You Will Remember That I Warned You

“All this I have told you so that you will not fall away. They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God. They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. I have told you this, so that when their time comes you will remember that I warned you about them. I did not tell you this from the beginning because I was with you, but now I am going to him who sent me. None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ Rather, you are filled with grief because I have said these things.  But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.  When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people do not believe in me;  about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer;  and about judgment, because the prince of this world  now stands condemned. John 16:1-11 NIV

Jesus was preparing the eleven for the intense persecution they would face after His departure. He didn’t want them to be shocked and neutralized by these certain adversities when they came. Sometimes, when enthusiastic believers are attacked by the world’s hatred and ridicule, they don’t know how to persevere. People, in general, would rather be liked and respected. Folks who are openly fervent about their faith tend to be not very popular with the masses. If it is a grace-faith they are fervent about, religion will not tolerate them at all. When the persecution came, these men would remember that Jesus warned them of it, and would know how to deal with it.

The disciples of Jesus at first met in the synagogues and the temple. They would soon be evicted from those facilities by the Jewish leaders. Then, those same leaders would launch a campaign to eradicate the Christians from the world. If they killed some in the process, they would consider it a sacrificial offering to God. Jesus had not attempted to make them understand these things earlier on, because while He was with them daily they were learning about Him and His ministry. Learning to love and trust Him. Now He was preparing to leave them. They were grieved, because they could not know how much they would need the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the days ahead, and He could not come to them until Jesus was gone away.

He was coming, though, and He would convict the world of three things:

1.      Sin (singular) of unbelief. Rejection of Christ is the sin that condemns. John 3:18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

2.      Perfect Righteousness which belongs to God. Not programs and regulations. Jesus’ essence is the same as that of God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. That is the righteousness that is imputed to those who believe in Him for salvation. That is the righteousness He maintained throughout His sinless incarnation. That righteousness is His and ours forever.

3.      Judgment: the perfect Justice of God is always fair. The prince of this world (Satan) stands condemned. He rebelled against the authority of God and rejected the grace plan of God. It’s over for him, and for all humanity who also rebel and reject God’s perfect plan of grace. Satan’s fate will also be the fate of all unbelievers. If they refuse Jesus, they are choosing Satan’s destiny.

 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.  He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you.  All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.” John 16:12-15

The eleven had already heard from Jesus more than their stunned minds could absorb. Thank God for His Holy Spirit, whom Jesus sent after His ascension to guide His Church in all the truth. They were not able to comprehend even what they had been told, but the Holy Spirit would help them remember and understand later, when they would desperately need it. And then, the Spirit would give them the marvelous Church age doctrines of the whole New Testament, which glorifies our Lord Jesus Christ and instructs us in the work we are called to do.

The Spirit received from the Son, and made known to us what He heard, and what was yet to come: the New Testament canon of scripture. The mind of Christ.