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John 16:16-33 (NKJV) Jesus foretells of His Resurrection

6/9/2020

16 "A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me, because I go to the Father." 17 Then some of His disciples said among themselves, "What is this that He says to us, 'A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me'; and, 'because I go to the Father'?" 18 They said therefore, "What is this that He says, 'A little while'? We do not know what He is saying." 19 Now Jesus knew that they desired to ask Him, and He said to them, "Are you inquiring among yourselves about what I said, 'A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me'? 20 Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy. 21 A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. 22 Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you. 23 And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. 24 Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. 25 "These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; but the time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but I will tell you plainly about the Father. 26 In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you; 27 for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God. 28 I came forth from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world and go to the Father." 29 His disciples said to Him, "See, now You are speaking plainly, and using no figure of speech! 30 Now we are sure that You know all things, and have no need that anyone should question You. By this we believe that You came forth from God." 31 Jesus answered them, "Do you now believe? 32 Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. 33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

Questions to Consider:

I believe that everything that Jesus did, He was deliberate. Why do you think He spoke to His disciples in seeming riddles and figures of speech?
Even after the resurrection, the disciples were asking Jesus about His plan to set up an earthly kingdom. Why do you think it was so seemingly difficult for the disciples to grasp the idea that Jesus' Kingdom was not of this world?
What do you think the disciples must have felt when they realized that they scattered just as Jesus had predicted?

The phrase, "A little while," is used seven different times v.16 through v.19. Jesus gives the disciples a riddle to solve. "A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me." The disciples are confused. What does Jesus mean? Is Jesus going on a vacation? Is Jesus going to disappear until the leaders of the Jews stop trying to kill Him? The disciples simply could not make sense of what Jesus was saying to them.
The disciples were more hopeful with this news. Jesus would be gone for a short time, but He was planning to come back. Would this mean that they could continue to walk with Jesus and receive training and instruction from Him? v.19 The disciples wanted some clarification, but were afraid to ask Jesus about the specifics. The disciples did not want to contemplate the negative possibilities, or ask questions where they received unwanted answers.
v.20 Jesus foretells of the great sorrow that the disciples are going to feel. Which indeed the disciples felt at the time when Jesus was dying on the cross. Then Jesus suggests that their mourning will turn into joy. He predicts that the disciples will be so happy that they will forget the sorrow of Jesus' death. This too is exactly what happened. On the morning of the 3rd day after Jesus' crucifixion, the tomb was empty and He revealed Himself to the disciples.
v.21 Jesus compares this emotional turn around the disciples would experience at His resurrection to a woman who quickly forgets the pain of childbirth for the joy of having a baby.
v.25 Jesus tells the disciples that, up to that point in time, He had been speaking to them in figurative language as opposed to speaking plainly. Having the advantage of hind-sight, we understand Jesus prophetic words concerning His death and resurrection; however, this idea was inconceivable to the disciples. After Jesus was resurrected the disciples finally began to understand what Jesus had been communicating to them from (almost) the very beginning of His public ministry. John 2:19 (NKJV) Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."
Jesus reiterated the idea concerning His close relationship with the Father. v.28 That He came into the from the Father, and that He would leave the world to be with the Father. v.30 The disciples responded to Jesus by telling Him that they believed that He came from the Father. In spite of this expression of faith in Jesus, their faith was about to be put to the test.
The case could be made that every disciple failed the test with perhaps the only exception being John. Judas betrayed Jesus. Peter denied knowing Jesus. All the rest of the disciples scattered after Jesus was arrested. This fulfilled Jesus' words (v.32).
In spite of this dire prediction of a difficult, challenging future, Jesus tells His disciples to have peace and to be of good cheer. Then He tells them why: "I have overcome the world." The proof was in evidence when they found that the tomb where the body of Jesus had been placed was empty.

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John 16:1-15 (NKJV) The Spirit of Truth

6/3/2020

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1 "These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to stumble. 2 They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service. 3 And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me. 4 But these things I have told you, that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them. And these things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you. 5 "But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, 'Where are You going?' 6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. 8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; 11 of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. 12 I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. 15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.

Question to Consider:

How does the Holy Spirit bring conviction of sin to people? (Is it a brain function; an emotional response; a supernatural work?)
What is Jesus doing at the right hand of the Father? (Why is this role essential?)
Can you explain the idea of God being "in us" by the Holy Spirit?

Jesus was headed to the cross and He was preparing His disciples for what was to come. When Jesus was gone the disciples would become the focal point for persecution. v.2 Predicts the exact thing that would happen to Stephen. (Acts 7) Stephen was stoned by the Jews and a man by the name of Saul (who was later was converted and became known as the Apostle Paul) watched over the outer garments of those who did the stoning.
v.7 Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit, but made it clear that He would need to go away before the Holy Spirit could come. The theological question is why was this so? In my opinion there are three reasons: 1) It was the Father's plan. 2) At this point in time Jesus had not died, been resurrected or ascended to heaven to make intercession for the saints. All of these things were prerequisites for the coming of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2. 3) The work of Jesus in us through the Holy Spirit is of greater importance in establishing the Church than Jesus being with us in the flesh. This is why Jesus referred to this as being to the "advantage" of the disciples.
The ongoing work of the Holy Spirit in the world is 1) To convict of sin. 2) To establish an understanding of right and wrong in humanity. 3) To make humanity aware of God's judgment of sin. The little "g" god of this world (Satan) would have people believe that there is no right or wrong and that there are no consequences to our actions. The Holy Spirit refutes this wrong notion.
v.13 Jesus calls the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth. The Holy Spirit is not a separate god. He is God, the third person of the Holy Trinity. As such, He does not speak or act on His own authority, but with the full authority of the Father and Son.
v.14 The Holy Spirit glorifies the Son. He glorifies the Son by continuing the work of the Son through the followers of Christ. The Holy Spirit acts as the administrator of the Church, establishing the Church through the Fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22,23) and through Spiritual Gifts (1 Cor. 12)

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John 15:18-27 (NKJV) Hated Without a Cause

6/2/2020

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18 "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. 21 But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 He who hates Me hates My Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father. 25 But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, 'They hated Me without a cause.' 26 "But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. 27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning.

