JOHN CHAPTER 16 - You WILL be Persecuted - The Holy Spirit WILL Come - Jesus WILL Return to His Throne

Wed 6/29 - John 16 – Lesson 1

You WILL be Persecuted

John 16:1 (ESV) “I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away.

Jesus had just forewarned the apostles of persecution to come. He had also assured them that in the persecution, they would have comfort through the presence of the Holy Spirit. He had promised them He would not leave them as orphans. By this He was saying they would still have access to the Father through the Holy Spirit, and they were still a part of the family even though Jesus would not be present with them in bodily form. Since He had told them all these things, they would be better prepared to stand firm when persecution came. They would be enabled to “stick to their guns.”

John 16:2 They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God.

It just gets worse. Jesus was definitely not one for sugar coating reality! He tells them they will be thrown out of Jewish worship. Even more frightening, when the executioners kill them, they will claim that they are doing God’s work. The apostle Paul (Saul) had been one of these before his conversion as he persecuted Christians from town to town.

Acts 9:1-2 (NLT) Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord’s followers. So he went to the high priest. He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way he found there. He wanted to bring them—both men and women—back to Jerusalem in chains.

Saul zealously persecuted the believers thinking he was doing God’s bidding.

John 16:3 And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me.

Paul eventually saw the light (LITERALLY) and became a believer himself. Of course, it would be non-believers persecuting them. But remember that many of these who did not trust in Jesus were the Jewish religious leaders of the day like Saul (Paul). Therefore, they would be persecuted by their own people. The persecutors acted this way because they had no intimate, personal relationship with Jesus. They knew Him in the sense that they could identify Him on the street and could even quote some of His teachings, but they had not believed or trusted Him as Savior and Lord.

John 16:4 But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you.

Jesus had shared the information about persecution with them so that when it began to happen they would not be completely blindsided by it. They would remember His words and realize that things were still going according to God’s plan. Had Jesus not told them ahead of time, in their humanity they may have questioned, “What’s happening? Where is God in all of this? Have we done something to cause God to abandon us?” Instead they would know that God foreknew and even destined these persecutions for His glory. Looking back on history, we can see how the persecution of the believers scattered them throughout the world in order to lead more men to Jesus. God used the persecution to spread and multiply the Gospel to all of the known world at that time. Since this eventually brought the Gospel to the non-Jewish people, the Gentiles, Susan and I (and many of you) were able to be saved since neither one of us has Jewish heritage.

John 16:4 “I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. 5 But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’

As long as Jesus was by their side in the flesh, the apostles did not have need of the Holy Spirit internally because Jesus was right there to answer their questions. He did not need to explain the Holy Spirit’s work to them until His departure was imminent. But now He was preparing to return to Heaven and the Father’s side. At this point, the disciples were consumed with sorrow and self-preservation not knowing what would become of them after Jesus was betrayed. Often, if the leader of a movement was arrested, all of his followers were rounded up as well.

John 16:6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.

Jesus recognized and acknowledged their feelings of sorrow. The disciples could only see what was right in front of them. They did not and could not perceive the bigger picture. Since they had not yet experienced the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, they could not comprehend the comfort He would bring. Eventually, the Holy Spirit would enable them to understand God’s larger plan, but right now they were consumed with grief and fear. They were worried about their own skins.

Q – Jesus was preparing the apostles and really all of His followers through their eventually teaching for the fact that they would face persecution. We should not be surprised when our Christian testimony meets with ridicule or worse. Jesus knew this would happen. However, we have the Holy Spirit to encourage and strengthen us. We can have joy even when following Jesus is hard because we trust that God is in control. As Stephen Curtis Chapman expresses in song, “His strength is perfect when our strength is gone. He’ll carry us when we can’t carry on.”

Fri 7/1 – John 16 – Lesson 2

Holy Spirit’s Work

John 16:7 (ESV) 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 go, I will send him to you.

Even though the disciples were extremely sad and worried about the future, Jesus assured them it was to their benefit that He was going to the Father. This would enable the Holy Spirit, the Clarifier, to come to comfort, guide, and teach them. They had no need of the Holy Spirit when they walked with Jesus every day, but His work would be imperative once Jesus was no longer with them. They could not yet understand how the Holy Spirit within them could be as good as Jesus beside them.

John 16:8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:

It is the Holy Spirit’s job to bring conviction. It is not the responsibility of the pastor, Sunday school teacher, or family and friends to convict a person. We need to leave that work to the Holy Spirit. All those people just need to share the word of God and allow Him to apply it to the person’s problems. He convicts people concerning three things: sin, righteousness, and judgment which Christ explains in the next few verses.

