Lessons from John 16: Intentionally Studying the Bible

Aug 9

How much time are you willing to spend daily intentionally studying the Bible in order to learn more about God and receive His truth from the Holy Spirit? Or are you too busy participating in the things of this world to give time to God? Time He has given to you?

Are your words and actions drawing others to Christ, or are they turning them away?

We must remember that it is the Holy Spirit who convicts and teaches. He leads others to faith in Christ Jesus. Our job is to be useful to the Spirit and calling of God when He chooses to use us.

In this next section we see that in light of Jesus’ arrest and death on the cross, which were only a few hours away, Jesus wanted His disciples to know that it would not be His final farewell. And so in verse 16 Jesus says, “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.”

Jesus’ statement seemed to confuse the disciples. Some of them began to ask each other what they thought Jesus meant by His statement. And apparently, from verse 18, they kept seeking each other in order to receive an answer.

Jesus saw their confusion and also heard their conversation. He asked them (verse 19), “Are you asking one another what I meant when I said, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.’? Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices.”

Jesus was most likely referring to His death on the cross. And the fact that in three days following He would rise from the dead. He would appear to them and about 500 others as eyewitnesses to His resurrection.

He could have also been referring to His ascension that would follow. It was when a cloud surrounded Him after which they could no longer see Him for 10 days. And then on the day of Pentecost, through the Holy Spirit, they saw Him exalted at God’s right hand. You can read about this in Acts 7:55-56.

Or Jesus could have been referring to this present age. We know through the truth of Jesus’ words that He is now residing in heaven, though we can’t see Him.

But one day the clouds shall part, Jesus will appear, and we will see Him face to face.

I personally think Jesus had all three in mind as a promise to every age that though He cannot be seen now, it’s only a short time before He appears again.

The questions for every person are these:

If Jesus returned today, are you ready?
Have you accepted His free gift of salvation?
And if so, are you living out your Christian life in such a way that when He returns He will find you doing exactly what He requires of you?
Are you allowing the Spirit of God to transform your life?
And then if so are you leading others in the cause of Christ in this world?
What questions do you have for Jesus?
Are you taking your questions to others for their opinion, or are you seeking Jesus through the truth of His Word and the power of His Spirit?
Are you allowing Him to teach you and lead you in His ways through His Word?

This is what it means, my friends, to live each and every day in light of eternity.

We have to be careful not to allow man to answer questions for us that only God has the answers to!

God loves you and He wants to impart His heart, His thoughts, and answers to you if they will benefit you and your walk with Him. But remember, He also reserves the right to withhold information from us if it’s for our greater good. This is where we must walk by faith and trust that our heavenly Father who knows and sees all things knows what is best. Who knows if in due time we will not see or understand His greater plan and then rejoice in it.

Which brings us to the next point in verse 20 where Jesus promised to turn their mourning into joy.

You see, the world and those who had opposed and crucified Jesus rejoiced in His death. Yet later they and others learned that death could not hold Him. Why? Because Jesus is God. He is the great I AM, the Creator of all things, including Satan.

Remember, Satan is a fallen angel who was not content serving God as one of His most prominent angels known as Bright Morning Star.

Yet, Satan wanted more than God had given him to be and to do. Therefore God cast Satan out of His holy heaven and doomed Satan for hell.

In fact, that is why there is a hell. It is because of Satan’s apostasy towards God and the things and people of God. Hell was designed for Satan’s, not man’s, eternal destruction. And though Satan is well-aware of his eternal destiny, he doesn’t want to go to hell alone. He wreaks havoc in the lives of believers in order to try to get God’s people to turn on God like he did. For those who don’t believe, Satan continues to obscure the truth about God from them. This, and people’s own selfish desires, helps to accomplish Satan’s purposes.

And it appeared for a time that Satan had won. Jesus had indeed been killed and cast away. But it was a short-lived celebration. Jesus reappeared in His glorified body and witnessed to many before being exalted by His Father and taken home to His heavenly throne.

