John 16 - Life Application Bible Commentary (NT)

16:1-2 “All this I have told you so that you will not go astray.”NIV In the last two chapters (13:31–15:27) (and especially 15:18-27, which deals with persecution the disciples will face) Jesus warned and safeguarded the disciples against the trials that awaited them. He did not want them to be caught off guard, to stumble, or to fall when trials came. Jesus wanted his disciples to remember that he had predicted his own persecution and theirs in order to fortify them for the difficult times to come. He also wanted them to remember the rest of his teaching (all this). His accurate predictions would increase their trust in his instructions.

“They will put you out of the synagogues.”NRSV In 9:22 and 12:42 we are told that the religious leaders had decided that anyone who confessed Jesus as the Messiah would be expelled from the synagogue. Jesus predicted that this would happen to the disciples. By the time John’s Gospel was recorded, Christians were already frequently barred from the synagogues.

“In fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God.”NIV This prophecy would come true very soon. An early deacon in the church, Stephen, would become the first martyr for the faith (Acts 7:54-60). James, one of the disciples present with Jesus during this teaching, would be put to death by King Herod (Acts 12:1-2). Saul of Tarsus —before his conversion —went through the land hunting down and persecuting Christians, convinced that he was serving God by killing those who proclaimed Jesus as their Messiah (Acts 9:1-2; 26:9-11; Galatians 1:13-14; Philippians 3:6).

DOING GOD A FAVOR

Some of the most shameful acts throughout history have been perpetrated by those who thought they were offering a service to God. Attempts have been made to convert pagans by force. People have been tortured and killed in the name of religion. For the sake of orthodoxy, Christians have persecuted one another with remarkable lack of mercy or love. Some of the issues may have been valid, but the methods have offended Christ.

Jesus knew that devout Jews like Saul of Tarsus would persecute Christians. These Jews would be fully convinced they were protecting the true faith. We must not harm others in our zeal for his concerns. That would be a horrible error. It is better to err on the side of mercy. Our methods in obeying Christ’s commands must be consistent with his greatest command: to love!

“When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me.”NIV In 14:26 Jesus had said that the Father would send the Counselor, the Spirit of truth, in the name of his Son. This verse states that the Son would send the Counselor, the Spirit of truth, from the Father. There is actually no contradiction, for Jesus said that he would send the Spirit from the Father. (In fact, Jesus emphasized that the Spirit goes out from the Father.) Therefore, both 14:26 and 15:26 identify the Father as the one who would send the Spirit. The verse adds an extra detail: the Son would also send the Spirit. Thus, the Father and Son together would send the Spirit.

Jesus used two names for the Holy Spirit —Counselor and Spirit of truth. The word Counselor conveys the helping, encouraging, and strengthening work of the Spirit as he represents Christ. “The Spirit of truth” points to the teaching, illuminating, and reminding work of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit ministers to both the head and the heart, and both dimensions are important.

“You also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.”NIV The disciples would testify (or witness) that Jesus is the Messiah. The Holy Spirit would testify by preparing people’s hearts and minds, persuading them of the truth of the gospel, and enabling them to receive the message. You refers to Jesus’ original disciples, since only they had been with him from the beginning of his ministry (see Luke 1:2; Acts 1:21-22). These disciples were the vital link between Jesus Christ and all subsequent believers. They would need the Holy Spirit to remind them so that as they preached, taught, and wrote, they would spread the truth of the gospel. The Holy Spirit would see to it that their witness would not be impaired by persecution. Jesus has already forewarned these men about the persecution to come so that they would not be surprised.

By application, this verse extends to all Christians. All Christians are called to testify of Jesus, allowing the Holy Spirit to help them through times of persecution and to remind them of the truth of God’s Word and work in the hearts and minds of their listeners.

16:3-4 “They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me.”NIV Those who would persecute believers would do so out of ignorance. Many of them would know about God, but not knowing God’s true nature or will for people they would not recognize the Son of God. They did not understand that God was at work through Jesus; so, when they rejected Jesus, they also rejected God. Paul, who had traveled across the land searching out Christians to persecute, later wrote, “Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief” (1 Timothy 1:13 NIV).