John 16:9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me;

Every small, every large, abhorrent sin can be traced to rejection of Jesus and His way of doing things. Before a person can come to a saving knowledge of Jesus, he/she must realize his/her need. The person must be convicted of the fact that he/she is a sinner in need of a Savior. The Holy Spirit is not just sending us on a guilt trip to nowhere, He is showing us we have a problem which has a solution – Jesus. Rejecting Jesus is the sin that condemns a person. The Holy Spirit is the key, and Jesus is the door to the Father. Until we are handed the key, until the Holy Spirit awakens us to our need, we cannot unlock the door.

John 6:44 (NASB) No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.

The Father comes to us in the form of the Holy Spirit to draw us out of our life of sin and into a life covered by Jesus’ righteousness.

John 16:10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer;

The Holy Spirit convicts us that our righteousness is completely empty, and the only righteousness that has substance is that of the sacrificial Lamb, Jesus.

Isaiah 64:6 (KJV) But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

We cannot be righteous enough to please God in our own power because His standard is perfection. Only when we take on the righteousness of Jesus by trusting Him can we be made worthy of fellowship with Almighty God. Paul spent the first part of the third chapter of Philippians listing all the reasons the Jews would consider him righteous, but in the following verses, he explains that all of that fell short of the mark:

Philippians 3:7-9 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.  What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.

The Holy Spirit convicts us that our access to God comes through faith in Jesus and faith alone. It is not faith in our own self effort, but faith in Jesus’ completed work on the cross. His righteousness is the only righteousness that satisfies the Father’s perfection.

John 16:11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

The ruler of this world, Satan, was judged when Christ died in our place on the cross. Satan is referred to as the ruler or prince of this world, but we must remember that his power is confined to the limits placed upon him by God. The world’s judgment is clouded by Satan’s influence for now, but the Holy Spirit leads sinners to true judgment.  Satan is a defeated foe. The Holy Spirit turns those who believe from the world’s judgment of Jesus as false to the redeeming understanding of Jesus as the Son of God. The Holy Spirit gives a person the discernment to see the reality that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and that there is no other way to peace with God (John 14:6).

Q – The Holy Spirit is active in our world today. Is He drawing you to faith in Jesus? Are you seeing a need for change that you cannot achieve in your own steam? If God is drawing you, respond with trust. Surrender to Him because His intentions for you are only for your good and His glory.

Mon 7/4 – John 16 – Lesson 3

Ministry of the Holy Spirit

John 16:12 (ESV) “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.

The Lord Jesus was a prophet. He held back some things because He discerned that the apostles could not handle it. It was on a need to know basis, and at that moment they did not need to know. When I wished to know the future, I remember being told that the Lord knew it would be too much for me and would only reveal as much as was necessary to stay on His path. Out of His compassion for the apostles, Jesus did not want to overwhelm them. He knew everything they would go through as they built His church – hardship, persecution, even martyrdom – but chose to accentuate the positive promise of the Holy Spirit before going into all that. The Holy Spirit would reveal what they needed to know as they needed to know it.

John 16:13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.

The Holy Spirit would fill in the gaps in due time. Jesus encouraged them to be patient because the Spirit would eventually reveal the next steps to them. The Spirit would have the same authority as the Father and the Son because they tasked Him with revealing their truth to us. Father, Son, and Spirit are all equally God. Each aspect of our Triune God fulfills specific roles in our lives. One role of the Spirit is to reveal truth to us and guide us in God’s will. How does He do that? As we read the Bible, He illumines it. He is there to give us divine discernment. He is also that still, small voice that speaks to us when we are in prayer. He leads us in everyday living as we are yielded to His influence. He enables us to discern truth from lies as we deal with people and awakens our conscience to remember God’s commands.

John 16:14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

The Holy Spirit will never lead us in a direction contrary to Jesus’ teaching or the Father’s will. If a proposed action does not glorify God or would put Jesus’ name in a bad light, that idea did NOT come from the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives us the ability to reject those thoughts that are contrary to the Lord’s purposes and choose actions that are in line with His will. The Holy Spirit clarifies the words of Jesus and enables us to apply them to our daily lives.

John 16:15 All that the Father has is mine; therefore, I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

The Holy Spirit gives us truth from the Father and the Son because they are One. The Spirit would reveal Jesus’ plan for spreading the gospel to the apostles and through their teaching and the New Testament to us. The Holy Spirit would instigate the dissemination of the gospel around the entire world. The Holy Spirit does not have His own agenda. His purpose is to reveal Jesus and what Jesus would have man do.

Warren Wiersbe BE Bible Study Series

It is the ministry of the Spirit to enrich us with the treasures of God’s truth. He enlightens us with God’s truth and enriches us with God’s treasures. The Word of God is a rich mine of gold, silver, and precious jewels (Prov. 3:13-15; 8:10-21). What a joy it is to have the Spirit illumine His Word.

Q – If you are a Christian, if the Holy Spirit resides within you, the Bible can come to life as you read it. Ask the Spirit to help you understand God’s word as you read it. Studying the Bible should not be a chore you check off of your daily “to do” list. It can and should be a delight. Ask the Lord to make it so for you!