And so, like a woman about to give birth to her baby suffers much pain or discomfort because her time for delivery has come, when her baby is born she forgets the anguish. (Notice it doesn’t say she forgets the pain…I’m just kidding…they both have the same meaning.) She forgets the anguish and pain because as she looks into the face of that newborn creation she is filled with such joy that she has been given this gift of life to love and cherish and raise up in the Lord.

Jesus said so it will be with you. You will grieve at my going to the cross, you will grieve at my death, but that is not the end of the story. He said, “I will see you again and you will rejoice, and when you do no one will be able to take that joy away.”

Notice Jesus didn’t say He would replace their grief or sorrow with joy, but rather He would turn it into joy!

Friends, as followers of Jesus Christ we are not exempt from difficulties, sorrow, or pain. Why? Because we live in a sin-filled, imperfect, broken world, with sin-filled, imperfect, broken people.

But the good news is that we have one who sees us and knows us. He is there to meet us in these dire situations and lead us either through or out of them, without falling into sin and the temptation of it.

In fact, Jesus said in verses 23-24, “In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked anything in my name. Ask and you shall receive, and your joy will be complete.”

Therefore, we can surmise that another one of the gifts of Jesus’ going away was that we know have direct access to the throne room of God the Father. Because of Jesus’ atoning work on the cross, we have the communication of prayer.

And Jesus encouraged these disciples whom He loved that not only would they have direct access to the Father, who also loved them, but Jesus would no longer speak to them in parables. Instead, He would speak to them plainly through His Spirit about His Father.

This is why, Jesus said, I must go away. Verse 28: “I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”

And it was as if the light of truth went on in the heads and hearts of the disciples. Though they probably didn’t fully understand what Jesus was inferring, they were gaining a greater understanding. In fact, they concluded that Jesus was indeed speaking clearly and that they could see He knew all things.

He didn’t even need the disciples to ask Him the questions that were in their minds because He already was aware. He knew their questions before they asked them! And this caused them to believe that Jesus had indeed come from God.

Now Jesus, in His last moments with them, was filled with joy at their understanding. But He also warned them in verse 32 that a time was coming, and had in fact already come, when they would be scattered, each to his own home. Leaving Jesus all alone to face the cross by Himself. He wasn’t really alone, however. He had the Father and the Holy Spirit who would see Him through.

And then Jesus concluded this portion of His teaching by telling them that He had given them this wisdom and insight into the things to come so that they would have peace.

Not peace as the world has to offer, for the world owns no peace–no real peace that is. For in this world we all will encounter trouble. But Jesus says, “Terri, Yolanda, Mary, Sue, (put your name there) take heart!” In other words, trust and believe. Jesus has overcome the world. And if Jesus is living inside of us and us in Him, we too can be overcomers in Him!

Greater is He who is in us than he who is in this world.

Jesus took the title deed back from Satan after His death and resurrection. Therefore, all those who place their faith and trust in Jesus Christ and His Word are destined for eternity, not destruction.

So when bad things happen (and they will, scripture guarantees them), the question is what will you do when they come your way?

Will you give Satan a foothold by walking in unbelief of what God can do? Or will you trust that God has allowed whatever it is for His and your greater good?

Believers can have Jesus’ peace regardless of their circumstances.

There is no greater opportunity to glorify God than when we walk through the fire of affliction, difficulty, hardship, adversity, tragedy or trouble knowing we are not walking alone.

Might it be that God has allowed these things to draw us nearer to Him than ever before? They can grow us and mature us in our faith while drawing others to Himself.

So what questions do you have? And to whom are you turning for answers?

In what situation do you need the Spirit to guide you into the truth?

How is the Spirit prompting you to seek His guidance, and what is your response?

And as you face trouble in this world, how does Jesus’ victory help you persevere?

Remember, everyone has questions and problems. Jesus knows. He gave the wonderful promises about the Holy Spirit to help.

Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would help people understand the truth. He promised His followers would have joy and peace. The Holy Spirit helps us understand the truth about Jesus and live by it.

Terri Hamman