???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????JOHN 16:16-33 ?????????????????????????????????????????????Lesson # 34
???????????????????????????????????IT IS DARKEST BEFORE THE DAWN
I.? Introduction:
???????????Q? Is there times of sorrow for the Christian?? Does God allow them or do Christians only suffer when they sin?
???????????Q? Do you know good Christians that have suffered?? Why did they suffer?
???????????Q? Can suffering produce good?? How?
???????????Q? Is there good and bad ways to bear suffering?? What are some?
II.? Predictions About His Death and Its Affect on the Disciples:? John 16:16-33.
???????????A.? Jesus Opens the Discussion with a Double Prediction.? John 16:16.
>>>> Have someone read John 16:16.
???????????Q? What is Jesus saying here?
????????????? An = He predicts His crucifixion and Resurrection.
???????????Q? What does He means by a “little while”?
???????????B.? Discussion Among the Disciples About This Teaching:? John 16:17-18.
>>>> Have someone read John 16:17-18
???????????Q? Did the disciples understand His teaching?
????????????? An = No they did not.? They did not understand what He was talking about and they did not understand about this little phrase:? “a little while”.
???????????Q? Do good Christians understand all about God?
????????????? An = Obviously the disciples did not.? Jesus obviously realized they have failed the exam.? They got and “F” in theology.? But Remember, He does not say:? “OK, that’s it, I’m getting a more intelligent group in here.”
???????????Q? Are the prophets, the psalmist’s, or Moses, or David ever confused about God’s will or about God?
????????????? An = Yes, and they were used mightily for the work of God or to write Holy Scripture.
???????????Q? Are you allowed in your church, or christian community to be “open” about your confusion about God?? Why not?
????????????? An = If we are not allowed to be open about such confusion then we are openly unscriptural.
Note:? Jesus allows such critique of His ways.? The disciples are punished neither for their ignorance nor their questioning.? Jesus allows both.? There is room in Jesus’ church for a questioning ignoramus.? For some of us this is good news!
???????????Q? To whom are the disciples speaking in these two verses?
????????????? An = They speak among themselves, not to Jesus, not to God.
???????????Q? Have you ever been confused so you discussed theology with your friends or yourself?
????????????? An = I have and I have remained just as far from insight as when I began.? Here’s a novel thought:? “speak to God”.? Tell Jesus you are confused about His Word, about His handling of the things in your life.
???????????C.? Jesus’ Answer to Their Pondering:? Enlightenment and Promise.? John 16:19-28.
>>>> Have someone read John 16:19.
???????????Q? Who brings up the agenda?
???????????Q? Does Jesus know what we are in confusion and bewilderment about?
????????????? An = Yes He is, so it is OK to come out and ask Him.? I have been doing this and it is amazing how quickly He answers when I ask.
>>>> Have someone read John 16:20-21.
???????????Q? What proceeds joy in the Christian life?
????????????? An = Weeping, lament, sorrow.? Those who tell you different are not as honest as Jesus Christ is.?
???????????Q? At the moment you are weeping what is the world doing?
????????????? An = If you love Jesus, love of God always puts us into contrast to the world.?
???????????Q? Have you ever loved God and then watched the world rejoice as you wept?
???????????Q? What is the metaphor of the “woman in travail” teaching?
????????????? An = Birth is preceded by pain.? The joy of life must be preceded by the sorrow of death.? To quote an old Hymn:? “you can’t wear the crown if you do not bear the cross”.? Christian joy does not merely follow pain, it born out of pain.
???????????Q? What does this say about the birth of real spiritual truths in the believer?
???????????Q? Finally, why is there the “little while”?
????????????? An = When you go into pain, “remember the little while”.? Bear it, Jesus did.? It will end.? It is by faith that we bear it, as He did.? There is a “little waiting”, then grief turns into joy.
>>>> Have someone read John 16:22.
???????????Q? Why can no one take their joy away? ??????????
????????????? An = Most of joys here on earth can be easily taken away by someone here on earth.? But our joy in Christ comes from His action and the world cannot control that.
>>>> Have someone read John 16:23-24.
???????????Q? What is promised us when we have moved through and from “pain” to God’s joy?
????????????? An = Power in prayer.? Notice, many today want to speak about prevailing prayer, but such power comes through going through what God has ordained for our lives and then experiencing the power of His resurrection.?
???????????Q? What two seemingly contradictory things are said about prayer in verse 23?
????????????? An = You will ask no questions, and yet God will give you what you ask for in prayer.?
???????????Q? Can these both be true?
????????????? An = As pain and His joy are experienced we will come to a state that we grow so confident in Him, that we “ask no questions”, but that does not mean we do not have needs to ask Him for that He will answer.? He wants us to ask and then to receive so our joy may be full.
Note:? The promise of power in prayer is all through these farewell passages:? 14:13,14, 15:7, 16:23-24, 16:26-27.
>>>> Have someone read John 16:25-28.
???????????Q? When that time comes, why will Jesus not pray for us anymore??
????????????? An = Because the Father loves us directly, because we have loved His Son and believed that His Son came from the Father.? It is so much better to be directly connected.
>>>> Have someone read John 16:28.
Note:? When we believe in God’s Son, we are honoring the Father, because He sent the Son.?
???????????D.? The Disciple’s Response:? They are Impressed, They Believe.? John 16:29-30.
>>>> Have someone read John 16:29-30.
???????????Q? What do the disciples believe about Jesus?
????????????? An = That He came from God, they are impressed He was able to read their minds and tell them what they were thinking.
???????????Q? Do they believe enough?
???????????E.? Jesus’ Response:? Challenge, Encouragement, Exhortation.? John 16:31-33.
>>>> Have someone read John 16:31-32.
???????????Q? Is Jesus trying to make them feel good?? What is He predicting?
????????????? An = Some translations do not see the last half of 31 as an affirmation, but a rhetorical question, questioning their belief.? That seems to fit better with 32, there Jesus is predicting that they will desert Him.
???????????Q? Is it like God to challenge us?? Do you like to be told that despite your religious affirmations that you will fail?? Do we like to be told we will fail?
???????????Q? Why does Jesus do this?
>>>> Have someone read John 16:33.
???????????Q? Again, why has Jesus told them about their coming failure according to verse 33?
????????????? An = So they can have real peace, not immediate feel good peace.? True peace in God comes through failure.
???????????Q? Is Jesus trying to make them feel good when He predicts they will have tribulation, persecution and trouble?
???????????Q? Why does Jesus do this?
????????????? An = Because it is true.? In the world, because we belong to Jesus, we too will be persecuted.? But He tells us this so we can have peace.
???????????Q? What is the source of true peace?
????????????? An = It is found in Him.?
???????????Q? What does it mean our peace is found in Him?
????????????? An = First of all, our peace cannot be taken from us because it grounded in God’s action in the world through the power of the resurrection.? Secondly, He is showing us how to gain peace when our christian friends let us down.? It is found in the Father, as He will not let us down.
???????????Q? Have your christian friends let you down?? Why did God allow that?
????????????? An = So that we can “be like Jesus” and derive our peace by His presence.? We are not alone if He is with us.? Sometimes we depend on Christians and do not derive our peace from Him.
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