YOU CAN HAVE PEACE. John 16 The ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ, when He was with His disciples the night before He died, was to prepare them for what was ahead. Excommunication from a Jewish synagogue had economic and religious effects during that time because much of the community's life revolved around the synagogue. The Lord Jesus explained what was coming and why people would be like them. To not know and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ was not to know and believe in the Father.
14:25. “These things” Jesus spoke when He was here so that after He left, the Comforter would be near to remind us of things to warm our hearts. 15:11. “These things” He spoke so that His joy, which was genuine and uniquely divine, might be mine. A divine nature was given to me, and because of that new nature, I can see and experience His joy. 15:17. “These things,” He commanded, so we wouldn’t go our own way. Instead, we are to love one another and obey His word so that when we love this way, in deed and in word, we can show that we truly love our Lord.
16:1. “These things” He spoke so that we would not be offended when some people become so angry that our lives may be at risk. The reason for unfair hatred is because of our Savior, whose life we now share. 16:4. “These things,” He told them so that when the time came, He would go to the cross and die for us, the disciples would remember that He had told them beforehand that He would bear every sorrow. 16:25. “These things” He had spoken in parables; not plainly because the time had not yet come for Him to die. He was sparing them pain, but from that point on, He spoke plainly of the Father to them. Now, the Father is ready to speak to those who love Him through His word. 16:33. “These things” He said to them and to me, making known to us that the trials of the earth will be our lot. Amidst the endless strife of the earth, He offers us reassurance so that we might have His peace.
17:1. “These words spoke Jesus” to His Father, expressing His concern for those He loves. He wants us to be one, in true unity, and He knew that could only happen for those who knew the Father. 17:13. “These things,” He spoke before it was time for Him to die so that joy might be in each of us instead of sorrow. We know the final outcome of the cross-death will be that believers in Him will see Him in His glory.
It is common for us to have a natural fear of the unknown future. When there is One who knows what the future holds, and He tells us in advance what will happen, then we can find peace amid trouble. There will be persecution from the hostile world against those who know and love the Lord. It is foolish to think that following Christ will be popular in our day, nor will going public with our testimony of faith in Him endear us to those who do not want Him as their Savior and Lord. Rejection by those in the world who do not want to know God or have Him involved in their lives should strengthen our faith in the truth of God’s word.
The work of God has not been hindered as much by persecution as it has been by complacency and apathy among Christians. Opposition often prompts our hearts to reflect on the condition of lost souls and to get involved in the Lord's work. Faith stirs within us a desire and compassion for those who become weak when we focus on our own lives. Sometimes, we mistakenly believe we are being blessed because our community and society accept us as just like all the others who claim to be Christians. This is one of the most dangerous times of all. At such moments, the devil tries to diminish our testimony and make it seem of little worth.
When the Lord Jesus warned the disciples about coming hostility, He also comforted them with the promise of the Holy Spirit's arrival. The Lord explained that for those disciples, losing His presence would actually be a benefit, not a cause for sorrow. The Spirit would come to live in each of them and empower them to serve the Lord wholeheartedly. He would come into the world and dwell within those who trust Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. He would take the place of the One the world rejected. Jesus lived here and blessed people with His presence, teachings, and miracles - but "He was despised and rejected by men."
The convicting work of the Holy Spirit would reveal to those who refuse to believe in Christ that He is right and the world is wrong—"About sin because they believe not in Me." Convicting the world of sin would prove the truth of who Christ is and show that what He accomplished on the cross has had a worldwide impact on all humanity. Those who are saved by God’s grace are the millions who have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. Those who live and die without placing their faith in Him are eternally lost to God, despite what their consciences tell them.
The Holy Spirit would also set the standard for righteous living and righteousness in people's minds, which they could not ignore even though Christ was no longer on earth. “About righteousness” refers to rejecting Christ and His sacrifice for sin on the cross. Many try to establish their own righteousness through their works and opinions rather than trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ alone for salvation from sin. Christ’s death as our substitute and His resurrection and ascension declare God’s satisfaction with what the Lord Jesus did for us, not what we do for Him.
“About judgment” is His statement that Satan and those who follow him have been defeated. Condemnation has passed on all who do not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and the wrath of God remains on them. They cannot escape the coming judgment, even though Satan continues to deceive men and women. Judgment is coming, and it began when the prince of this world was defeated by the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross, opening the way so all "could come to the knowledge of the truth."
The Spirit of God is the Spirit of Truth who guides us into all truth. We are not left to guess what is right or wrong. The same Holy Spirit helps us recognize the actions to take in daily life and reveals the facts about the future. We can live in peace because we know what the future holds and who controls the future. The Spirit is our guide on this journey of life, and He also teaches us about our position in Christ and the process that helps us become the person God intends us to be.
Even though the Lord Jesus Christ told the disciples He was going away, which caused them sorrow, the coming of the Holy Spirit would turn that sorrow into joy. The world would rejoice, thinking they had gotten rid of Jesus and the worldly system they were used to but could continue deceiving others. But the Spirit of God established a new relationship between believers and God that could withstand the greatest opposition formed against them. "Greater is He that is in you than in the world." Now, through those who are saved, the world is being called to repentance of sin. Through God's people, the Holy Spirit is revealing God's standard of righteousness despite the changing laws men make. The demonstration of God's righteous judgment over sin can be seen in those "who walk in the Spirit." The truth about Christ is evident through those who love the Lord and His word.
The "little while" the disciples wondered about probably refers not only to the death and resurrection of Christ but also to the coming of the Holy Spirit and the future return of Christ for His followers. Whatever temporary sorrow we experience in this life will be turned into joy at the time of His choosing. Our fellowship with divine Persons includes redemption through Christ and our acceptance by God "in the Beloved." It also provides our access to the Father in prayer, always available as we come in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit teaches, guides, gives discernment, empowers, and fills us so we can become the people God intends us to be. The Father is the invisible Source of our being. He is God out there, waiting for us and watching over us. The Son is the visible, bodily form of God who was here on earth and "in whom dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily." He is God with us. The Holy Spirit is the invisible God making things real and meaningful to us. He is God within us. So, "If God be for us, who can be against us."
Therefore, there is no reason to feel like failures when we fellowship with God. We can be overcomers because our Lord Jesus Christ overcame the world. He is the Victorious Savior. Any tribulation and testing times that try to defeat us do not have the authority to do so. Our Lord has overcome all enemies, and we are in Him by position. Instead of fear, we can have peace. Instead of war, we can have peace. Instead of uncertainty, we can have peace—all of this in Him.