The Gospel Of John Chapter 16 Pt. 6

We are coming to the last paragraph in John 16. Chapter 17 contains the high priestly prayer of our Lord Jesus Christ that Jesus prayed right before His betrayal and arrest.

Jesus spoke in proverbs to preserve the mystery of God's plan of salvation. 

John 16:25  These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father.  

It is clear as we read through the gospels that there was much of Jesus sayings that His disciples did not grasp, until after His resurrection. 

Jesus tells them in this text that He is speaking to them in proverbs. This is a form of teaching that deviates from Jesus' normal manner of teaching and instructing these men. 

A proverb communicates truth in a symbolic, figurative way by using metaphors,  comparisons and contrasts, or allegories. 

For example, Jesus frequently said "The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure," followed by Christ explaining how His rule would be manifested on earth. 

The phrase "the kingdom of heaven is like" is found 8 times in the gospel of Matthew. 

The word "liken" is also used 5 times in the gospels, in making a comparison to something familiar, as Jesus described the kingdom of God.  

Jesus' promise to the disciples, is that the time is coming when He will speak plainly to them. This time refers to Jesus' resurrection. 

The word "plainly" means speaking without concealing anything. It means Jesus would communicate directly without making contrasts or comparisons. 

Jesus' teaching was not readily understood by the disciples.  

Luke 9:45  But they understood not this saying, and it was hid from them, that they perceived it not: and they feared to ask him of that saying. 

Luke 18:34  And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken. 

John 12:16  These things understood not his disciples at the first: but when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these things were written of him, and that they had done these things unto him.

All three of these texts have one thing in common. Jesus has been teaching His disciples that Christ must be betrayed, suffer many things, and die. On the third day, Christ would rise from the dead.

These things were hidden from Jesus' disciples. They did not grasp what He said, they did not comprehend the truth that Jesus communicated to them.

There is a tendency among some teachers, to hold up the disciples as an example, saying "Well, if these men did not get it, we are going to have trouble getting it." 

This may become an excuse for escaping our responsibility, to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Our duty is to study to show ourselves approved unto God. Such study requires our energy, concentration, and earnest prayers for the Spirit to guide us (John 16:13). 

Yes, there are many things we will not understand or grasp. There are many prophetic things that we will not understand until they happen. 

The scriptures are infallible, infinite truth from God, living truth that dissects the thoughts and intents of our hearts (Hebrews 4:12-16). 

Thus, Jesus' disciples were not intellectually dense, or saddled with learning disabilities. They were men like us, with their own limitations. 

Sometimes they argued about who would be greatest in the kingdom of God. Sometimes they did not want little children to come to Jesus. Sometimes they spoke impulsively about things they did not understand. 

They were a lot like each of us. 

What is often overlooked in the disciples failure to understand what Jesus said, is the redemptive plan and purposes of God.

The gospel of Jesus Christ was a glorious mystery, hidden by God. 

Romans 16:25-27  Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, 26)  But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith: 27)  To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen.

Paul concludes his letter to the Christians at Rome, by reminding us that the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ, is the power of God unto salvation. 

However, this same gospel that communicates the suffering, death, burial and resurrection of Christ, was kept secret from the foundation of the world. 

God the Father kept this glorious gospel record hidden from the prying eyes of His enemies. 

God currently makes known this glorious gospel of Christ through the apostolic preaching. 

Every pastor, evangelist and teacher who opens up the gospels to teach and preach from them, is disclosing what was formerly a great mystery. 

Ephesians 3:8-9  Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; 9)  And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: 

Paul was humbled by the fact that God called Him to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul used to be a killer of Christians and a vicious persecutor of the New Testament church. 

The grace of God stopped Paul on the road to Damascus, and after his conversion to Christ, Paul never looked back, He faithfully loved and served the Lord his God, until his martyrdom. 

The gospel was the great mystery, hid in God Himself, from before the creation of the universe. This was necessary so that nothing could derail God's plan to save us from our sins. 

The Devil and worldly rulers did not know that killing Christ fulfilled God's plan!

1 Corinthians 2:6-8  Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: 7)  But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: 8)  Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 

Why did God make the gospel of Christ's birth, life, sufferings, death and resurrection a mystery? Because it was absolutely necessary for Jesus to die on the cross! 

If the religious leaders accepted Jesus as Messiah instead of rejecting Him, He would not have been crucified and our salvation would be undone. 

Thus, Paul tells us that the civil and religious princes (rulers) did not know what they were doing. If they had known, they would not have crucified Christ. 

But if Christ was not crucified for our sins, He would not have risen from the dead, and we would not have salvation. 

Furthermore, Satan is the prince of the power of the air, the spirit of disobedience (Ephesians 2:2). He is the god of this present evil world (2 Corinthians 4:4). 

Satan's subjects in whom he works his malicious plans, are opposers of true religion. They are systematic and energetic transgressors of God’s laws. 

Satan sought to destroy Jesus Christ but he failed. 

Jesus was openly triumphant over sin, death, hell and Satan. 

Colossians 2:9-15  For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. 10)  And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: 11)  In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: 12)  Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. 13)  And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 14)  Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; 15)  And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. 

This passage clearly reveals the significance of Jesus Christ's death on the cross, as He took our place to die for us.

The fulness of the Godhead dwells in Christ bodily. Or as Paul put it elsewhere "God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself" (2 Corinthians 5:19-21).

Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man. He alone could accomplish our salvation. 

He accepted the wages of our sins which is death (Romans 6:23). 

He atoned for our sins with His own blood, the blood of God (Acts 20:28).

Baptism identifies our acceptance of Christ's death as our death. 

The resurrection of Christ brings the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost, to all who repent and turn to Christ in faith (Titus 3:4-6). 

Because of Jesus' substitutionary death for us, and His resurrection, we who believe the gospel are quickened, made spiritually alive to God. 

In addition to being quickened by the Spirit of God, we receive full, complete forgiveness for all of our sins. 

Jesus took our sins and nailed them to His cross. He blotted them out, which means they are gone, obliterated. 

In Bible terms, they are removed from us as far as East is removed from the West (Psalm 103:12). 

They are buried in the depths of the deepest see never to be seen again (Micah 7:19). 

All of these great spiritual realities are based upon the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. When Jesus came out of the grave, He openly showed His victory over the Devil. 

This is why Jesus often spoke in parables and proverbs to His disciples. 

He must first be the suffering servant of Isaiah 53, before He returns as conquering King (Psalm 2, Zechariah 14, Malachi 4). 

Thus, He communicated truth, yet, many did not grasp the spiritual realities that He was teaching. 

Thoughts to Ponder...

Let us be careful not to judge Christ's disciples harshly. God had a plan of salvation that was established before the world was created and before any man had sinned. 

God hid the mystery of the gospel of Christ, in Himself. No one could find it out. No one could discover the gospel because God hid it.

Praise God, after the sufferings, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the gospel has been fully revealed. It has been preached in the world for 2,000 years. 

The gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation to all who will exercise repentant faith in Jesus Christ. 

Let us also remember that there are many things in the Bible that we are ignorant of. God will speak to us clearly at times, and other times, He will be more obscure, that we might make a diligent inquiry. 

His truth is eternal and infinite. Our human limitations mean that we will always be asking our Father to help us grasp His truth, so that we might live for His glory.

Bob