John 16:25-33. Recovery from Spiritual Failure

Jesus is coming to the end of this final teaching session with his disciples in the upper room. He knows he is shortly going to be arrested, tried and then crucified. With him are a motley crew of weak followers and he is about to leave them to continue his work. He knows that they will fail him yet, in spite of this, he is still going to ordain them for the task of world evangelisation. How could the Lord trust such a weak and at times silly people with this task? The theologian C.H.Dodd wrote,

“It is part of the character and genius of the Church that its founding members were discredited men; it owed its existence not to their faith, courage, or virtue, but to what Christ had done with them; and this they could never forget.”1

It is the power of Jesus and of the Holy Spirit that has enabled such failures to change the world for God.

How different this statement is to the self-confidence the disciples had expressed earlier. Peter had exclaimed that he is ready to lay down his life for Jesus, yet within one day Peter would deny he knew Jesus three times. The disciples think they understand Jesus now and are committed to him but Jesus knows better,

“Then Jesus’ disciples said, ‘Now you are speaking clearly and without figures of speech. 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.” John 16:29-30

Jesus warns them that they will fail and even desert him but he encourages them that that will not be the end either for Jesus or his mission because God is heavily involved.

“A time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.” John 16:32

Jesus is equipping his disciples by telling them these facts ahead of time. He does this so that they will not be overcome by failure but will bounce back to serve him. Only one of the disciples would succumb to his failure and that was Judas Iscariot. He was also given the opportunity to repent and return to serving the Lord but he refused! Jesus finished this challenging warning with really encouraging words,

“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

We have all failed to live as God wants in so many ways but those setbacks are meant to remind us of how much we need the forgiveness the Lord always offers us and the power of his Holy Spirit to start again living his way.

It is so easy to give the appearance of serving God when we are really serving ourselves. The singer, Bob Dylan, had a ‘Christian phase’ and it was at this time that he sang, ‘Gotta serve somebody’. In this came the words, ‘It may be the devil or it may be the Lord, but you’re gonna have to serve somebody’. Jesus warns us that we are either serving God or a god substitute, and that substitute is usually ‘me’. Surely we can all recognise that all of us have been failures in serving God.

Failures, but always hope

The Lord recognises the confusion in his disciples’ minds so decides to speak to them very clearly. He says,

“Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer be using this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father.” John 16:25

Figurative language means language that is often obscure and has to be thought through to understand the real meaning. Jesus had often spoken in parables. Jesus had said,

“Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” John 2:19

Later the disciples understood that he was not speaking literally. John later wrote,

“But the temple he had spoken of was his body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said.” John 2:22

None of his disciples made much sense of the death of Jesus on that cross until after his resurrection.

On another occasion Jesus washed Peter’s feet but Peter did not understand the significance at the time. Jesus then said,

“You do not realise now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” John 13:7

After his resurrection Jesus did just this. Starting with Clopas and his companion on the seven mile walk to Emmaus when Jesus said,

“How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory? And beginning with Moses and the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.” Luke 24:25-27

Later that same day he met with the disciples in the locked upper room and said,

“This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” Luke 24:44

Wouldn’t it have been wonderful to have heard what Jesus said on those occasions!

Ronald Reagan, when President of the United States once said,

“Meaning no disrespect to the religious convictions of others, I still can't help wondering how we can explain away what to me is the greatest miracle of all and which is recorded in history. No one denies there was such a man, that he lived and that he was put to death by crucifixion. Where...is the miracle I spoke of? Well consider this and let your imagination translate the story into our own time -- possibly to your own home town. A young man whose father is a carpenter grows up working in his father's shop. One day he puts down his tools and walks out of his father's shop. He starts preaching on street corners and in the nearby countryside, walking from place to place, preaching all the while, even though he is not an ordained minister. He does this for three years. Then he is arrested, tried and convicted. There is no court of appeal, so he is executed at age 33 along with two common thieves. Those in charge of his execution roll dice to see who gets his clothing -- the only possessions he has. His family cannot afford a burial place for him so he is interred in a borrowed tomb. End of story? No, this uneducated, propertyless young man who...left no written word has, for 2000 years, had a greater effect on the world than all the rulers, kings, emperors; all the conquerors, generals and admirals, all the scholars, scientists and philosophers who have ever lived -- all of them put together. How do we explain that?...unless he really was who he said he was.”

Jack was a man who became a Christian later in life and kept saying in the Bible Study Group he attended,

“Why is the Bible so difficult. Why isn’t it written in a simpler way so everyone can understand?”

John Calvin suggested that the Lord permits us to be ‘stupefied for a time’, so that we learn our own spiritual poverty, before he makes everything clear for us. If everything was obvious we could become proud and therefore less dependent on the Lord for understanding. Stories are a brilliant way to communicate but the full meaning may only become apparent later.