“I have told you this, so that when the time comes you will remember that I warned you.”NIV Thus, the disciples were forewarned. When the persecutions would actually occur, they would be prepared because they would remember what Jesus had said. Jesus’ predictions hold today. The world is still hostile toward Jesus and his disciples. When a tree in the forest stands taller than the rest it must endure the full force of the wind. When Christians take a stand for Christ in their cultures, they will experience the full force of the opposition.

IT WILL COST

Like Jesus, we must warn new and younger disciples that hatred from the world and hard times are ahead. We must dispel illusions and deal honestly with unrealistic expectations. In our eagerness to promote the benefits of following Christ we must not shrink back from also presenting the cost of discipleship. Preparing new believers for times of discouragement will teach them to rely on the Holy Spirit’s comfort and guidance along the way. When Christians assume that following Christ will be easy, they neglect the daily spiritual resources provided for them. These include Bible study, prayer, and the promises and directions that Jesus gives us.

“I did not tell you this at first because I was with you.”NIV Jesus waited until the very last evening to warn his disciples because he himself had been their protection from the beginning. Jesus had deflected any criticism and opposition away from the disciples. But after Jesus was crucified, the persecution would shift to his followers and would focus on these men, his inner circle.

JESUS TEACHES ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT / 16:5-15 / 217

Not all the news for the disciples was grim. There would be persecution, but Jesus comforted his followers with the promise that they would not be alone; he would send them the Counselor, the Spirit of truth. John highlighted five important tasks of the Holy Spirit: (1) to convict the world of its sin and call it to repentance, (2) to reveal the standard of God’s righteousness to anyone who believes because Christ would no longer be physically present on earth, (3) to demonstrate Christ’s judgment over Satan, (4) to direct believers into all truth, and (5) to reveal even more about Jesus Christ.

16:5 “But now I am going to him who sent me; yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’”NRSV The verb tense for asks is present; otherwise, this statement would contradict 13:36 and 14:5. The disciples had asked (past tense) where Jesus was going. In this verse, Jesus was looking for an immediate reaction to his words about his departure. But instead of asking, “Where are you going?” at that time when Jesus was ready to answer, they reacted in sorrow.

16:6 “Because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts.”NRSV Although the disciples had previously talked with Jesus about his death (see 7:33-34), they had never truly understood its meaning because they had been mostly concerned about themselves. If Jesus went away, what would become of them? If they had asked where Jesus was going, and then had understood that he was going to the Father, they would not have been filled with such sorrow —they would have realized that Jesus’ departure was for their good.

16:7

“It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you.”NIV Without Jesus’ death and resurrection we could not be saved. His death made it possible for him to remove our sins. Before Jesus could defeat death by his resurrection, he had to submit to death. And if he would not go back to the Father, the Holy Spirit would not come in the way God had planned. “Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified” (7:39 NIV). After his glorification —through the process of crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension —Jesus could send the Spirit to the believers. Christ’s presence on earth was limited to one place at a time. His leaving meant he could live, through the Holy Spirit, in every believer in the whole world. Thus, it was for their good that he had to go away. The Spirit would carry Jesus’ work to a more intense level during the history of the church. By the Spirit the gospel would go out to all the world.

16:8 “And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.”NKJV To convict (elencho) means “to expose the facts, to convince someone of the truth, to accuse, refute, or to cross-examine a witness.” As a prosecuting attorney, the Holy Spirit carries out his convicting work in at least three ways:

1. The Holy Spirit proves the world wrong by exposing the world’s error and convincing people they are sinners. Even general admissions of guilt are evidence of the Spirit’s work.

2. The Holy Spirit legally convicts people of their sin, representing the righteous judgment of God. In legal terms, the Holy Spirit’s role is to read aloud the verdict of the court. There is no appeal to the Holy Spirit’s judgment.

3. The Holy Spirit shows people their sin in order to bring them to repentance. He personalizes God’s accusation from “all are guilty” to “you are guilty.” He breaks through our defenses and rationalizations and confronts us with at least a glimpse of our true selves in relation to God’s standards.

