Introduction
Today we come to the end of the Lord’s farewell speech. The Lord and his disciples had gathered in the upper room to eat what we call the Last Supper. And after Judas Iscariot left them, the Lord began to teach his disciples many things. And we’ve been studying what he said to them for several weeks now.
But the farewell speech ends at the end of chapter 16. And then, in chapter 17, we have the Lord’s great high priestly prayer, when he prays for his disciples and for all who will believe in him throughout the generations. And after he finished praying, they went across the Kidron Valley to the Garden of Gethsemane, where the Lord was arrested and taken away to be tried and beaten and crucified for us and for our salvation.
And after the cross, there came the resurrection when the Lord Jesus was raised triumphant over death. And do you remember? Right at the end of his gospel, John explains that the reason he’s recorded these things about the Lord Jesus is so that we may believe that he is the Christ and the Son of God and that by believing in him we may have life in his life. That’s why John has recorded these things about the Lord Jesus and that’s why we’re studying these things. We’re studying these things so that we will believe in the Lord Jesus and so that we will keep believing in him, because whoever believes in him receives life in his name so that we can look forward to everlasting life in the presence of God, where we will be made perfectly holy and happy for ever. By the things he did on earth, the Son of God revealed his glory. And we will see his glory and the glory of the Father and the Spirit as well in the life to come. This is what we were made for and this is what we yearn for. And in the end, because of God’s great love for us in Christ Jesus, we will be at rest and we will be satisfied in the presence of our great God and Saviour.
In last week’s passage, the two big themes were the world and the Holy Spirit. The Lord Jesus warned his disciples that the unbelieving world will hate them just as it hated him. And the unbelieving world will persecute them because they no longer belong to the world, but to Christ, who has chosen them out of the world. And so, they will face trouble and persecution from those who do not believe. And what the Lord warned them about came true, because in the Book of Acts we read about the persecution and suffering of God’s people in the early years of the New Testament Church. And the persecution has continued through the generations and right up to the present time, because right now Christians around the world are suffering for their faith in the Saviour.
But then the Lord Jesus also spoke to his disciples about the Holy Spirit, who proceeds from the Father and the Son eternally. And he will send the Holy Spirit from the Father to help them. And in particular, he will help them by leading them into all the truth they need to know about God. And he will help them in their preaching ministry to convict an unbelieving world of its guilt and its need of the Saviour.
And sure enough, if you read the Book of Acts, you’ll see how they were able to go from place to place to preach about sin and guilt and salvation. And wherever they went, the Holy Spirit worked in the hearts of the people to convict them of their sin and to enable them to believe in the Saviour. And the Holy Spirit is still at work today and he’s still at work in the world enabling men and women and boys and girls to repent and to turn to Christ the Saviour for eternal life.
And so, we come today to the last part of the Lord’s farewell speech. And he talks about many things in this part of his speech. But to help us, we’ll divide the passage into three parts: verses 16 to 22 and verses 23 to 28 and verses 29 to 33.
In a little while
We’ll start with verses 16 to 22. And in verse 16, the Lord says: ‘In a little while, you will see me no more, and then after a little while, you will see me.’ By these words, he’s referring to his death on the cross and to his resurrection afterwards. You see, in a little while, they will see him no more. And they will see him no more, because he’s going to be taken from them and crucified. And after his death on the cross, he’ll be buried in the tomb. And the great stone that covered the entrance to the tomb will prevent them from seeing him. In a little while, they will see him no more.
However, in a little while after that, they will see him again. And they’ll see him again because he was going to rise from the dead and appear to them once again. Once again, they would be able to see him. So, that’s what he’s referring to in verse 16.
But his disciples were puzzled by his words. They couldn’t understand what he was saying to them. And we’ve seen this before, haven’t we? His words often confused and bewildered them and they didn’t understand what he was saying to them. And we learn from verse 20 that the Lord knew that they were puzzled by his words. But instead of clarifying what he was saying, he goes on to describe how the world will react and how his disciples will react to what is about to happen to him. Very soon, he said, his disciples will be weeping and mourning, whereas the unbelieving world will be rejoicing.
