the news, from [303, ana and 31b, [aggellō], to announce, upwards

JOHN 16:16-22

16 “A little while, and you no longer are going to see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me.” 17 So some of His disciples said to one another, “What is this that He is telling us, ‘A little while, and you are not going to see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me’; and, ‘because I am going to the Father’?” 18 So they were saying, “What is this that He says, ‘A little while’? We do not know what He is talking about.” 19 Jesus knew that they wanted to question Him, and He said to them, “Are you deliberating together about this, that I said, ‘A little while, and you are not going to see Me, and again a little while, and you will see Me’? 20 Truly, truly I say to you that you will weep and mourn, but the world will rejoice; you will grieve, but your grief will be turned into joy! 21 Whenever a woman is in labor she has pain, because her hour has come; but when she gives birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy that a child has been born into the world. 22 Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one is going to take your joy away from you.

Truly, truly I say to you that you will weep and mourn, but the world will rejoice; you will grieve, but your grief will be turned into joy!

“The world will rejoice…” remember that when Jesus refers to the world, he is referring to the cultural, religious and political leaders that saw him as a threat and put him to death. There will always be those who rejoice in discrimination and racism; injustice.

And if we don’t understand that, there should be some comfort knowing that even those closest to Jesus didn’t really understand what he was saying. What Jesus does remind his apostles is that this time of the world is as natural as a woman giving birth. What should we learn from this lesson?

1. Most men will have a hard time understanding the analogy

2. Most men won’t identify with the pain

3. It is miraculous

4. Most men won’t understand the significance—or the process—of the miracle

I truly wish we had the voices of the women followers of Jesus. It would be amazing to understand how they interpreted this lesson of Jesus.

· Rejoice, Chairō, [5463], to be glad, to greet joyfully

“…no one is going to take your joy away from you”

Our true joy is not up for grabs. Joy should not be compared with happiness. Happiness comes from the same root word as happenstance which implies luck. Joy is not lucky, it’s habitual.

You don’t feel joy because you had a good day, you have a good life because you choose joy.

· To take, airō, [142], to pull, to raise, to take up

· Joy, chara, [5479], joy, delight, rejoice, from [5463] chairō, rejoice, be glad, greet joyfully

JOHN 16:23-24

And on that day you will not question Me about anything.

Some leaders don’t want to be questioned about anything because their ego or grip on truth is so fragile. That is not the case with Jesus. He tells the Apostles they will not question him because they will know everything that he knows. False leaders don’t want followers to know everything. They want to keep them in the dark and lead them with preconstructed half-truths. These misconceptions are often designed to steer followers away from learning the actual truth or to minimize the impact of the shock when followers do learn the truth. It is becoming an increasingly common implement in some politicians (and pastors) toolboxes.

Do you want the people who depend on you to know the whole truth? Do you praise them when they research your viewpoints? Do you encourage them to question you if they have pressing doubts? Do you have as many people in your close group who disagree with you as those who agree?

Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.

We have already studied this phrase in detail and discussed that it does NOT mean, “Ask for anything and I’ll give it to you.” It means, “Ask for anything in my character and I will request it on your behalf.”

Having Jesus as our advocate before God is unbelievable, but it doesn’t mean we get whatever we desire. Jesus will ask on our behalf if it is within God’s will. Generally speaking, God’s will is not to ease our pain or add to our personal pleasure. What questions can we ask ourselves to make sure that what we request is within God’s will?

1. How does this lead to the growth of God’s vulnerable people?

2. How does this lead to the growth of those around us to be more compassionate?

3. How does this deepen my own compassion and growth?

4. Is my “fullest joy” seeing others treated fairly and equitably, is that what the fulfillment of my requests would lead to?

If we can’t answer these questions in the positive, then it is doubtful that our request in made in God’s authority or character.

· …in my name, onoma, [3688], in my authority, in my character

· …request it for you, erōtaō, [2065], implore, beg, urge

· …made full, plēroō, [4134], completed, accomplished, made complete

JOHN 16:25-28

“I came forth from the Father and have come into the world; again, I am leaving the world and going to the Father.”

Jesus came forth from God. “Came Forth” is a powerful phrase. It means to go forth, to spread, also to inspire and create expectation. Jesus was also aware of his “leaving.”

It gives us balance to habitually remind ourselves from whom we came forth and to where (whom) we are going forth (leaving).

· I came forth, exerchomai, [1831], to go forth, to spread, to go or come out of. From [1537, Ek] to belong, to inspire and Erchomai, [2064], to enter, to be expected

· Leaving, aphiēmi, [863], to give permission, to divorce, to forgive, to leave. From Apo, [575], to belong, to desert, to leave

JOHN 16:29-33

I am not alone, because the Father is with Me

Alone and lonely. They don’t mean the same thing. We know that Jesus ultimately faced his death physically alone, but was he lonely?

It is important to remember that Jesus did not allow himself any “miraculous crutches” while he suffered for us, so we can only assume that he was terribly lonely and alone while he was crucified. He allowed himself to be like us in all ways and we can only imagine the brokenness that one must feel when abandoned by all friends and betrayed by a close follower. Was he sustained by his sense of purpose?

All of us face alone and lonely times and it’s important to know that Jesus faced them too. He chose to face them. He chose to know all of our pain and not be relieved by heavenly angels. We know only that John the Beloved and Mary his mother came to comfort him. We don’t know if Mary, Martha and Lazarus were in the crowd that day as well. But they also teach us about bravery in the face of trials. Often, our greatest gift is to be present and refuse to look away or walk away when a loved one is suffering. Hold their space in your heart.

To follow the Gospel Christ, we must learn to love fiercely with just our presence.

· Alone, Monos, [3441], only one, private, themselves

In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world

It must not have looked like Jesus had overcome the world. The Apostles knew that the Religious and Political leaders had decided he must die, and that Jesus was not fleeing them but going straight towards them. With each day, he moved closer to their stronghold, took bolder actions and spoke more inciteful words.

Tribulation reveals the cracks in our character. How we respond to it, reveals the depth of our faith and personality. I know my character is tested by difficulty and only when I’m deeply centered am I able to take courage during stress. We need to build upon the habits that give us that kind of courage.

What this should teach us is that courage is not the lack of tribulation, it is strength during tribulation. What habits do you practice to deepen that kind of character in yourself? I know for me, those practices include at least 7 habits.

1. Regular exercise outdoors

2. Solitude

3. A listening spirit

4. A humble spirit

5. Healthy relationships

6. Challenging hobbies

7. Acts of justice

· Tribulation, Thlipsis, [2346], persecuted, anguish, affliction, from thlibō, [2346], to crowd, distress, to narrow

· Take Courage, Tharseō, [2293], be of good courage, take courage, from tharsos, [2294], bold

· I have overcome, nikaō, [3528], to conquer, to prevail from nikē, [3529], victory