16“A little while and you will no longer see Me; again a little while
and you will see Me.”
17Therefore some of His disciples said to one another, “What is this He
tells us: ‘A little while and you will not see Me; again a little while and you
will see Me’; and, ‘because I am going to the Father’?” 18They said,
“What is this He is saying, ‘A little while’? We don’t know what He’s talking
about!”
19Jesus knew they wanted to question Him, so He said to them, “Are you asking one another about what I said, ‘A
little while and you will not see Me; again a little while and you will see
Me’?
20“I assure
you: You will weep and wail, but the world will rejoice. You will become
sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn to joy. 21When a woman is in
labor she has pain because her time has come. But when she has given birth to a child, she no longer remembers the
suffering because of the joy that a person has been born into the world. 22So
you also have sorrow now. But I will see you again. Your hearts will rejoice,
and no one will rob you of your joy. 23aIn that day you will not ask
Me anything.
23b“I assure you: Anything you ask the Father in My name, He will give
you. 24Until now you have asked for nothing in My name. Ask and you
will receive, that your joy may be complete.
25“I have spoken these things to you in figures of speech. A time is
coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures, but I will tell you
plainly about the Father. 26In that day you will ask in My name. I
am not telling you that I will make requests to the Father on your behalf. 27For
the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that
I came from God. 28I came from the Father and have come into the
world. Again, I am leaving the world and going to the Father.”
29“Ah!” His disciples said. “Now You’re speaking plainly and not using
any figurative language. 30Now we know that You know everything and
don’t need anyone to question You. By this we believe that You came from God.”
31Jesus responded to them, “Do you now believe? 32Look: An hour is coming, and has come, when you will be scattered each to his own home, and you will leave Me alone. Yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. 33I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have suffering. But take courage! I have conquered the world.”[1]
[1]
Knight, G. W. (2001). A simplified harmony of the Gospels (pp.
217–218). Holman Bible Publishers.
Intro Questions
Text Graphic
- God is ... What do we learn about God in this passage?
- We are ... What do we learn about people in this passage?
- I will ... What has the Holy Spirit revealed to us in this passage? How can I apply it to my life this week?
- You can ... Who do you know who needs to hear this? Feel free to share with others by social media links at the bottom of this.
- Did your parents ever tell you about your birth experience? What was it like for them?
- What tones of voice do you hear in John 16:17-18? If you were there, would Jesus' answer encourage you, or confuse you more?
- What event is Jesus referring to in John 16:20-22? In what ways does the world's "joy" (v. 20) contrast with the joy the disciples will experience (John 16:22)? How is this similar to what Jesus said about dying (John 12:24)? About peace (John 14:27)?
- What characterizes the relationship we can have with the Father because of Jesus (John 16:23-27)?
- Do you think the disciples truly grasp what Jesus says in John 16:28? Why?
- Both Jesus and the world offer a form of peace (John 14:27; 16:33), joy (John 15:11; 16:22-24) and love (John 13:34-35; 15:9-19). How have you experienced each of these? What is different between them?
- How do you deal with change? Moves? Job transfers? Transitions from one stage of your life to another? How has pain helped you to grow?
- From your experience, how could you comfort someone going through change?
- How do you desire joy? How do you experience it?
JOY
“Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” John 16:24
The Bible doesn’t tell us how long the lame man in Acts chapter 3 had sat begging at the Temple gate, but it was a daily occurrence. When he saw Peter and John, the odds are he wasn’t expecting anything—it was just another day, trying to survive.
Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” (Acts 3:6) Here’s what happened next: “He, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising God.” (Acts 3:8)
There’s an important lesson here for us. God has set times for doing certain things. He has a calendar and your name is on it: “For the time to favor her [or him]… the set time, has come.” (Psalm 102:13) If we’re not spiritually attuned we can miss our set time and forfeit what God has for us.
This means we must learn to live in expectation, because God’s blessings are either coming towards us or passing us by. Miracles happen to those who believe in them, ask for them, expect them, and receive them. The enemy will try to keep us so preoccupied, cynical, and hopeless that when God sends the answer we prayed for, you won’t recognize it, reach for it, or receive it.
Jesus said, “Whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” (John 16:23–24)
Thought of the Day: Be ready to receive.
I CAN HARDLY IMAGINE
"I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace." John 16:33
In His farewell conversation, Jesus is preparing His disciples for His imminent departure through death’s door. He speaks words of comfort to them.
But the journey is worthwhile, for it has a glorious destination. The goal toward which we are striving is not anything in this world. It is not what man’s hands can build – the kind of houses people want today and already wanted in the time of Amos 3:15: “winter house,” “summer house,” “houses adorned with ivory,” “mansions.” The destination is the Father’s house of many mansions. To come face to face with our Father in heaven – that is our goal.
But it would be purposeless for Jesus to point to the destination if He didn’t also give us the direction for getting there. What road must His disciples follow to reach their destination? Jesus is specific: “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life.’ John 14:6 This is one of many “I am” passages in John’s Gospel, showing that Jesus equated Himself with the Lord who revealed Himself to Moses as “I am who I am.” Exodus 3:14
Jesus is the Way, the only road leading to the Father, and all who believe in Him have found the way. He is the Life, the Giver of eternal life beginning here and now and reaching its fullness in heaven.
Thought of the Day: Have you thought recently about what Heaven will be like? A few years here. Eternity there. It’s going to be unbelievable.
PUTTING JOY ON TRIAL
I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. — John 16:33
Adam and Eve lost both of their children in a single day — one was murdered, the other banished. Can you imagine the horror and pain they must have felt? How can a couple deal with that kind of deep sorrow and guilt?
Suffering has a way of putting our joy on trial. We can train our hearts to trust the character of God before we are faced with a tragedy. We can have confidence in the truth of God’s Word even when we don’t understand what He’s doing. “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable His judgments, and His paths beyond tracing out!” (Romans 11:33).
Adam and Eve may have thought their sin had thwarted any chance for future joy, but God redeemed the situation in His perfect time. He blessed the couple with another son in the wake of their bereavement and brought them comfort, graciously allowing Eve to conceive again. And this experience would be different.
When she had given birth to her firstborn, Cain, Eve had said, “With the help of the Lord I have brought forth a man” (Genesis 4:1). Notice that she takes credit for herself — “I have brought forth a man” (emphasis added). However, after suffering loss — the tragedy in the garden, the death of Abel, the banishment of Cain — Eve was humble and grateful. After Seth’s birth, she was thankful: “God has granted me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him” (Genesis 4:25). This time, Eve gave all the credit to the Lord. After enduring failure and the inability to control or repair life on her own, Eve acknowledged God’s kindness and mercy.
As a parent, you will face difficulties you cannot understand. You can prepare now by spending time in His presence and learning to trust His goodness, grace, and wisdom for whatever lies ahead.
Father in heaven, You are the God of creation. You form children in their mothers’ wombs. You planned every day of their lives before the foundation of the world. Today, let us, along with our children, sense the miracle of Your design. Let them know the presence of Your Spirit guiding them in the direction You have chosen. Make clear the path of preparation we need to follow. Give us wisdom and strength to trust You. In the powerful name of Jesus. Amen.
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