Hello everyone. We’re going through the New Testament trying to come to a deeper understanding of the doctrine of the Trinity. Tonight, we’re going to be looking at who Jesus is in his final words wrapping up the Upper Room Discourse in John 16. We’ll be going through a long passage tonight of verses 25-33:
25“Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father. 26In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. 27No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. 28I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”
29Then Jesus’ disciples said, “Now you are speaking clearly and without figures of speech. 30Now 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.”
31“You believe at last!” Jesus answered. 32“But a time is coming, and has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.
33“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.”
Jesus tells them that he has been speaking to them in parables. There will come a time when he will not do so. There will be a point when he will speak clearly. When that point is reached, they will understand the truth about himself and the Father. They will ask the Father in the name of Jesus. They will be loved because they have loved the Son.
Jesus then tells them that he has left the world and is going back to the Father. He has almost finished his ministry and the time has come for him to go and return to the one who sent him. It is at this point that the disciples get in their reply.
The disciples seem confident, but it could be that they still did not really know. After all, had they really trusted in the death and resurrection of Jesus, they would have not acted the way that they did at the resurrection. John is a writer who uses a lot of irony and it is quite likely that he is doing such again.
Jesus says that they do believe, but they will not act accordingly. They will instead each run to his own home. We Christians should take comfort that Christ knows our failures in advance. It is here that he gives one of the passages that has been a great hope to Christians throughout the ages. Christ has overcome the world.
Today, we should embrace that. Facing the worst situation of all, the apostles were told to have hope. Christ has overcome the world. That victory is still here today. We as Christians need to remember that greater is he that is in us than he that is in the world.
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