Recap
of 2/17/13 (John 16:12-33):
1.
Jesus would be taken away from the Disciples but they wouldn’t be left
alone, so He tries to encourage them with four truths:
-The Holy Spirit would minister to them and
be with them in Jesus’ stead (vv. 12-15)
-They had been prepared for what would come
because Jesus told them in advance what was to come. Their confidence in Jesus would be bolstered
by His knowledge of the future (vv. 16-22)
-They would have access directly to the
Father in prayer (vv. 23-28)
-They would have victory and peace despite
their faltering faith and failure (vv. 29-33)
2. The
Holy Spirit, when He came, would glorify Jesus, not Himself. “When a person claims to be filled with the
Holy Spirit, look for the evidence of the heart and character of Christ in that
person.” (Mitchell)
3. In
16:13, Jesus, authenticates the yet to be written New Testament. It would be the product of the promptings of
the Holy Spirit in the lives of the Disciples and others. (2 Peter 1:18-21; 2
Timothy 3:16,17)
4.
Knowing the coming failure of the Disciples Jesus challenges them about
their faltering faith. G. Campbell
Morgan comments: “Two lessons of great
importance may be learned here. The
first is that our faith is a poor foundation; indeed that it is no foundation. We do verily believer to-day, but to-morrow
may bring storms which will for the moment strain faith to the breaking-point,
and make it of no value. The other is that
He is faithful, and that is the
foundation. In the fiercest hour of
upheaval, He it is Who creates some possibility for our failing faith to gather
strength.”
