“A JOURNEY THROUGH THE GOSPEL OF JOHN” ST. JOHN 16:23-33

The Continuing Comforting Ministry of Our Saviour

We have come to the concluding remarks of our blessed Saviour in the passage before us, in which our blessed Lord continues to unfold His tender affections for His disciples in view of His cross experience.  What a wondrous passage to even contemplate, yea, even to discuss!  In our previous section, we discussed the prospect that Christ would leave His disciples, but He would not leave them as helpless orphans (St. John 14:18), but promised His disciples the presence of the Holy Spirit, who shall take up residence in them (St. John 14:16).

One of the grand privileges of His disciples and us today is the privilege of prayer.  In verses 23-24, the disciples would not be privileged to ask Christ any questions because He would not be physically with them.  The expression, “In that day,” refers to the time after His ascension wherein there will be no need to ask Him any questions.  The disciples were admonished to ask the Father in Christ’s name for whatever they needed to accomplish His will.  Using Christ’s name is no magical formula to get what one wants; however, we are to pray in accordance with God’s will for one’s life.  Certainly, when one’s prayer is answered, one will experience joy because God’s work will be manifested (St. John 15:11; 16:22).

According to verse 25, the full essence of Jesus’ teachings among His disciples was not readily understood; however, His clouded sayings would yield itself to plain speech.  In addition, after His resurrection, His teaching about His Father will be plain (St. John 14:25-26).  In verses 26-27, the Lord continues to stress to His disciples the prevailing privilege of praying to the Father in Christ’s name.  He is stressing to them that they have the privilege to ask for themselves; thus, He was no longer needed to pray on their behalf.

In His intercessory role, Christ is still praying for us (Romans 8:34; I John 2:2); however, we are also privileged to pray, because of our relation to Christ, and our access to the Father (Romans 5:2).  As we approach verse 28, the Lord plainly summarizes His mission:  His incarnation, His humiliation, and His superb exaltation.  Although in verses 29-30, the disciples felt convinced that Christ’s teaching was plain to them, they still could not comprehend that the Messiah must invade the portals of death and be raised and ascend to be with His Father.  They were still obsessed with a reigning Messiah; not a Messiah who must die to procure salvation for many! (Matthew 16:21-23; 17:22-23; 20:17-28).

Affirming some degree of faith (v. 30), the disciples did believe in Jesus, but their faith was not complete and firm until after the death and resurrection of Jesus and the coming of the Holy Spirit (vs. 31-32).  Christ makes a prediction that His disciples would desert Him despite their avowal of loyalty, faith and love (see Zechariah 13:7 and Matthew 26:56).  Although the disciples forsook Jesus, His Father didn’t forsake Him on the cross!  In concluding this section, Christ sustains His disciples by offering to them His peace, even in the midst of being in a hostile and pressured world (v. 33).  May God Bless!