The Word This Week
John 16:1…
In John 14:18, Jesus had said, “I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.”
We remember this is the night before Jesus was arrested and crucified and buried.
Upon His arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane, His disciples were indeed separated from Jesus. Orphaned.
This would have been extremely traumatic for each one of them, as they had been walking with Jesus for over three years, and their lives were completely wrapped up in His life. How much comfort do you think it was to them that Jesus told them He would not leave them orphans – and that He would come to them?
Then, as they were all gathered to Him 40 days later, He ascended to heaven. This seeming more permanent separation from Jesus must have been unbearable.
Had it not been for His promise that He would not leave them orphans.
We also remember Jesus had spoken to them of the Holy Spirit on the night before He died, in John 14:17.
Of His Holy Spirit, Jesus had said, “He dwells WITH you, and will be IN you.”
In describing these abiding relationships with His Holy Spirit, Jesus was also describing exactly how it is He would not leave them orphans. He would never leave them alone. He would always be with them – only in Spirit.
Now Jesus tells them this ongoing relationship He will have with them - and all born-again believers for that matter - is to their advantage. How so? Because in His physical body Jesus could only be in one place at one time. In His Holy Spirit - born again in every heart - Jesus could greatly expand the scope and power and presence of His ministry. His ministry would no longer be limited to locale.
He tells them they should indeed be thankful He is going away, that this may take place. As puzzling as this must have been for them to appreciate it when Jesus said it, I am certain they did come to understand and appreciate greatly what Jesus said later – once Jesus had been crucified for their sin, resurrected from the dead, and met with them again in the upper room. When Jesus breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit,” they did - and then they knew what all born again believers have come to know.
He has not left us orphans. He has come to us in Spirit. Soon and very soon He will come to us again to bring us to heaven, where we will count down seven years of tribulation on the earth, awaiting our time to return with Jesus to rule and reign for a thousand years. Once we are born again, we shall never be separated from Jesus again.
Pastor Bill
In John 14:18, Jesus had said, “I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.”
We remember this is the night before Jesus was arrested and crucified and buried.
Upon His arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane, His disciples were indeed separated from Jesus. Orphaned.
This would have been extremely traumatic for each one of them, as they had been walking with Jesus for over three years, and their lives were completely wrapped up in His life. How much comfort do you think it was to them that Jesus told them He would not leave them orphans – and that He would come to them?
Then, as they were all gathered to Him 40 days later, He ascended to heaven. This seeming more permanent separation from Jesus must have been unbearable.
Had it not been for His promise that He would not leave them orphans.
We also remember Jesus had spoken to them of the Holy Spirit on the night before He died, in John 14:17.
Of His Holy Spirit, Jesus had said, “He dwells WITH you, and will be IN you.”
In describing these abiding relationships with His Holy Spirit, Jesus was also describing exactly how it is He would not leave them orphans. He would never leave them alone. He would always be with them – only in Spirit.
Now Jesus tells them this ongoing relationship He will have with them - and all born-again believers for that matter - is to their advantage. How so? Because in His physical body Jesus could only be in one place at one time. In His Holy Spirit - born again in every heart - Jesus could greatly expand the scope and power and presence of His ministry. His ministry would no longer be limited to locale.
He tells them they should indeed be thankful He is going away, that this may take place. As puzzling as this must have been for them to appreciate it when Jesus said it, I am certain they did come to understand and appreciate greatly what Jesus said later – once Jesus had been crucified for their sin, resurrected from the dead, and met with them again in the upper room. When Jesus breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit,” they did - and then they knew what all born again believers have come to know.
He has not left us orphans. He has come to us in Spirit. Soon and very soon He will come to us again to bring us to heaven, where we will count down seven years of tribulation on the earth, awaiting our time to return with Jesus to rule and reign for a thousand years. Once we are born again, we shall never be separated from Jesus again.
Pastor Bill