God Did Not Leave Us

“I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. But now I am going to him who sent me … A little while, and you will see me no longer, and again a little while, and you will see me.” John 16:4,16

The words of Jesus to the disciples on that Thursday evening of his betrayal and arrest must have seemed odd to the disciples. Jesus was talking about something that was about to happen, but he seemed to be talking in riddles. It was not clear to the disciples what was about to take place except that it was not going to make them happy. It would be several days hence, after the resurrection, that they would begin to make sense of things.

The meaning of Jesus’ words is clear to us, from our perspective. He says, in verse 4, that he did not tell them these things at first because he was present with them. But just before he left, he needed to explain things to them. He was going back to the One who sent him. The disciples could not imagine what that meant.

Jesus told them, in fact, that it was to their advantage that he was going away. In the great plan of God, only after Jesus had ascended into heaven would the Holy Spirit be sent. The Spirit’s coming was very important. For that reason, Jesus had to leave them so the Spirit could come. The Spirit would play an important role in convicting the world of sin and teaching them about righteousness (John 16:9-11).

Another important aspect of the Spirit’s arrival, said Jesus, is that the Spirit will help you understand. You cannot understand certain spiritual truths without the Spirit. The Spirit will guide you into all truth because, as Jesus said, He will glorify me. You will come to know me (Jesus) better, and the Father as well, through the presence of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus then said to them, “A little while and you will see me no more; then you will see me again” (John 16:16). This must have completely confused the disciples. We understand it, however. Jesus was getting ready to leave this world. His crucifixion meant he would no longer be with them in the same way. But the resurrected Jesus would return, at least temporarily. Jesus was right in telling the disciples that, after a little while, they would see him again.

Jesus also tells them that they would face sorrow ahead. “You will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will have sorrow, but your sorrow will turn into joy” (John 16:20). This was true. The disciples would indeed experience intense sorrow at the death of Jesus. Their world would be shattered. What they did not realize was that Christ’s death was for the salvation of the world. It was a moment for great rejoicing in which the disciples themselves would finally share after the resurrection. When all this comes to pass, said Jesus, you will have a joy that no one will be able to take away from you.

“I came from the Father and have come into the world. Now I am leaving the world and going to the Father” (John 16:28). How marvelous was the plan of God for our salvation. God’s only Son came into the world for a while. In him we saw what a human life, perfectly lived, was like. He became the innocent sacrifice who would pay for the world’s sins. How good and gracious is our God. How great is the salvation he has purchased for us!

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