For purposes of evangelism, the third way that the Spirit works is the one that matters. By themselves, the first two communicate little more than a strong sense of God’s justice. But the third explanation not only includes the first two, it also brings to bear God’s mercy. God graciously makes us aware of our sin that he might make us receptive to his grace. The Holy Spirit prepares the human heart and then applies the healing work of Jesus Christ to that person.

FOR YOUR OWN GOOD

Who among us does not react with skepticism to the statement, “I’m doing this for your own good”? Yet who beside Christ has better credentials to carry out his beneficial purposes for us? If Jesus had not gone away, the disciples would never have learned to walk by faith, and neither would we. When Jesus seems distant or our problems threaten to overwhelm us, let us keep walking by faith. Trusting during a trial means waiting to see what good Jesus can bring out of what may seem like complete chaos. Christ uses trials to strengthen us for even greater service.

16:9 “Of sin, because they do not believe in Me.”NKJV The greatest sin is the refusal to believe in Jesus (3:18). Those who reject Jesus are in danger of eternal separation from God.

16:10 “Of righteousness.”NKJV There are two ways to understand “convict the world . . . of righteousness”: (1) The Spirit’s function will be to show all people that Christ alone provides the standard of God’s righteousness. The Holy Spirit must make unbelievers recognize God’s perfect standard before they will admit their own deficiency. As long as people can maintain the idea that God is somehow less than perfect, they can hide from their own condition. The Holy Spirit lifts that veil and displays to the human heart God’s holiness. (2) It can also mean that the Spirit will show the world the futility of religious self-righteousness. The Holy Spirit will show the inadequacy of ceremony and ritual in making one right with God (see Matthew 5:20; Romans 10:3; Philippians 3:6-9).

“Because I go to My Father and you see Me no more.”NKJV Jesus was the one who convicted the world of its unrighteousness by exposing the hearts of men. Once Jesus left this earth, the Holy Spirit would continue Jesus’ work.

16:11 “[Of] judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.”NIV The Spirit will show that, through Jesus’ death and resurrection, Satan has already been judged and condemned. Though Satan still actively attempts to harden, intimidate, and delude those in this world (1 Peter 5:8), we are to treat him like a condemned criminal, for God has determined the time of his execution (see Revelation 20:2, 7-10).

Convicting us of our sin, convicting us of God’s righteousness, and convicting us of Satan’s (and our) impending judgment describes three approaches that the Holy Spirit uses. We do not all require all three in order to be convinced that we need God’s grace. The Holy Spirit does not crush those who only require prodding. Some are simply more stubborn and resistant than others. God demonstrates his grace by approaching each of us with that level of conviction necessary for our response.

One question that we will all have to answer at some point is not how many times we heard the gospel, but how we responded to the convicting work of the Holy Spirit?

This convicting may be done with the help of believers, through whom the Holy Spirit works. Jesus had already told his disciples, “When the Counselor comes . . . he will testify about me. And you also must testify . . .” (15:26-27 NIV).

16:12 Having indicated what the Spirit would be doing in the world (16:7-11), Jesus then related to the disciples what the Spirit would be doing in believers. But most of what Jesus told the disciples would be unclear to them until after the events of the Crucifixion and Resurrection. Thus Jesus said: “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.”NRSV

16:13 “When he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth.”NIV The prominent role of the Spirit of truth is to guide the believers into (Greek eis) all truth. By truth Jesus meant the truth about his identity, the truth of his words and actions, and the truth about all that was to happen to him. In time they would fully understand that he was the Son, come from the Father, sent to save people from their sin. But only after these events occurred, and only through the Holy Spirit’s guidance would the disciples be able to understand. The Holy Spirit is the true guide for all believers; his primary task is to instruct us about the truth (1 John 2:20).

THE PATHFINDER

The Holy Spirit is our guide, navigator, and pathfinder. Jesus gave us a reliable map when he gave us his life and his words. These essential resources assist us to find our way as his disciples. Jesus has also given us time. The original disciples could not absorb all Jesus had to teach them at once. Some steps of discipleship cannot even be comprehended until we have taken previous steps of obedience. We must never resent the limitations we have. Our knowledge of the way and the future will always be limited. Instead, we must trust and follow the pathfinder Christ has given us.

