The Gospel of John , Chapter 16: 16-33

I’ve been considering these verses a couple of days. They mean exactly what they say….but there is another message being conveyed here. Jesus is about to be betrayed by Judas and when he is arrested his disciples scatter…including Peter who denied even knowing Jesus. When Jesus speaks these words to his disciples he knows all of this….and yet his tremendous love and mercy has him comforting them beforehand. I asked myself why and it’s obvious to me that Jesus understands the flesh is so weak… this is why he‘s here to die for our weak flesh. Our spirits may be willing… but our flesh is in control most of the time. So I read this knowing that Jesus understood our sinfulness and loved us even when he was facing betrayal and the death of the cross.

¹⁶ A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father.

¹⁷ Then said some of his disciples among themselves, What is this that he saith unto us, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me: and, Because I go to the Father?

¹⁸ They said therefore, What is this that he saith, A little while? we cannot tell what he saith.

¹⁹ Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him, and said unto them, Do ye enquire among yourselves of that I said, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me?

²⁰ Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.

Jesus knew these disciples loved him and would be filled with grief when he was crucified. There is also a special kind of pain when everyone around you is filled with joy and happiness over a situation that caused you a devastating loss. This kind of situation creates pain and isolation all at the same time. Jesus knew this was coming and wanted to prepare them for it and give them hope to hold on to.
We can hold on to this hope today too…the world likes to mock Christians and create hardships for us… they celebrate things that make life harder for us. I’m absolutely grieved to see sinful behavior celebrated and even more so when laws were enacted to protect these behaviors. While these events are not on the same level as what Jesus was preparing the disciples for, it’s still true that in these times I can remember that these hardships are only for a time, Jesus is coming back and he’s going to restore this world to a kingdom of righteousness that he will rule. Maranatha!

²¹ A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.

²² And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.

²³ And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.

²⁴ Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.

²⁵ These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father.

²⁶ At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you:

²⁷ For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God.

²⁸ I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.

²⁹ His disciples said unto him, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no proverb.

The question about what Jesus meant in verse 16 is plainly answered here… but leading up to this plainly stated fact is Jesus preparing the disciples to hear it. We can get so used to hearing a story that we no longer process it like we do with things we’re hearing for the first time. We don’t process all the information…like with these verse here… the disciples love Jesus… they have followed him and witnessed him healing the sick, raising the dead… casting out demons… explaining who God REALLY is… opening up the scriptures and…..experiencing the most pure love. Jesus is absolute LOVE… we’ve never once met a person who exuded this kind of love first hand the way the disciples have. The disciples loved Jesus… Jesus was their world… they were devoted to him completely, and here we have Jesus preparing them to hear something that is going to cause them grief and pain. Jesus is so loving and kind in the way he prepares them…even though he knows they are all going to scatter.

³⁰ Now are we sure that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee: by this we believe that thou camest forth from God.

³¹ Jesus answered them, Do ye now believe?

³² Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.

³³ These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Jesus is so loving…. he knows our failures and the things we wish weren’t true of us in our flesh… and he gives is comfort. Jesus is the overcomer…. our sins no lover have power to condemn us if we trust in his blood to pay the price.