Words of Jesus 62

• John 16:1 These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended.

When bad happens to some because of the gospel which is believed; there are some that get offended and turn away from the truth rather than suffer persecution because of the truth.

• John 16:2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.

This has been true not only of the religious Jewish people but of many religions including the church at times. When we lose our first love, our compassion for the lost and forget the commandment to love one another, we succumb to the temptation to try to make converts by force instead of trusting the Holy Spirit to draw the lost to repentance. This happened so many times and brings reproach upon the gospel. Some especially in the past Middle ages actually got to the place in their hinking that they do God a service by killing unbelievers. This is not the gospel Jesus preached.

See this example from the book of Luke.

• Luke 9:54 And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?
• 55 But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.
• 56 For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them.

God will one day bring judgment but for now we are to preach the gospel. We are to love our enemies and pray for them that persecute us. Anything else is evil and is not the work of God.

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

If we find ourselves being judgmental and nit picking at non essential things, we need to examine ourselves because we are in danger of losing our first love for the Lord, His word and our fellow believers. To go to far as to persecute and physically harm them, we do not know the Father or Jesus our Christ.

• John 16:4 But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them. And these things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you.
• 5 But now I go my way to him that sent me; and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou?
• 6 But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart.
• 7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

For some reason while Jesus was present on earth, the Comforter which is the Holy Spirit would not come. Jesus after He returned to the Father in Heaven then sent the Holy Spirit to those that received the gospel and believed in Him (Jesus).  He sent the Holy Spirit to dwell within believers, He can be in several different places at the same time. I don't always understand this mystery but that is why Jesus said that we who believe will do greater things. It is greater not because we are greater than Jesus but because the Holy Spirit indwelling will be among many and not just limited to those in the immediate area where Jesus dwelled. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is for all who believe in Jesus in every part of the world. It is greater because it will be more widespread and not limited to Israel only.

• John 16:8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
• 9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;

The Holy Spirit is what convicts us when we sin. He is the one that draws sinners to repentance. He will show us when we sin as believers also and bring us to repentance. We have a freewill though and can receive or reject His effort to bring sinners to God or even believers back into fellowship with God if they have been drawn away or backslidden.

• John 16:10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;

The Holy Spirit shows us the way to the true righteousness of Christ and we will know that our own previous works of righteousness was insufficient to save us from sin. Our own good works apart from Jesus Christ counts for nothing and is as filthy rags. After receiving Christ and trusting in His righteousness our good works do count and we will be rewarded for things done for the glory of God. Through Christ we are covered with His righteousness not our own which we don't have.

• John 16:11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.

We will all face the judgment seat of Christ for things done in the body. Those that reject the gospel and do not repent of sin will face the great white throne judgment of God. All who follow the prince of the world, Satan will be judged along with him.

Again I warn and exhort, do not judge ahead of time.

• 1Corinthians 4:5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.

This does not mean that we can't exercise order in the church and judge disputes and disagreements in a righteous holy manner but it means that in serious matters of life and death we are not to make judgments that condemn men or women to torture, imprisonment, death, hell and other matters that belong to God only.

I'm speaking of the church and religious institutions now. The governments of the world have to have judgment to have law and order. We can't allow people to break the law of the land to murder, steal and do things that cause us not to be safe, but in religious matters of the conscience we have to defer judgment to God in His own time. The church has authority to correct false doctrine, teach truth and warn the unruly but we do not have the authority to rule over and control anyone.

The true word of God and the true gospel of Jesus Christ cannot be forced upon anyone. The Holy Spirit has to draw us to repentance and the Holy Spirit is what causes a believer to be "born again" and inherit eternal live. It is an inner change and inner work of God and it cannot be forced in any way.

• John 16:12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
• 13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

When we come to Christ in sincerity and true, we must then start to trust in the leading of the Holy Spirit. He will teach us, guide us and place the love of God within us. We have the bible now and the written word to guide us into all truth. We will know that the Holy Spirit will not contradict the written word of God. He will not add to it or take away from it. He will bring glory to Jesus Christ and draw people to Jesus Christ and He will not draw people after false teachers or false doctrines.

• John 16:14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
• 15 All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
• 16 A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father.
• 17 Then said some of his disciples among themselves, What is this that he saith unto us, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me: and, Because I go to the Father?
• 18 They said therefore, What is this that he saith, A little while? we cannot tell what he saith.
• 19 Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him, and said unto them, Do ye enquire among yourselves of that I said, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me?

This could have more than one meaning. They would be separated from Him during His death for three days but would see Him after His resurrection. After He went back to Heaven they would not see Him again for a time but would see Him when they too died and went to be with Him. We also do not see Him while we are alive except those that see Him in visions or dreams. After our body dies, we will see Him again. The soul does not die. If we are alive when Jesus returns we will see Him then as our natural bodies are changed into the spiritual that can never die again.

• John 16:20 Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.

This joy came when they were baptized in the Holy Spirit.

• John 14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
• 18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
• 21 A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.
• 22 And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.
• 23 And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.
• 24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.
• 25 These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father.
• 26 At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you:
• 27 For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God.

Because of Jesus we now can pray to the Father in Heaven in the name of Jesus. Jesus' death and sacrifice broke that wall of separation that was between us and God. Sin separates us from God until we believe and trust in Jesus to save us from that sin. We now can talk to the Father direct without going through a prophet, priest or any other intercessor. Jesus was the only mediator between God and humans. There is no other.

• 1Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

• John 16:28 I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.
• 29 His disciples said unto him, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no proverb.
• 30 Now are we sure that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee: by this we believe that thou camest forth from God.
• 31 Jesus answered them, Do ye now believe?
• 32 Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.

We cannot boast and trust in our own strength at any time in our lives. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. We have to live and walk by faith every day of our lives and not trust in ourselves.

• John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

The Spirit of God brings us inner peace in the middle of a troubled world.

Words of Jesus Part 63

Words of Jesus Index