“He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears.”NIV In addition to revealing Christ and guiding the believers into the truth of Christ, the Spirit would convey Jesus’ words both by way of teaching and by way of reminding the disciples of what Jesus had said during his ministry. The Spirit would also affirm Jesus’ ministry by bearing witness to him (15:26). The Lord had many things he wanted to tell the disciples before he departed from them, but they would not be able to bear them at that time. When the Spirit came, he would speak to the disciples whatever he heard from Jesus.

“He will tell you what is yet to come.”NIV The disciples were not given power to predict the future, but the Spirit would give them insight into what is yet to come —that is, the events of the Crucifixion, Resurrection, Ascension, and perhaps the Second Coming. The disciples would not fully understand until the Holy Spirit had come after Jesus’ death and resurrection. Then the Holy Spirit would reveal truths to the disciples that they would write down in the books that now form the New Testament.

GOD’S TIMING

Have you ever wondered what it must have been like to have been one of the original disciples? Perhaps you have thought, Back then, my life would have been so different. Knowing Jesus and then being filled with his Spirit would have made me one of those dynamic Christians. But if looking backward makes us dissatisfied with the present, we will not fully appreciate God’s present plan.

Jesus wants each believer to be empowered by his same Holy Spirit who filled the disciples. His Spirit lives in us today, and God’s best time for us to be alive is now. We don’t need to dwell on the past or be preoccupied with the future. God has plenty of work for us and power to help us this day.

16:14 “He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.”NIV The Spirit does not glorify his own personality; rather, he glorifies the Son’s. The Spirit takes what the Son is and reveals it to believers. In so doing, he individualizes the teaching of Christ and calls people to obey. The Holy Spirit makes us want to apply, teaches us to apply, and then helps us apply Christ’s words!

16:15 “All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.”NIV Jesus explained that the Holy Spirit works in complete submission to and in harmony with the Son and the Father. The Spirit reveals the Son (in all his true splendor) to the believers. Yet as he reveals the Son, the Spirit is also revealing the Father because all the attributes of the Son are the attributes of the Father. Thus the Spirit reveals the Son, who, in turn, expresses the Father. This verbal picture of what cannot be fully seen by finite humans helps us understand the profound unity of God.

What we call the doctrine of the Trinity is a summary of what Jesus taught about his relationship to the Father and the Spirit. Without in any way diminishing the awesome revelation of God as one, Jesus demonstrated that God’s oneness is at the same time a threeness: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God exists in perfect, unbroken harmony while at the same time functioning in the person of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They are one; yet they relate to one another. They are beyond our complete grasp; yet they have graciously revealed themselves to us so that we may trust and be saved!

SUSPICIOUS

Jesus’ teaching about the Holy Spirit explains why Christians should be suspicious of those who claim to have new and special revelations from God. We should be very cautious when these “new revelations” call into question the words and character of Jesus. Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would continue to make him known, to bring honor to him, and to complete his work. All that the Holy Spirit does clarifies and glorifies Jesus. Believers have the authority to question and repudiate any religious system claiming to have new knowledge or understanding that contradicts God’s Word or any leader claiming to have special power and status equal with Christ.

JESUS TEACHES ABOUT USING HIS NAME IN PRAYER / 16:16-33 / 218

Jesus explained to the disciples that his departure would only last “a little while” (actually only three days), for he would see them again on the day of his resurrection. Then a new relationship between the disciples and Jesus’ Father would begin. They would then be able to approach God the Father as his children and bring to him their requests through prayer.

Jesus concluded this section with yet another prediction and teaching to prepare them. He informed the disciples that, while they thought they believed, within hours they all would abandon him. Jesus did not berate them for their weakness but prepared them to endure in spite of it. Jesus wanted the disciples to know that he knew their deepest tendencies, so that when failure came, they would remember he still loved them. The disciples were to have peace, even in a world of trouble. The peace offered by Jesus is maintained in those who remind themselves that Jesus has overcome the world!

16:16-19 “A little while, and you will no longer see me, and again a little while, and you will see me.”NRSV Jesus was referring to his death, only a few hours away, and his resurrection three days later. But the disciples didn’t understand this, so they were grieved and perplexed. They kept asking each other what he could possibly mean: “We don’t understand what he is saying.”NIV Jesus had already told the disciples that he would go to the Father and return to them after his resurrection (chapter 14), but they didn’t understand.

