I love saying this. "Jesus loves his children enough he doesn't ever want us to be unprepared." And that's what John 16 is about; it's a passage of preparation. Jesus understands that his disciples are going to face the unthinkable. And that not only are they facing his leaving earth, but they're facing ministry in a dark and fallen world. And so, he wants them to be prepared. This is John 16:1-4.
I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. 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. And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you remember that I told them to you.
In John 16 are "Six words of preparation." And they are very, very honest and very hopeful. The first thing is Jesus just reinforces, "I want you to be prepared for whatever is to come." You know, if you're a parent, you are always preparing your child for things that they don't yet know and things that they don't understand, things that will be new, things that will be scary, things that will be hard. Jesus is wanting to prepare his disciples, and you and me, in the very same way.
The second thing he says is very interesting, "You are sad that I'm going away, but it's best for you." The disciples didn't understand that. Listen, if Jesus hadn't gone away, there'd be no cross, no resurrection, no ascension, no gifts of the Spirit, no church. It was actually best for these men, although they did not understand it, that Jesus would go away.
Third thing he says is, "Your sorrow will turn to joy." And he uses the example of childbirth. You know, I can remember after twenty hours of labor, Luella said to me, "Let's just leave. I'm tired of this." We're in the hospital, of course, I said, "Luella, you can't leave." Now, it was amazing after twenty-one hours, finally of labor and then delivery, how immediately joyful she was when she held that little child in her hands. Jesus says, "That's what it will be like for you." And he talks about the resurrection; he doesn't just mean his resurrection, but the final resurrection where they would be, and we will be united with him forever.
The fourth thing he says is very honest. He says, "In the world, you will have trouble." Jesus is very honest about the unthinkable things that the disciples will face. The hatred of the world, so deep that people killing them would think that they're doing a good thing. And add to that all the normal troubles of life in a fallen world. Not very good to hear, but important to hear. Jesus was being realistic with his followers.
But then he follows it with this, "but I have overcome the world." Jesus is saying, "There's nothing that has the potential to defeat you that I haven't already defeated." His victory means we can have victory over evil too.
And then the sixth thing he says, "In me, you can have peace," not talking about external, but internal. That rest and assurance of heart that every human being longs for, we find that in Jesus. Again, you see the tender heart of Jesus. You see his grace, that he wants his disciples to be prepared, but he wants them to know what he will give them as they face not only his absence, but life in a fallen world. What grace!
Questions for Personal Reflection or Group Discussion
1. What is it about the words of Jesus in John 16:1-33 that makes you hopeful? Is it difficult for you to be hopeful when you read a passage like this? Why or why not?
2. In what ways have you felt like the Word of God has prepared you for certain things in your life that you didn't know would happen or didn't initially understand when they did happen? How was the Word of God helpful and/or comforting to you when those difficult or confusing events occurred?
3. Think back to a few times in your life when you saw your sorrow turn into joy. Write a few of those times down and reflect on the feeling of that turning point from sorrow to joy. How does that feeling act as an indicator of what is to come in the final resurrection when you will be united with Christ forever?
4. Why do you think Jesus placed such a high value on being realistic with his disciples when he talked about the trials they would inevitably face? Why is authenticity so important in life? How does the authenticity of Jesus stating that he has overcome the world give you hope when you look at the potential you have to be victorious over evil too?
5. Jesus says, "In me, you can have peace." Where is the gap between the peace he promises and the peace you're currently experiencing? How might God want to work in your life right now to begin closing that gap? Take a moment to pray and ask God to provide you with the peace Jesus talks about in this passage.
Conversation Prompts to Use with Children
For Younger Children:
• Why is being honest so much more important than pretending things are okay even when life is really hard or bad?
• What can make you feel hopeful about life when you're going through really difficult times?
• Why is Jesus our greatest source of hope no matter how good or bad things might be?
For Older Children:
• When was the last time you honestly felt a sense of peace in your life? If you don't mind, could you describe what was going on with you that gave you that sense of peace?
• Do you think it's possible to live at peace even when life is incredibly difficult or chaotic?
• How do you think peace might be more related to what's going on inside of you instead of always being dictated by your outside life circumstances?
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