Carol J German

The end to Jesus’ ministry on earth is coming to a close. Jesus continues to prepare His disciples for what is going to take place. Let’s continue on in studying the book of John. We are in chapter 16. Go ahead and read verses 1-15.

We ended the last study lesson with Jesus telling His friends how the world will hate them because of Him. This has not changed. Today, the world cannot comprehend the ways of God. Yet, Jesus calls His children to share truth and to be the light in our dark world.

Jesus now says, “I have told you these things so that you won’t abandon your faith.” Put yourself in the disciples shoes. All they had to go on was what they knew from their past, which was their Old Testament religion and what Jesus was telling them. They saw first hand all His miracles. They were living by sight which built their faith up. Soon they were going to witness Jesus’ resurrection. Jesus knew that their finite minds were going to struggle with what is about to happen. So, He prepared them.

ADDED INSIGHT: We have a much better view, don’t we? We know how the story ends. This is why we live by faith instead of sight. The future is settled. We don’t have to wonder how things will turn out like the people in Jesus’ time. We know, and with that we can be rest assured that God is with us.

He continues on telling them they will be expelled from the synagogue.

QUESTION: Why will they be thrown out of their church home; see verse 3? Go back to John 9:22 for help in understanding.

Look at verse 4. “I’m telling you these things now so that when they happen, you will remember my warning.” God is good, isn’t He? When we walk with Christ, He prepares us for what lies ahead. I could give you many, many examples of how God has prepared me but this blog will get way too long.

We are never left to deal with life alone. When we receive Christ as our Savior and Lord, we also receive the Holy Spirit to walk with us and lead us. Let’s study verses 5-15 and discover more about this third part of the Trinity.

Jesus mentions how no one is asking where He is going. If I was there, I wouldn’t either.

QUESTION: Why wouldn’t the disciples ask where He is going; see verse 5? What is one of the reasons, see verse 6?

If they only knew. They would not grieve over His departure. They would rejoice!

We know. We know how the story ends. We should be rejoicing all the days of our life!

QUESTION: Are you rejoicing in Christ?

Jesus tells them that He has to go away so the Holy Spirit can come.

QUESTION: What is the purpose for the Holy Spirit coming to us, see verse 8?

Don’t fear the Holy Spirit. Don’t fear conviction. When we walk with God, yes, He will convict us of our sins but He does it in a non-condemning way. He simply shows us where we are wrong and then He leads us in love and understanding in right ways of living. He changes our wayward hearts into obedient hearts that can make a difference in the world.

The Holy Spirit will convict the world of God’s righteousness. God is on a mission to win people over to His love. We see God everywhere, don’t we? He makes Himself known everyday. If you are having trouble seeing God, look at sunrises, sunsets, someone’s helping hand, nature, to name a few.

The Holy Spirit also convicts the world of the coming judgment. Jesus is returning to end all the injustices that man has had to endure.

QUESTION: What does verse 9 say about sin?

QUESTION: What do you see in the world that shows that this is true?

Jesus returning to the Father after His resurrection to save the world ushers in the opportunity to combat evil with righteousness. This righteousness is spoken of in Romans 1:17, “This Good News tells us how God makes us right in His sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, ‘It is through faith that a righteous person has life.'”

In verse 11, Jesus speaks how the ruler of this world has already been judged. This happened when Jesus rose from the dead. From that first Easter Sunday until this very moment, God is giving everyone a chance to find Christ so they can have eternal life. This will come to end, though, and Jesus will be returning to sentence Satan to the fiery pit awaiting his demise for rejecting God.

Jesus understands how His disciples can’t handle all they He is saying. This should be a comfort to us. If He understands them, He understands us. We can go to Him for anything knowing that He is helping us. We can trust that He is guiding us to better things. We can believe He is leading us home to be with Him forever.

Study verses 13-15. We see how the Holy Spirit guides us into all truth. He is trustworthy. The Holy Spirit only does what the Father tells Him. He is capable. The Holy Spirit knows the future. He will prepare us for what lies ahead. With God, we are always in the right place at the right time.

The Holy Spirit brings Jesus glory. He only speaks truth. We can be rest assured that God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit have our backs! We can fall back knowing that we will be caught in His loving arms. We can give our livelihoods over to Him and know that we are in good hands.

My husband helps me face each day on the right foot, “Today is going to be a great day and tomorrow will be better than today.” No matter what we face in our lives, with Christ we have a bright future. Lean in to God and He will prepare our way that lays before us. We need to do our part and know who He is. We do this by studying scripture and talking with Him. He will make Himself known. Be rest assured, God is with us which means we have all that we need.