John 16:16-33

Abundant Joy

John 16:16-33Jesus’ final words of encouragement to his disciples.

Many themes repeated from earlier parts of the “Discipleship Sermons” (John 13-17).

Here the focus is on Jesus’ leaving the disciples and how they can continue to walk in fellowship with him in the sin-darkened world.

1. Jesus is leaving . . .

2. The Father is loving . . .

3. Darkness is losing . . .

(What about the Holy Spirit?!)

1. Jesus is leaving . . .

John 16 (NLT)16 “In a little while you won’t see me anymore. But a little while after that, you will see me again.”

19 [Jesus said] . . . 20 “I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn over what is going to happen to me, but the world will rejoice. You will grieve . . .” 

Two “leavings” of Jesus:

The Cross

The Ascension

Can we continue to trust Jesus while he is away?

Will he ever come back?

“ . . . but your grief will suddenly turn to wonderful joy. 21 It will be like a woman suffering the pains of labor. When her child is born, her anguish gives way to joy because she has brought a new baby into the world.22 So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again; then you will rejoice, and no one can rob you of that joy.” 

 24  “Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy.”

Two “returnings” of Jesus:

The Resurrection

(the giving of the Holy Spirit)

The Parousia

We live here

2. The Father is loving . . .

25 “I have spoken of these matters in figures of speech, but soon I will stop speaking figuratively and will tell you plainly all about the Father.” 

26 Then you will ask in my name. I’m not saying I will ask the Father on your behalf, 27 for the Father himself loves you dearly because you love me and believe that I came from God. 

Why would Jesus say this at this point?

The disciples are about to enter a time of deep disorientation.

Jesus will no longer be with them.

They will have to learn to follow him in a different manner, led by the Spirit.

How can they encounter the Father without him?

The threat: Having a false understanding of the Father (vindictive/Old Testament) in contrast to the Son (loving/New Testament).

The biblical understanding . . .8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.”9 Jesus replied, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking me to show him to you?”                                                                          John 14

The Son is the image of the invisible God . . .                                                                               Colossians 1:15

3. Darkness is losing.

29 Then his disciples said, “At last you are speaking plainly and not figuratively. 30 Now we understand that you know everything, and there’s no need to question you. From this we believe that you came from God.”

31 Jesus asked, “Do you finally believe? 32 But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when you will be scattered, each one going his own way, leaving me alone. Yet I am not alone because the Father is with me.”

 33 “ I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.                                                                       John 1:12 

But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name.                                                                    John 20:31

4 For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. 5 And who can win this battle against the  world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.                                                                         1 John 5

4 But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world. 5 Those people belong to this world, so they speak from the world’s viewpoint, and the world listens to them. 6 But we belong to God . . .                                                                         1 John 4

1. Jesus is leaving . . . but he sends his Spirit for us, lives in us, and will return to us.

2. The Father is loving . . . just as Jesus is loving – Jesus shows us what the  Father is like.

3. Darkness is losing . . . Jesus has overcome the darkness of the world!