Wed 7/6 – John 16 – Lesson 4

Your Sorrow Will Turn into Joy

John 16:16 (ESV) “A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me.”

Soon Jesus would die on the cross and be resurrected to life again, but then after 40 days, He would ascend to the Father. The disciples would have to wait until the Feast of Pentecost to “see” Jesus once more. After Jesus ascended to the Father, the disciples would see Jesus through the activity of the Holy Spirit. This is how we see Jesus today, by recognizing the working of the Spirit in the lives of believers. As the beautiful old hymn says, “Let others see Jesus in you…”

John 16:17 So some of his disciples said to one another, “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 am going to the Father’?” 18 So they were saying, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We do not know what he is talking about.”

The disciples did not have a clue what Jesus was talking about or what was going on. They may have felt “a little while” was a bit vague. How long would they be without Him? How could He be with them if He had gone to the Father who obviously was in Heaven? They were left with questions that made their brains go tilt. But instead of asking the Source, they just kept wondering among themselves. Oops, do I do that? Do we grumble among ourselves instead of praying about a confusing situation? Do we go to the phone instead of the throne?

John 16:19 Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, “Is this what you are asking yourselves, what I meant by saying, ‘A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me’?

Jesus, of course, being omniscient (knowing everything), knew what they had been asking each other. So He calls them on it.

John 16:20 Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy.

Jesus told them that while they were crying, even wailing, the world would have a party. The Pharisees would think they had succeeded in defeating the One they feared. They would incorrectly suppose that Jesus could not possibly be a threat to them anymore. WRONG! Once Jesus was resurrected and had returned to the Father, He could be with each believer at the same time through the power of the Holy Spirit within them. Even when they were no longer traveling as a group of disciples, when they would later be scattered due to persecution, the Lord would be with each individual. Therefore, every Christian can experience the joy of His presence no matter where we are! A demonstration of God’s multiplication. He can be everywhere He needs to be all at once. He is not only omniscient (all-knowing) but also omnipresent (everywhere at once). This is accomplished through indwelling of the Holy Spirit in every Christian.

Q – Many times we question what the Lord is doing. When those times occur, we need to take those questions directly to God. He can handle that. As Psalm 103:13-14 reminds us “As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.” The Father knows we have limited ability to understand, so I am confident He understands when we have questions. Other believers can help us understand things, but never neglect to take the question directly to the Lord. His Holy Spirit can restore your joy even when you still are waiting on His answers.

Fri 7/8 – John 16 – Lesson 5

Ask and You Will Receive

John 16:21 (ESV) When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.

When a mother is in labor, she is in pain and misery – some of the worst pain known – but when the prize of the baby is in her arms, she remembers that no more. The disciples were about to enter the birthing pangs of the church of Jesus Christ – His excruciating death and the fear their fate will be the same. But Jesus was telling them the pain would be followed by inexpressible joy.

John 16:22 So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.

The eleven apostles Jesus addressed were already sorrowful because He had told them He was going back to the Father. Jesus told them He would return and see them again. Can you imagine any greater joy than to see the resurrected Jesus? The fantastic joy they would experience would remain with them permanently due to the presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives. Believers can never be separated from the Lord because of His Spirit within them.

Romans 8:38-39 (NIV) For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The sorrow of separation from Jesus would be short-lived for the apostles. We can know that as believers nothing and no one can take God’s presence from us.

John 16:23 In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.

After the Holy Spirit would come upon the disciples at Pentecost, they would no longer ask Jesus anything directly. His name, and asking the Father in His name, would become of paramount importance. What does it mean to ask “in Jesus’ name?” To ask in His name is to pray in accordance with His will, His heart, and with God’s intention at work. We know what God’s intention is by reading His word. The Bible is God’s will and testament. It is important that what we ask would not denigrate the character of Jesus, would not shame His name.

Philippians 2:9-11 (NIV) Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

After Christ’s obedience during His sojourn on earth, the Father elevated Jesus’ name to have ultimate power and authority. We do not see every knee bowing and every tongue confessing at this moment in history; but as far as God is concerned, the future is a “done deal.” But the time will come, and (I believe) is soon at hand when all men will have no choice but to acknowledge that Jesus is Lord.

John 16:24 Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

Until that time, the disciples had been able to ask Jesus anything face to face. After He ascended to the Father, they would need to ask the Father in the name of the Son. When we ask in Jesus’ name, in accordance with His will, we can be certain there is power and authority behind His name which was granted by the Father. Jesus desires us to have joy. When we pray for anything that brings glory to God, He will answer that prayer. Being in the center of God’s will is the most joyful place on this earth.

