With Dale Ratzlaff
John 16:29-33
We come now to Jesus’ final words of instruction to His disciples. We also have the record of the elevens’ final confession of faith in Christ. The statement of Jesus in the last sentence of the last study convinced the disciples that Jesus was no longer speaking in figures of speech. Jesus told them that He is was going back to the Father. That answered the question previously asked by Thomas and probably secretly held by all the disciples.
His disciples said, “Lo, now You are speaking plainly and are not using a figure of speech. Now we know that You know all things, and have no need for anyone to question You; by this we believe that You came from God.” Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? Behold, an hour is coming, and has already come, for you to be scattered, each to his own home, and to leave Me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”
Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way? (Jn. 14:5).
Here are the disciples’ last confessions of faith before the resurrection.
Now we know that You know all things, and have no need for anyone to question You; by this we believe that You came from God.
While this statement only lists one of the fundamental facts of Christian faith, discussed in the last lesson, (1) I came forth from the Father, (2) I have come into the world, (3) I am leaving the world again, (4) I am going to the father, it implies them all. They confess that “You knows all things” and “that You came from God.”
Jesus answered, “Do you now believe?” Here, I think that Jesus does not so much question their confession of belief, but encourages it. At this point,the disciples do not realize the inadequacy of their commitment to stand with Christ. However, Jesus does not reprimand them for their shallow understanding and commitment. They cannot be expected to comprehend what is coming until they experience it fully. In the next chapter, in His prayer to the Father, Jesus states,
…for the words which You gave Me I have given to them; and they received them and truly understood that I came forth from You, and they believed that You sent Me (Jn. 17:8).
That Jesus came from God was the foremost truth that they could believe at this point. They did not yet understand the cross and resurrection. It was not until the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Day of Pentecost that the historical events of the death and resurrection were merged into the saving truths of the gospel resulting in the forgiveness of sin and the promise of eternal life. Their little faith was accounted to be true, saving faith. Even though they would immediately fall away, their faith was considered by God’s grace to be sufficient. Their statement of faith was based upon experience, and not on what was coming in the future.
Behold, an hour is coming, and has already come, for you to be scattered, each to his own home, and to leave Me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.
The hour of the trail, both for Jesus and His disciples, is upon them. Judas has already left and become a traitor. Soon the eleven will scatter and go their own way. “Home” is not in the Greek. We are to understand they each went to where they felt safe. The bonding of the fellowship among the remaining eleven disciples was broken; they each went their own way. When major trials come, the self-interest buried beneath the surface in good times immediately asserts itself. Such is our human condition.
That Jesus would tell the eleven that they would soon deny or forsake Him is vitally important. He tells them that even when they forsake Him, the Father will be with Jesus. It is in the context of rehearsing their failure that Jesus gives the following promise.
These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.
The peace of the disciples was not found in their trying circumstances; they feared for their very lives. Jesus directed them—and us—to the only source of true peace. “In Me,you may have peace.”
The events leading up to the cross, and the crucifixion itself are all paradoxical. Jesus promises peace to His disciples in the very face of His torture and death as the disciples cowered in fear of the Jews. Jesus knows their failure in advance. He understands their scattering to save their own lives without regard to Him or the other disciples. These warnings regarding future events not only apply to the disciples, but to us as well. “In the world, you will have tribulation.” This is the continuing state of affairs as we all well know. Into every life, there come times of trial, sorrow, and loss. We recently lost our grandson in a tragic death. Yesterday, we received news that our neighbor where we used to live in Peoria just died of cancer. Our world is filled with tribulation. Amid all these sorrows and tragic events, Jesus says, “Take courage; I have overcome the world.”
Here is the eternal promise of good news. Jesus has overcome in our place. These prophetic words were spoken just before Jesus went to the cross.
The forces of evil appear to be closing in on Christ and His band of disciples. From all outward appearances, it seems that Christ’s ministry is crumbling. In reality, He was on the verge of the greatest victory of human history. “Take courage; I have overcome the world,” are words we would do well to memorize and keep stored near the top of our mind when trial and tragedy come. Later, as the new covenant writings pour forth, we will learn that His victory is our victory. He died “for us,”and we died “in Him.”
Could it be that someday we will look back on what now appears to be nothing but distress and misfortune and see that God’s plan is indeed working all things together for good?
Application
- We can take courage that God knows all things. He knows the end from the beginning, and His Spirit can interpret our prayers in accordance with His will.
- It is encouraging to see that Jesus treated the disciples’ statements of belief, as weak as they were, as saving faith. In John 17 Jesus told the Father that “they believed that You sent Me.”
- Like the disciples, our faith may appear strong to us, yet Jesus knows how fickle and self-centered we are below the surface. When we face failure and trails, it is then that we can bring to our minds the promises of God. We can take courage that Christ has overcome the world.
- While it has not yet been spelled out, the seeds for substitutional atonement are rich with meaning in Christ’s last statement to the disciples, “I have overcome the world.”
Prayer
Father, thank youfor guiding John to record these words of Jesus. Thank youthat youhave revealed tomethat Jesus knows all things so that Imayplace myfaith in His word. Thank youthat youunderstand myweak faith and myfallen condition as a member of the human race. Thank youthat because of myfaith in Christ, as unstableas it may be at times, Ihave been transferred into the kingdom of grace and given eternal life.
In Jesus name.
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