Gospel of John [16:28-31]. Faith grows with understanding.

Title: Gospel of John [16:28-31]. Faith grows with understanding.

 

JOH 8:28 Jesus therefore said, "When you lift up the Son of Man [on the cross], then you will know that I am He, and I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me.

 

JOH 8:29 "And He who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him." 

 

JOH 8:30 As He spoke these things, many came to believe in Him.

 

The cross and the resurrection would not convince all of them but that does not nullify the principle of verse 28 that in accordance with all prophecy, even concerning the very place where Abraham was about to sacrifice his son, the love of God was most manifest to the world. If this doesn't convince then nothing will. An empty cross and an empty tomb would manifest the ultimate victory over sin and death to the world.

 

A bit later, to the unbelieving religious ones:

JOH 8:38 "I speak the things which I have seen with My Father; therefore you also do the things which you heard from your father [the devil]."

 

JOH 8:42 "If God were your Father, you would love Me; for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me.

 

Jesus told the disciples that the resuscitation of Lazarus might enable them to believe. Likely referring to a deeper understanding of who He was.

 

JOH 11:14 Then Jesus therefore said to them plainly, "Lazarus is dead,

 

JOH 11:15 and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe; but let us go to him."

 

Martha, who also did not understand Him fully, professed that He was the Messiah, the Son of God sent into the world.

 

JOH 11:25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies,

 

JOH 11:26 and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this? " 

 

JOH 11:27 She said to Him, "Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world."

 

Mary, who loved Jesus deeply, more than her sister Martha, stumbled in unbelief due to her grief.

 

JOH 11:32 Therefore, when Mary came where Jesus was, she saw Him, and fell at His feet, saying to Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died."

 

JOH 11:33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her, also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit, and was troubled,

 

This is a very misleading translation.

 

"deeply moved in spirit" - to snort with anger as a horse

"troubled" - agitated within Himself. [Robertson's NT Word Pictures]

 

JOH 11:34 and said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to Him, "Lord, come and see."

 

JOH 11:35 Jesus wept [soft weeping, not crying].

 

He has sorrow, it would seem, for the people. It would not make sense that He has sorrow for Lazarus' death since He knows that He will resuscitate him.

 

JOH 11:36 And so the Jews were saying, "Behold how He loved him!"

 

JOH 11:37 But some of them said, "Could not this man, who opened the eyes of him who was blind, have kept this man also from dying?"

 

Again, we see the running theme of misunderstanding.

 

Martha, who just moments ago professed Him to be the Messiah, the Son of God, objects to the removing of the stone.

 

JOH 11:39 Jesus said, "Remove the stone." Martha, the sister of the deceased, said to Him, "Lord, by this time there will be a stench, for he has been dead four days."

 

JOH 11:40 Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you, if you believe, you will see the glory of God?"

 

A few more instances:

 

JOH 12:12 On the next day the great multitude who had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,

 

JOH 12:13 took the branches of the palm trees, and went out to meet Him, and began to cry out, "Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel."

 

JOH 12:27 "Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, 'Father, save Me from this hour'? But for this purpose I came to this hour.

 

JOH 12:35 Jesus therefore said to them, "For a little while longer the light is among you. Walk while you have the light, that darkness may not overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes.

 

JOH 12:36 "While you have the light, believe in the light, in order that you may become sons of light."

 

JOH 12:44 And Jesus cried out and said, "He who believes in Me does not believe in Me, but in Him who sent Me.

 

JOH 12:45 "And he who beholds Me beholds the One who sent Me.

 

JOH 12:46 "I have come as light into the world, that everyone who believes in Me may not remain in darkness.

 

JOH 12:47 "And if anyone hears My sayings, and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.

 

JOH 12:48 "He who rejects Me, and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day.

 

JOH 12:49 "For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me commandment, what to say, and what to speak.

 

JOH 12:50 "And I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me."

 

And then comes the Passover and upper room discourse. Much has He said of Himself and the disciples are still a bit confused and unknowing. This will not last forever, they must be patient. We must all be patient.

 

JOH 14:20 "In that day you shall know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.

 

JOH 16:28 "I came forth from the Father, and have come into the world; I am leaving the world again, and going to the Father." 

 

JOH 16:29 His disciples said, "Lo, now You are speaking plainly, and are not using a figure of speech.

 

This is a declaration of faith and perhaps the first time that they were able to make such a one, but as we see from the subsequent behavior, in the pressure of Christ's passion hours, they are being a bit presumptuous. They were definitely still confused about the cross and the resurrection, as Christ relates in the next two verses, but all of this will be cleared up after the resurrection. Their affirmation of faith here will be a reality, it's just going to take some time.

 

It is likely that all of us state our faith in His word long before we have a deep seated faith in it.

 

JOH 16:30 "Now we know that You know all things, and have no need for anyone to question You; by this we believe that You came from God."

 

JOH 16:31 Jesus answered them, "Do you now believe?

 

JOH 16:32 "Behold, an hour is coming, and has already come, for you to be scattered, each to his own home, and to leave Me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.

 

The scattering of the disciples is recorded in this gospel and so we will look into it when we get there. It was prophesied by Zechariah.

 

ZEC 13:7

"Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd,

And against the man, My Associate,"

Declares the Lord of hosts.

"Strike the Shepherd that the sheep may be scattered;

And I will turn My hand against [al (preposition) - upon] the little ones.

 

The Father's hand was turned against the Messiah in our stead, whereas the Father's hand in grace was upon the little ones.

 

Though He will be deserted by all of them, He is never alone for the Father is always with Him.

 

The believer must come to recognize that he is never alone. The Trinity is always within and always in constant care and watch. Walk by faith and not by sight.

 

What profession of faith is there in an invisible God and a deep and intimate and personal relationship with Him if I claim to never be lonely when I am always surrounded by people who love me and agree with me? How can I claim faith in a partnership with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit if I always need people around me who like me? They are wonderful blessings, but as is the case with all those who are written in the scripture and even Christ Himself, there will be times when we are alone or surrounded only by those who wish to persecute us. In these times the positive believer will see that God is there, for there is no other one to look to for comfort, and when He shows Himself to you, you will see a greater possibility of fellowship with Him.