Q – Do you understand the meaning of praying “in Jesus’ name?” Before you ask something of God, do you evaluate whether it is in keeping with the character and will of Jesus? When you ask in this way, your prayers will be answered, and you will have lasting joy.

Mon 7/11 – John 16 – Lesson 6

Jesus Will Return to the Throne Room

John 16:25 (ESV) “I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech but will tell you plainly about the Father.

Jesus had been speaking to the disciples in metaphors rather than in plain speech. He had not come right out and stated exactly what was going to happen but had alluded to birth pangs and sorrow. The Holy Spirit would make things more clear to them after Jesus was gone than when Jesus walked among them. The Holy Spirit would not only reveal it to them, but He would remove the cobwebs from their minds and bring light where there had been fogginess.

John 16:26 In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; 27 for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.

The disciples would not have to ask Jesus to ask His Father on their behalf. They would be able to speak directly to the Father in the name of the Son. This is explained well below:

The MacArthur Bible Commentary:

Asking in Jesus’ name means simply asking on the basis of His merit, His righteousness, and for whatever would honor and glorify Him as to build His kingdom.

As we have explained before “in Jesus name” is not a magic phrase to tack onto the end of our prayers but is the attitude and the power by which we petition the Father. We can come to God in this way because we have believed and trusted the One that He sent, His only begotten Son, Jesus.

John 16:28 I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father.”

Jesus identified where He came from, the presence of God. He said He was now leaving earth and going back home to Heaven, into the presence of God the Father. He was returning to His rightful place of authority at the right hand of the Father’s throne.

Hebrews 12:2 (NASB) fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Jesus would no longer be upon the earth, but He would still be in the control room orchestrating HIStory.

Q – Do you ever feel like our world is completely out of control? Do not let fear overtake you! Take solace in the fact that even when the world seems completely out of control, the Lord is still completely IN CONTROL. Pray in Jesus’ name asking for wisdom and peace to live for Him on the earth. The Father will answer!

Wed 7/13 - John 16 – Lesson 7

Jesus Answers Before We Ask

John 16:29 (ESV) His disciples said, “Ah, now you are speaking plainly and not using figurative speech!

The disciples finely have a clue what Jesus has been talking about. Now that Jesus is speaking plainly, they do not have to strain to understand and can focus attention on listening rather than pondering.

John 16:30 Now we know that you know all things and do not need anyone to question you; this is why we believe that you came from God.”

IVP New Testament Commentary Series:

As the one sent from God, Jesus' knowledge is complete; thus one can trust him and not fret over the questions one might have.

The disciples knew Jesus came from God because He answered their questions before they even asked them! The disciples were confirming Jesus’ omniscience and, therefore, His deity. He did not have to wait for them to ask a question before He answered. Also, they could leave questions unasked because they trusted Him with their lives. The disciples have some understanding of the sovereignty of God and that Jesus was acting on the Father’s behalf.

John 16:31 Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? 32 Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me.

Jesus asked them if they REALLY believed. He knew that at the hour of His arrest they would flee in terror. Jesus knew that with all their hearts they wanted to believe; but in their humanity and frailty being dust, there would be a nagging doubt that prevented them from following Him all the way.

Psalm 103:13-14 (VOICE) An earthly father expresses love for his children; it is no different with our heavenly Father; The Eternal shows His love for those who revere Him. For He knows what we are made of; He knows our frame is frail, and He remembers we came from dust.

Just as He knew Judas Iscariot would betray Him, He also knew Peter would deny Him and the others would go into hiding. He knew they did not yet have the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit! Therefore, Jesus could have compassion on their weaknesses.

John 16:33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

We do not like to hear that we WILL have tribulation. But Jesus promises His peace will prevail in us in the middle of that tribulation and even persecution. Through His death and resurrection Jesus defeated Satan and overcame the world. Just as we can count on persecution and tribulation, we can equally count on God’s faithfulness and peace in the midst of them. We can play the “what’s the worst thing that could happen” game and easily win. If we are slain for our testimony about Jesus, if we die on this earth, we will immediately be in the presence of our Loving Lord forever! No more sorrow, no more pain, no fear or worry. Sounds like a win to me! When flesh killing disease was creeping up my legs, I was facing the reality that I could die. Even so, that would have been a win for me. The Lord led me to make the drastic decision to have the disease removed by amputating both legs above the knee in order to continue life for Jesus’ sake. The Lord still has me here to bless, to encourage, to teach others for His glory which is absolutely a win as well.

Philippians 1:20-24 (NIV) I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.

As long as the Lord chooses to leave us on this earth, we have a purpose to fulfill.

Q – Jesus knows your heart, your every thought; but He has instructed you to pray. In times of trouble, seek Him. If you are a believer, is there any problem, any trial, that is too much for Him to deal with? NO, even death cannot defeat you because in death you will truly begin to live. But don’t check out early because He may want you to have the fantastic joy of serving Him here and now on planet earth.