16:20-21 Following his explanation of the time between his departure and return, Jesus used a figure of speech to depict how quickly the disciples’ grief would turn to joy: “You will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world.”NIV The disciples would grieve for their crucified Master, and the world (the mass of people opposed to Jesus) would rejoice that this “madman” had finally been silenced. But the disciples’ grief will turn to joy, for they would see their resurrected Lord. In addition, the Holy Spirit would help them understand the true purpose of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection —that it meant salvation from sin and eternal life for everyone who believes! This would indeed bring them great joy —just as a woman has great joy after the pains of giving birth to a child. They, with Jesus, were now suffering the birth pangs; soon the pain would be over (both for Jesus and for them), when they would see their risen Lord!

ENDLESS JOY

Because Jesus lives forever, the disciple’s joy would be endless. No one, not the persecutors, not the doubters, not the unbelievers, not the murderers, could take away their joy. This is a tremendous promise for all believers. No one can take away our joy!

When we understand Christ’s resurrection, it will have a powerful impact on our lives. The Resurrection guarantees our forgiveness and assures us that Jesus will return. Jesus’ resurrection realizes our hope to be reunited with believing friends and loved ones beyond death. No opposition or criticism should ever destroy or diminish our joy!

16:22 “So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.”NIV The disciples would grieve right then and over the next couple of days as the predicted events unfolded. But their time of rejoicing would come, for Jesus would rise again to live forever:

• “We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. The death he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God” (Romans 6:9-10 NRSV).
• “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2 Corinthians 4:17 NKJV).
• “Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.” (Hebrews 7:24-25 NIV)
• The promise “I will see you again” refers both to the resurrection appearances of Jesus to his disciples (20:19-29) and to the Second Coming, when he will receive all the believers, who will live with him forever (1 Thessalonians 4:17).

16:23-24 “On that day you will ask nothing of me.”NRSV This “day” refers to the time subsequent to the day of Jesus’ resurrection. On that day, their questions about his departure and return would be answered. The phrase is awkward out of context. Just as Jesus previously promised that his absence would mean the presence of the Holy Spirit, so now, “on that day,” the disciples could take their requests directly to the Father. While the preceding context of “ask nothing of me” brings to mind questions, in the verses that follow Jesus clearly broadens the point of asking to include “anything.”

“If you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.”NRSV From that day forward, the disciples should begin to make their requests to the Father directly, who would answer their requests in Jesus’ name (see 14:13-14; 15:7). This was another reminder that Jesus would not remain on earth indefinitely after he rose from the dead. Requests asked in Jesus’ name are requests that the believer knows Jesus would be pleased to answer, requests that are in accordance with the Father’s will. Any such request will be given.

“Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.”NKJV Answered prayer brings joy —just ask any believer! Jesus encouraged the disciples to ask, so that they might receive and have full and complete joy (see also 1 John 5:13-15).

GO STRAIGHT TO THE TOP

Jesus clarified a new relationship between the believer and God. Previously, people approached God through priests. After Jesus’ resurrection, any believer could approach God directly in Jesus’ name. A new day has dawned; now all believers are priests, talking with God personally and directly (see Hebrews 10:19-23). We approach God, not because of our own merit, but because Jesus, our great High Priest, has made us acceptable to God. When was the last time you asked God for what you really need?

16:25-27 “I have said these things to you in figures of speech.”NRSV Specific predictions about future events would have been too much for the disciples at this point (16:12-13), so Jesus spoke to them in figures of speech.

“A time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father.”NIV After Jesus arose, the disciples were given a new, living relationship with the Father (see 20:19). And through the Holy Spirit, Jesus would give them fresh and clear understanding of the Father (16:13-15).