Jesus is intent on bringing as many people as possible back to God but he makes it clear that this can only be achieved if we become followers of himself, the Son of God. Jesus had said,

“All things have been committed to me by my Father. No-one knows the Son except the Father, and no-one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” Matthew11:27

Similarly John said about Jesus,

“No-one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.” John 1:18

Each of us needs the Holy Spirit to make these things clear to us, just as the disciples needed the same Spirit to give them understanding.

“But when he, the Spirit of Truth, comes he will guide you into all truth.” John 16:12

It is this same Spirit of God who reveals to us what he revealed to his prophets and apostles and has been passed on to us in Scripture. The Lord does not want us to remain confused, he wants us all to be clear both about our standing with God and the purpose for which he has chosen us.

Failures but loved by God

Because of what Jesus did on that cross, his followers will have direct access to God. This is a staggering thought. The God who created this universe becomes our Father. We can talk with him about anything. He understands us. What a privilege this is.

“In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying I will ask the Father on your behalf.” John 16:26

We have direct access to our heavenly Father in prayer. What a disaster it is when we do not promote this relationship by sharing all that is on our hearts with him. We have direct access to the Father because we belong to Jesus Christ.

This remarkable statement continues,

“No, the Father loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.” John 16:27

The Christian message is not primarily about how we should live on this earth harmoniously, it is about Jesus, who he is and what he came to earth to do. Jesus continued,

“I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.” John 16:28

Failures but now they believe

The penny is beginning to drop. The disciples respond,

“Now you are speaking clearly and without figues of speech. Now we can see that you know all things and that you do not need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God.” John 16:30

People often ask questions to determine how much a person understands, but it now dawns on them that to test God questions his competence and is a stupid exercise. It is we who are in the dock, not Jesus. The disciples’ conclusion is what the whole book of John is trying to lead readers towards. We must understand that Jesus is the only Son of God and then commit ourselves to him by obeying him, living as he wants – this is the meaning of ‘believe’.

“You believe at last!’ - Jesus answered.

What a wonderful position to come to. This makes sense of our existence. This brings believers together with a united purpose – or it should. The reality is that we are all so weak. Jesus now reminds his disciples of this.

“But a time is coming, and has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home. You will leave me all alone.” John 16:31a

What a shame it is when some pressure, whether from someone inside the church or from outside, leads believers today to separate from each other and split from his church. The Lord is, in a very real sense, present in his people who, together, are resolved to serve him in this world. To leave such a serving community is, in one respect, to leave God. We are the ones who are damaged when we separate from Jesus and his church, Jesus has his relationship with his Father.

“You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.” John 16:32

Failures but they will be satisfied

Why did Jesus explain these coming problems to his disciples? Surely it is because becoming a Christian is not the road to an easy life, it is just the opposite. Jesus was an incredibly strong man. He was clear where he was going and he went that way determinedly.

Winston Churchill once said about a person,

“He’s a humble man – and for good reason!”

Jesus was strong and yet he was humble. He knew clearly who he was and the gifts he had, yet he never forces himself on anybody. Weakness is not the same as meekness. We need to be strong and determined if we, like our Lord, are to fulfil our commission.

We have a job to do and this will bring opposition from those antagonistic to our purpose. The Lord wants us to feel secure as we live our lives for him.

“I have told you these things, so that you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Do note the contrasts that Jesus highlights here. People are either ‘in him’ or they are ‘in the world’. We can experience God’s peace even when there are troubles and trials all around us. When Jesus says that he has overcome the world, he surely means that he has overcome worldliness, as as we live with and for him we can experience this same victory.

John Newton was a rough, dirty sailor with a foul mouth and an appetite for rotten living. He hated life and life hated him. He was captain of a slave ship. Then someone placed in his hands a copy of Thomas à Kempis' The Imitation of Christ. He also had the gift of a good mother who told him about the Saviour when he was young. And then he was saved. He went all over England sharing his faith. Well past his "retirement" age, he had to have an assistant stand in the pulpit with him on Sundays. He was nearly blind and spoke in whispers, but nothing could keep him from preaching while he still had breath.

One Sunday, while delivering his message he repeated the sentence: “Jesus Christ is precious.” His helper whispered to him: “But you have already said that twice.” Newton turned to his helper and said loudly, “Yes, I've said it twice, and I'm going to say it again.” The stones in the ancient sanctuary fairly shook as the grand old preacher said again: “Jesus Christ is precious!”

BVP

1C.H.Dodd cited by D.A.Carson in ‘The Gospel According to John’, Eerdmans/Apollos, p. 549