John 15 - 16

JOHN 15 – 16

Talking wih His disciples as He walked, Jesus missed no opportunity to instruct.  They had so much to learn.  Time was precious, and not one moment should be lost.  Evidently, the disciples did not at the time recognize the full importance of all that Jesus was saying, but He gave them Truth that He …they could eventually grasp.  Surely their human comprehension and retention would be limited, even at best, but He had promised that “the Comforter, even the Holy Spirit” would teach them and “bring to … remembrance” what had been said 14:26.  He is our teacher also as we read these words of Jesus. 

15:1-   THE LORD IS THE VINE…I am the branch!!!!  I can do nothing if I do not dwell in Him and He work through me.  Bear fruit… READ Gal. 5:22.  Christian cannot produce…ONLY THE SPIRIT!!!!

Jesus continued His teaching assuring the disciples of full joy and abiding love 15: 9- 13.  “LAY DOWN life”….love as He loved us Rom. 5:8 LOVING ONE ANOTHER is oft repeated.  Could be IT IS IMPORTANT!!!!  Rom. 13:8, I Peter 1:22, I Thess 3:12-13, John 13:35, I John 4:7-21…CANNOT LOVE APART FROM THE LORD!!!!!

CHOSEN PEOPLE v. 14-16  As chosen ones, believers are “friends,” doing the work of Jesus, responding to His wishes, demonstrating His Spirit, demonstrating His Spirit and courage.  (ponder verse 14).  Moreover, Jesus assured His disciples, “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you.”  The eternal purpose of God is revealed in the initiative He takes in redeeming unworthy humanity.

God took every initiative in man’s salvation.  He chose man.  (He would that ALL men be saved…the Holy Spirit bumps into the stubborn will of man.)  Man did not choose God.  Jesus, as God’s Son, can say to all believers, “I have chosen you.”  Gladly will He link His life to theirs and theirs to Him in life-giving relationship … described in the vine/branch symbol).  With such a relationship, Jesus assures His own, I have appointed you to go and bear fruit that will be lasting. V. 16

RESPONSIBLE PEOPLE  15:17-27 Love for one another is a result of implanted love from above.  It cannot exist without a personal experience with Jesus, for divine love must have a divine origin.  It is transplanted in the hearts of men when men know God.  Christians are to love one another.  Such is the best evidence of faith and Christian experience.  Hatred, bickering, littleness all indicate that fellowship with Christ is broken-if it ever existed. 

Christians are witnesses to the world.  It is a world which hates and opposes and seeks to frustrate the purpose of God.  But Christians will not become participants in the enmities of earth to which they are exposed.  Christians never deal in hatred.  They will meet hatred with love, knowing that light alone can overcome darkness, and that God eventually will destroy all evil.

STRONG AND VICTORIOUS PEOPLE  Chp. 16 Jesus’ aim is clear…to prepare the disciples that they might not be “offended” (trapped” by the things they must face in the future.

1.     Tribulations foretold v. 1-4, 32  Altho’ the believers would be punished, even excommunicated – put out of the synagogue – they would not be destroyed or overcome.  They might be murdered, but they could not be annihilated.  Inevitable opposition would come from those who did not know Jesus, those who sought to des troy Him and His influence.  But the opposers, then and now, need also to know the Christ of love, and they need to be told of Him and His goodness.  Only Christians can show the world the true Way, and it is not always the easy way. 

2. The Holy Spirit again promised v. 5-15  Jesus expanded His teaching about the work of the Comforter…WHAT DOES THE HOLY SPIRIT DO FOR THE UNBELIEVER AND WHAT DOES HE DO FOR THE CHRISTIAN????

He convicts men of sin, righteousness, and judgment – a divine mission.  He convicts men of sin.  Transgressors will not be pained by their transgressions until the Holy Spirit stabs them.  It is then that pride turns to humility and arrogance in prayer.  Preachers cannot make sinners sorry for their sin, but the Holy Spirit can and does.

The Holy Spirit convicts men of righteousness.  Erring critics felt that Jesus was unrighteous and deserved to die, otherwise they would not have wanted to slay Him with such violence.  They thought they were honoring God by persecuting Jesus.  Buth the Holy Spirit of God came to show men what true righteousness is.  Seeing it, men had a true standard of measurement and began to be aware of their own cruel hearts. 

The Holy Spirit convicts of judgment.  Men cannot do evil things and escape the results.  The Holy Spirit is the One Who makes men to know that judgment is sure and gives them the desire to seek forgiveness for their shameful ways.  No wonder the Holy Spirit is called the Spirit of Truth, for men cannot know Truth apart from His teaching.

The Holy Spirit will enlighten, encourage, and empower the followers of Christ.  No obstacle shall be too high, no weight too heavy, no problem too acute.  God through His Holy Spirit has provided a sure way of victory for believers.

3.  Sorrow and joy foretold v. 16-22 Nowhere does Jesus promise that Christians shall have easy lives or be exempt from suffering, He went so far as to say…”ye shall be sorrowful v. 20.  It is reassuring that Jesus did not stop at that point.  He added…But your sorrow shall be turned to joy.  Look for the notes of sorrow and the notes of joy in v. 16-22.

Pain and death are to be overcome.  They are not final masters.  The Bread of heaven is supplied to satisfy the hungers of earth!!!!

A new day has truly dawned because Jesus has come.  Man now has a way of escape and can have abiding hope. 

4.    New relationship to the Father set forth in v. 23-31  Jesus promised to leave the world and go to the Father. V. 28.  This assurance helped change sorrow into joy.  It assisted the followers of Jesus to comprehend that the grave was not an end.  It gave opportunity for a glorious manifestation of limitless power. 

Jesus made many statements of the intimacy of relationship between believers and the Father.  Disciples are encouraged to ask the Father for what they need v. 23-26, to recognize that the Father loves them. V. 27.  Knowing that Jesus was going to the Father would give the disciples an added feeling of closeness to God.

These facts call you and me and those followers of Jesus to enter into a new, intimate relationship with a lovely heavenly Father.  Turn from loneliness and receive comfort, turn from transgression and know forgiveness…turn from strife and find peace.

5.    Peace promised v. 33  The Lord in v. 32 shared the disturbing words revealing that the disciples would have failures (He foreknew).  That they would be scattered when He was arrested, but in spite of their human weakness, He would give them His Gift of Peace.

“That in Me, you might have peace” is a secret that world needs desperately.  It is a promise which the followers of Christ have never fully claimed for themselves or for any given generation.  No wonder many wars have raged.  Men have not believed what Jesus was saying to the extent of following it fully.  Peace has been sought in the world in so many ways rather than His way. 

What is the secret of such peace?  Hear the glorious assurance, “Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world”  We may well rejoice that the Holy Spirit brought these words to John’s mind, and led the apostle to include in His witness to Jesus. 

PONDER:

Does it help us to know that no matter what circumstances we get into, our Lord has not been taken by surprise? The LORD prepared us through foretelling us of the hatred of others because of HIM in and through us! 

16:11  The enemy is already defeated!!!!

In 16: 1, 33 Jesus’ statements tell us the purpose which guided the discourse recorded in chapters 15-16.  We have been reminded that we are a chosen people, a responsible people and would be people of strength and victory.  Look for verses that also show Jesus told His disciples that they would be a HATED people.  Consider how each of these predictions or promises could help to prepare disciples in any age for meeting the tests that face them. 

16:33 and Galatians 6:14-1 BUT ONLY A NEW CREATION IN CHRIST JESUS!!!!