seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
John 16:1 “All this I have told you so that you will not fall away. 2 They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God. 3 They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. 4 I have told you this, so that when their time comes you will remember that I warned you about them. I did not tell you this from the beginning because I was with you, 5 but now I am going to him who sent me. None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 Rather, you are filled with grief because I have said these things. 7 But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 about sin, because people do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11 and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.
12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”
This is from bible_studys.org.
This is speaking of the followers of Jesus who will be thrown out of the church (synagogue), because they teach the grace of the Lord, rather than the old Jewish Law. These self-righteous church people who are dogmatically hanging on to the law will not accept the good news of the gospel. They will insist on Jesus' followers being killed, and they will even believe that they are doing the will of God in doing this.
John was the best human friend of Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah, the Son of God. He and the other disciples knew Jesus as a human. Just like that charismatic guy down the street... the one with so many friends. John knew Him as a human. Sure John would have been amazed to see Him heal that guy who had been blind from birth.... and it was surely amazing to see that guy at the pools... stand up for the first time in 38 years.... but a surgeon could do that. John thought of Jesus as a friend. Some of the others probably looked to Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah.... but not in the same way John did. They thought He was going to mount an insurrection and take the Temple and the palaces by force. They thought He was building an army to run Rome out of "God's Promised Land". All this healing and feeding stuff was only to build the army... they thought.... and when the time was right... the Messiah would call in His Legions.
Some, well they were there for the side shows at first... but the teaching just melted their hearts and they were just genuine followers.... and spreading the Word.
Jesus didn't want them to be unaware. His Mission here on earth was just about over. He was only here to take care of the "death" problem. He was here to end death..... He was here to give humans an alternative... but in order to offer humans eternal life... He had to conquer the tomb. He had to be alone in that tomb for three days and come out alive. He had to do it.... so when a human got to judgement and tried to use "fear of death" as an excuse... Jesus could say... "been there... bought that t-shirt and that is not an excuse".
Jesus knew He was going to leave. The Mission here on earth was just about complete. He was, however, concerned about His disciples. He knew they would scatter.... when it became evident that He was going to the cross.... He knew His human buddies would be mortified. He knew they wanted Him to take down Herod and the rest of the bums. He probably wanted to teach Herod a lesson after what Herod did to John the Baptist. He knew some of them would drop Him when they didn't get what they thought they wanted.
He knew John and some of the others would grieve horribly. He wanted them to understand that this was what His human body was sculpted to do. He wanted them to know... this is why He left Heaven and came to earth.
He knew His disciples would never be alone. His Advocate would soon be here. His Advocate would watch over them.
Jesus knew Stephen would be stoned to death in the streets. Jesus knew Saul of Tarsus would hold the coats of those who would murder Stephen.
Jesus knew the plan. Jesus knew He would be leaving them to face the fury of the Pharisees and the Sadducees who were so big headed they thought God had to answer to them. The plan was bigger than His disciples... the plan was about "all " humanity. His Mission here on earth is just about done.... The Advocate would come next.
Now the Advocate is not here to keep all the disciples happy and safe. The Advocate will help it all make sense... and make us as comfortable as possible while it is happening. The Advocate is here to take the sting our of the rest of the plan.
Jesus knew He was just about to get to the meat of the Mission.... and He wouldn't have time to worry about the disciples.... He came to earth to do a job... and soon He'd be back in Heaven.... sitting on that throne.... talking to His dad again.... a Heavenly Son... instead of a hunted healer.
Jesus knew, in order to pull off the rest of the Mission... He had to take on the persona of the hunted healer.
His part of the Mission was just about over.... but their part... the Disciples Part.... the Apostles Part.... that part was just beginning.
Jesus promised them He would send help. Jesus promised them, once the Advocate got here, they would "never feel alone".