“On that day you will ask in my name. I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf.”NRSV The disciples would have direct, personal access to the Father. Jesus would not have to make their requests for them; instead, they would go straight to God, asking in Jesus’ name. Jesus was not withdrawing from representing us before the Father. He still makes intercession for us (Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25). Jesus was preparing the disciples for the reality that his death would allow them direct access to the Father in prayer and that they ought to make use of it (Hebrews 10:19-25)! The Father would respond to the disciples because, as Jesus said, “The Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.”NIV All who love Jesus and believe in him as God’s Son are loved by the Father. Why? Because they have loved him whom the Father dearly loves. God remembers our faithfulness to his Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus not only encouraged the disciples to love him and remain faithful, but he also reminds us how essential our faithfulness really is.

16:28-30 Then Jesus plainly said, “I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”NIV In this sentence, Jesus plainly described his entire mission —he was incarnated (came from the Father), he was made a human being in order to secure the salvation of human beings (entered the world), and he would be resurrected from death and ascend back to the glory from which he came (going back to the Father).

The disciples responded, “Now you are speaking plainly, not in any figure of speech!”NRSV The disciples finally realized that Jesus had been speaking of his departure to the Father. Then they said, “Now we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God.”NIV Jesus’ repeated predictions of his imminent death, resurrection, and ascension (7:33; 10:11-18; 12:23-24, 30-36; 13:18-38; 14:1-5, 15-31; 16:5-7) finally left their mark on the disciples. Now they were convinced that Jesus’ knowledge about future events marked him unquestionably as the Son of God come from God. The disciples believed Jesus’ words because they were convinced that he knew everything. He even knew the questions on their minds before they asked them (16:19). They were making a claim, not about their own knowledge, but about his. Jesus’ omniscience was another proof of his divinity. But their belief was only a first step toward the enduring faith they would receive when the Holy Spirit came to live in them.

JESUS KNOWS

John portrayed Jesus’ sensitivity toward his disciples. He knew them. He based his words and actions toward them on his intimate awareness of them. He knows us just as well. None of our problems, griefs, questions, and concerns are hidden from him. He knows about them, and he knows them. Hebrews describes Jesus as the High Priest who can sympathize with our weaknesses, having experienced them first hand, and who is therefore approachable (Hebrews 2:18; 4:15-16).

No matter how great our unfaithfulness or weakness, Jesus knows and understands our situation and our needs. Although he knows us, he still loves us and calls us to return and remain faithful.

16:31-32 “Do you now believe?”NRSV The implied exasperation in the statement is conveyed better by “You believe at last!”NIV. The disciples had taken a small but real step forward in understanding. Jesus continued to tell them what was going to happen so that their faith would be strengthened in the end: “A time is coming, and has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home. You will leave me all alone.”NIV Scattered alludes to Zechariah 13:7: “Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered” (NIV). (Jesus also quoted from Zechariah in Matthew 26:31 and Mark 14:27.) As predicted, the disciples abandoned Jesus when he was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:56; Mark 14:50). Even though Jesus was abandoned by his disciples, he was not completely alone. As Jesus said previously (8:29), here he says, “Yet I am not alone because the Father is with me.”NRSV

16:33 “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.”NKJV In a final note of encouragement, Jesus promised the disciples peace through their union with him —for he would overcome the world by rising from the grave. The world, Satan’s system that is opposed to God, will give the believers terrible trouble and opposition. But Jesus has beaten Satan’s system, won the victory, and overcome the world. Before his own trial, Jesus could already speak of an accomplished task. This adds impact to his victory over Satan since he not only accomplished it, he predicted it! The disciples could constantly rejoice in the victory because they were on the winning team.

Jesus summed up all he had told them this night, tying together themes from 14:27-29; 16:1-4; and 16:9-11. With these words he told his disciples to take courage. Despite the inevitable struggles they would face, they would not be alone. Just as Jesus’ Father did not leave him alone, Jesus does not abandon us to our struggles either. If we remember that the ultimate victory has already been won, we can claim the peace of Christ in the most troublesome times. Jesus wants us to have peace.

TROUBLESOME PEACE

In contrast to our assumption that peace means the absence of conflict, Jesus promises that his peace becomes apparent in the very middle of trouble and conflict. Troubles remind us to ask for Jesus’ peace. God’s answer will not usually mean that the problem will be over, but that Christ’s peace will see us through it. How much have you relied on the peace of Jesus when you face trouble?