John 16
COMMENTARY:
: 12 I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. (941 “bear” [bastazo] means carry, take up, to take up in order to carry or bear, to sustain, uphold, to cognitively receive something difficult to understand or accept, or undergo.)
DEVOTION: Sometimes we want to run ahead of God. HIS disciples were able to handle some of HIS teaching but not all of them. They continually asked HIM to explain HIS teachings. They were confused many times. They had a lot of questions.
Jesus knew what they could handle in the three years that HE was with them. HE trained them but said that HE didn’t give them all they would need to build HIS church.
They needed the Holy Spirit. Once the Holy Spirit came they had a better understanding of their responsibility. HE taught them more than Jesus did because they were ready to handle it.
There are steps in our Christian growth. We start with the milk of the Word of God and then move to the meat. Many new believers want to take it all in all at once and it causes confusion. Sometimes it even causes some new believers to give up.
Our churches need to start with milk for baby Christians and build them up to be young men/women in the LORD by giving them solid food. Finally, after a time of solid food these individuals would be able to handle meat on a regular basis.
CHALLENGE: Jesus knows what each of us can handle and trains us accordingly. We need to make sure that our church is ready to train when people are ready for the training.
: 13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come. (3594 “guide” [hodegeo] means lead on one’s way, a teacher of the ignorant or inexperienced, to instruct, to explain or to give guidance to.)
DEVOTION: How many of think we know it all? How many of us think we don’t know anything? That is a wide gap. Now we come to the truth that even though Jesus was with these eleven disciples for three years they didn’t know it all. In fact, Jesus said they were not ready for it all. HE told them that HE had to leave before the Holy Spirit could come to give them instruction. The Spirit of truth or the Comforter or the Holy Ghost was the one who would give them what they needed to know when they needed to know it. HE will come and instruct them regarding what they need to know but are presently not able to understand or learn. The Holy Spirit will not speak of HIMSELF. HE will not elevate HIMSELF. HE will elevate JESUS. All through this passage we find that the Holy Spirit is referred to as a male individual. All through this passage the Holy Spirit is not in ministry to present himself but the Lord Jesus Christ.
Sometimes people and churches allow the ministry of the Holy Spirit to take first place. Jesus tells us that we are to pray in HIS name to the Father through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. All through this passage, Jesus is telling the disciples that the primary purpose of the Holy Spirit’s coming is to instruct them regarding their presentation of Jesus. The Holy Spirit is going to inform the disciples of the future events that are going to happen in this world. The Holy Spirit is going to deal with sin, righteousness and judgment.
We need to honor each member of the Godhead. Each member has their responsibility. Each member is working together. We are to listen to the teaching of the Holy Spirit. HE will lead us in the direction of truth. HE will show us the path we are to follow. One of the great truths about the Holy Spirit is that HE is going to comfort us. HE is going to encourage us. Praise the LORD.
CHALLENGE: Listen to the teaching of the Holy Spirit as we read and study the Word of God. HE wants us to learn.
: 24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. (5479 “joy” [chara] means gladness, state of rejoicing, happiness, or delight.)
DEVOTION: When you walk into many churches and look around it doesn’t look like a place full of rejoicing. I come from a Lutheran background where everything was very liturgical. There didn’t seem to be any smiling as I was growing up. After that I went to a Fundamental Baptist church and it seemed that there were a few smiling at times.
Today I visit many churches and there seems to be few smiling as I walk around in each church. It seems like many are not very happy to be in the service.
I have told many congregations that I wished there was a mirror behind the pulpit so people could see what their faces looked like. I had to preach to them with those faces.
Jesus told the disciples that HE wanted their requests or prayers to be offered to HIM and HE would cause them to be glad. HE promised to answer our prayers that were sent to bring glory to God.
So when we pray according to the will of God we are going to get a positive response. It should cause us to have answered prayers. If we have answered prayers then we should have a smile on our face to show we appreciate HIS grace and mercy.
CHALLENGE: People should see gladness in our attitude on a regular basis. HE promised HE would do HIS part and we should do our part. We should like our gladness is full.
: 33 These things I have spoken to you, that in ME you might have peace. In the world you shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer; I have over come the world. (1515 “peace” [eirene] means rest, quietness, a state of national tranquility, exemption from the rage and havoc of war, freedom from worry, or harmony.)
DEVOTION: Our world doesn’t like Jesus. Our world wants to limit Jesus. We have people writing books who don’t even know who the real Jesus was when HE came to this earth.
One of the latest authors wants to study the “historic Jesus” and leave out all of HIS miracles. They want to leave out many of HIS teachings. They want nothing to do with the Jesus of the Bible. This author thinks that the Bible is an allegory.
We are fighting a real battle against a world that puts us down for believing the truth of the Word of God. We are to take the teachings of Jesus literally. If HE said it happened – it happened.
There are many battles that we are going to lose to the enemy but we know that the war is won and that those who don’t believe all of the teachings of Jesus will face HIM someday and realize that they were wrong.
Victory is ours through Christ. We are to never give up. We are to fight a good fight each day. We are to teach the truth of the Bible whether a majority doesn’t believe it.
While we are waiting for the LORD to return, we are to live in the state of peace. When there is war all around us it is hard to live in peace but that is what the LORD wants and give us. We need to thank HIM for it.
CHALLENGE: Let the peace of God permeate your thoughts and life each moment of each day as we face the battles the LORD allows in our lives. Praise HIS name!
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