And, of course, he meant that his disciples will be weeping and mourning because he will be dead. And that’s what we do when someone we love has died. When we’ve lost a loved one, we weep and mourn. We grieve over their death. And, normally, when we’re grieving, people gather around and they mourn with us. At a funeral, everyone is feeling sombre and sad and they sympathise with us because of our loss. However, something different was going to happen after the Lord’s death. Yes, his disciples will weep and mourn. But the unbelieving world will not weep or mourn with them. No, the unbelieving world will rejoice. They’ll be happy at the news of his death.
And isn’t that what happened? Matthew, in his gospel, tells us how the soldiers mocked the Lord Jesus and made fun of him after his arrest and just before they crucified him. They mocked him for claiming to be a king and so, they dressed him in royal robes and they put a crown of thorns on his head and they pretended to kneel down before him and to hail him as their king. They laughed at him. They were happy because he was going to die.
And then, around the cross, the people who passed by hurled insults at him and they mocked him. They poked fun at him. They too were happy because he was going to die.
And we can imagine how happy the Jewish leaders were when the Lord died, because this is what they wanted. They wanted him to die. And they wanted him to die, because they did not believe in him.
So, the disciples would go away, weeping and mourning because someone they loved had died. But the unbelieving world would go away, happy and rejoicing, because someone they hated had died.
But look at what the Lord went on to say at the end of verse 20. He said to his disciples: ‘You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.’ And their grief will turn to joy because in a little while they will see him again. In a little while they will rejoice at the news that the Saviour who died has risen from the dead.
And the Lord goes on to describe this shift from sorrow to joy by using the image of a mother giving birth. Think of the pain a mother goes through and the labour pains she suffers while she’s giving birth to her child. But then, suddenly, the child is born. And this newborn baby is placed in the mother’s arms. And the mother’s pain and agony gives way to joy and happiness. Instead of the grimace of pain, there are smiles and tears of joy.
And that’s what it will be like for you, the Lord is saying to his disciples in verse 22. For the next three days, while I am dead and buried in the tomb, you’ll be in agony. All you’ll know is grief and sorrow and sadness. Darkness will surround you. But then, I will come to you, and your sorrow will give way to sheer joy. And the joy you’ll experience because of my resurrection will never diminish or die. And no one will ever be able to take this joy from you.
And, of course, that’s what we find in the gospels, isn’t it? Think of Mary, weeping outside the tomb, because the Lord had died. And then the Lord appeared to her. And she cried out with surprise and delight at the sight of him. And in his gospel, Luke goes on to tell us how the other disciples felt joy and amazement whenever the Lord appeared to them after his resurrection.
In this final conversation with his disciples, the Lord explained to them that he will soon be leaving them to return to his Father’s heavenly home. And they were troubled by his words. And they were filled with sorrow. And during this whole conversation — from John chapter 14 to John chapter 16 — he’s been trying to encourage them. He’s been trying to teach them that it’s for their good that he’s leaving them, because he’s going to prepare a place for them in his Father’s heavenly home and he’ll send them his Spirit to help them. He’s been trying to encourage them and to reassure them. And now, in his final words to them, he said one more thing to encourage them. Before he leaves them and returns to heaven, he’s going to give them a joy which no one can ever take from them: it’s the joy of knowing that he has conquered death and now lives for ever more. And so, wherever the disciples went, and whatever happened to them, and whatever the world did to them, they would know that they were not serving a dead Saviour, but a living Saviour.
And he’s able to give us the same joy: the joy of knowing that we believe in a Saviour who has conquered death and who is alive for evermore. We believe in a Saviour who has conquered death and who gives everlasting life to all who trust in him. We believe in a Saviour who is alive for evermore and who is always watching over his people to defend us and to protect us and to help us everyday. Whatever happened to the disciples in the years to come, they were to remember and believe that they were serving a Risen Saviour who was able to help them and who was coming again to bring them to their eternal home. And we ought to encourage ourselves with the same thought: that Christ our Saviour is alive; and he’s able to help us from his throne in heaven; and one day he will come again to take us to our eternal home where there will be no more weeping or mourning or sorrow, but only perfect peace and rest and joy for ever and for ever and for ever.
