Walking Through Ephesians
“A Chapter of Promises”
Categories: A Month with JesusA Chapter of Promises - John 16
Chapter 16 contains some of the final conversations and teachings between Jesus and his apostles. When you read it, you can feel the emotion coming from Jesus, how he is trying to encourage them knowing the challenge that is quickly coming for them. Jesus is about to be betrayed, wrung through a kangaroo court, and executed, and His apostles are going to flee initially, then watch from the sidelines. It is going to be a time of confusion and chaos.
They declare to Him in vs. 30 that they know he speaks true things and is from God. They know He is a good man, guilty of nothing save for healing and helping the world. But Jesus tells them over and over again He is going to be separated from them for a time (His death), BUT this is not the end for them. He has promised He will return to them shortly but only for a brief period vs. 28
“I am leaving the world again and going to the Father.”
and that is not everything earlier in the chapter Jesus promises them that they will not be abandoned and forgotten. When Jesus goes to be with the Father, the Spirit is going to come to help guide and inform the apostles in all things.
This is a promise that radiates to us even today. We too have the same promise, instead of direct revelation as the apostles had we now have the recordings from them, their letters, instructions, and guidance. We have the Bible, a compilation of stories, history, poems, prophecy, instruction, and most importantly hope.
Hope for a beautiful eternity. A hope that if we live according to His way, we will have a place laid up for us with the Son of Man. He who had to endure so much to grant us this hope. That is what He tried to leave his apostles within these last few precious hours, and what He had recorded for us to grant us hope through time eternal.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for the promise of hope. That when things look dark and hopeless, you will return to us, to give us hope and peace for greater things to come.