Questions to Consider:

Have you personally faced much persecution as a believer in Christ? (Do you feel that you are prepared to face increased persecution, which may include a threat against your life?)
There were carnal reasons that Jesus was hated by the religious leaders of the Jews, but the hatred had no logical basis. Jesus was the Messiah and it would have made more sense to embrace the Messiah rather than kill Him and face the consequences. Would you consider evil misguided or insane to hate without cause, and why?
Severe persecution of the early church drove them to extreme fellowship and cloistering. Do you think that history might repeat itself in our time or the time of our children and grandchildren?

The key to understanding this passage is captured in v.25 where Jesus quotes the law: 'They hated Me without a cause.' As the persecution of the Church accelerates around the world, this short sentence encapsulates the hubris that is headed our direction. It is hatred without reason or cause.
In Nazi Germany, the Jews experienced this kind of evil insanity. Hitler blamed the Jews for Germany's defeat in World War I, which was a ludicrous accusation, and proceeded to commit genocide against a whole group of people without a "true" or "real" cause. It simply was an act of extreme hubris that made no sense whatsoever.
Jesus was trying to impress upon His disciples that if the "world" hated Him; if the world killed Him; the people of the same mind-set would turn on Christ's followers. The world would not be relying on any evidence that those who follow Christ pose any threat. They would persecute without a true reason to do so. Blinded by hatred (the same demonic inspired mindset that crucified Jesus) they would come after the disciples as well.
Life without persecution should be the exception for followers of Christ. We should not be caught unaware or surprised as the Church comes under fire for teaching the truth of the Bible and for standing up for the rights of unborn children. The same spiritual forces of evil that came against Jesus will indeed come against the people of God in our time. Matthew 5:10-12 (NKJV) 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

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John 15:1-17 (NKJV) The True Vine

6/1/2020

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1 "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. 9 "As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. 12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. 14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. 17 These things I command you, that you love one another.

Questions to Consider:

What does it take on our part to abide in Christ?
As you examine your life do you feel that you are producing spiritual fruit? (What does it mean to produce fruit?)
Do you consider yourself a friend of Jesus? (Why or why not?)

I believe we live in a time of appease-ment. What I mean by that is that too often, Bible teachers have a tendency to water-down some of the harsher teaching in the Bible to make it more appealing to both those we are trying to reach with the Gospel message and those who are critics of the Church. This happens to be one of those passages that gets manipulated so that it does not offend. Note: When we manipulate God's Word by either adding, subtracting or changing it; it is no longer God's Word; it is a man's opinion.
Let's take an honest look at this analogy. v.1 Jesus is the true vine (John 14:6) and the Father oversees the vineyard. v.2 Every branch that does not bear fruit, the Father takes away. Every branch that is fruitful, the Father prunes.
v.3 Scholars are not sure which "word" Jesus was referring to that made the disciples clean. Some believe it is the totality of His teaching. It might be Jesus' emphasis on obeying His commandments in Chapter 14. Most likely He is referring to the idea that He further explores in v.4. "Abide in Me, and I in you." Certainly, post the atoning work of Christ, it is in Christ that we find the forgiveness of sin and are clothed in His righteousness.
v.5 If we do not abide in Christ we will not be able to bear fruit. Jesus makes this clear with His declaration: "Without Me you can do nothing." v.6 Those who do not abide in Christ, wither, die and are gathered together and burned. (Now you know why there is a temptation to water-down this teaching)
The word "abide" is the key to understanding what Jesus is communicating. Jesus uses the word "abide" or the plural "abides" nine times in the first 10 verses of chapter 15. What comes from abiding in Christ? (Fruit, Answers to Prayer, Love, Joy and ultimately, Salvation)
v. 12 Jesus reemphasizes the need for His disciples to love one another. This is a continuing theme from John 13:34,35.
Jesus talks about the great love that would cause someone to lay down their life for friends; and then He calls the disciples His friends. This had to be a somber moment. Jesus is about give this teaching a real life example. In a matter of hours Jesus will indeed be giving His life in order to "save" His friends.

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John 16:16-33 (NKJV) Jesus foretells of His Resurrection

John 16:1-15 (NKJV) The Spirit of Truth

John 15:18-27 (NKJV) Hated Without a Cause

John 15:1-17 (NKJV) The True Vine

RJ Dugone

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John 16:16-33 (NKJV) ​Jesus foretells of His Resurrection

John 16:1-15 (NKJV) The Spirit of Truth

John 15:18-27 (NKJV) Hated Without a Cause

John 15:1-17 (NKJV) The True Vine

RJ Dugone

Archives

Categories

John 16:16-33 (NKJV) Jesus foretells of His Resurrection