Prayer
And so, the Saviour is saying to his disciples that they will weep for a little while, because he’s going to be taken away from them and killed. However, when they see him again and when they realise that he has conquered death, then they will rejoice. The next thing he says to encourage them is about prayer and it’s in verses 23 to 28.
He says to them in verse 23: ‘In that day, you will no longer ask me anything.’ So, in that day, or in the days following the Lord’s resurrection from the dead, you will no longer ask me for what you need. Why won’t they ask him? Look at what he goes on to say to them: ‘I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.’
So, when the Lord was with them in person, they were able to ask him for what they needed. For instance, at the wedding in Cana, his mother looked to him for help when the host had run out of wine. When the official’s son was sick, he was able to ask the Lord to heal him. When the crowd was hungry, they looked to him to feed them. When Lazarus was dying, his sisters sent word to the Lord to come and save him. People were always asking the Lord for help. And perhaps the disciples were worried about who they could ask for help once he leaves them. Who will help them once he’s gone?
And so he encourages them by saying to them that, in the future, they won’t need to ask him for anything. Instead they can ask his Father in heaven for what they need. And he reassures them by saying that his Heavenly Father will give them whatever they need. So, don’t be afraid.
But how can they be sure that the Father will listen to them? How can they be sure that the Father will care about them? Well, jump down to verse 27, because in verse 27 the Lord said to his disciples: ‘The Father himself loves you….’ And why does the Father love them? He explains: ‘The Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.’ So, they can be confident that God the Father will hear and answer their prayers because the Father loves them. And the Father loves them because they love the Lord Jesus and believe in him.
And that’s an encouragement to us, as well. And it’s an encouragement to everyone who loves the Lord Jesus and who believes in him. If you love the Lord Jesus Christ, and if you believe in him as the disciples did, then you can be confident that God the Father loves you just as he loved the disciples. And therefore, you’re able to turn to him in prayer and seek from him all that you need.
Notice, of course, that we’re to pray to the Father in the name of the Lord Jesus. Do you see that in verse 23, where he says, ‘I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name’? And the Lord refers to praying in his name in verse 24 as well. And he refers to it in verse 26. And the way I often explain this is to imagine that I’m knocking on the door of heaven. A voice comes from inside: ‘What do you want?’ And I reply: ‘Open up and let me in!’ The voice asks: ‘Who are you?’ And I tell him my name. Well, why should the doorkeeper open the door to me? After all, what am I except a sinner who sins against God continually in thought and word and deed. I have no right to come into the presence of God on my own, because I’m only a sinner and sinners don’t belong in the presence of God, who is holy, holy, holy.
And so, what I need to say is: ‘In the name of Jesus Christ, open up and let me in!’ And the door will open immediately because, whereas I’m only a sinner, Jesus Christ is the Eternal Son of God and he belongs in heaven at his Father’s side. And if I come in his name, and if I come dressed in his righteousness, if I come dressed in his perfect obedience, then I’m allowed to come into the presence of God in heaven.
The Lord Jesus Christ died to bring us to God. He will bring us to God in the new heavens and earth to live in the presence of God for ever. And until that day comes, we can go to God in prayer. And we can go to God in prayer because Christ has opened up the way for us. We can come to the Father in heaven and we can lay our petitions before him because of Christ who died to bring us to God.
But we mustn’t think that the Father is reluctant to hear us. We mustn’t think the Father hates us because of our sins and the Lord Jesus has to persuade him to hear us. We mustn’t think the Lord Jesus must, as it were, twist his Father’s arm and force him to listen to our prayers. Look again at what the Lord says in verse 26. He says that it’s not that he has to ask the Father on our behalf. So, it’s not as if the Father hates us or is indifferent to us and we need the Lord Jesus to persuade him to answer our prayers. No, it’s not like that, because the Father himself loves us. And because he loves us, he sent his Son to bring us to God. He said: I want him and I want her to know me as Father and to come to me in prayer with their concerns. And I want him and I want her to live with me for ever. And because the Father wanted us, he sent his Son to bring us to him. And not only that, but because of the Father’s love for us, he sent his Spirit into our hearts to enable us to love the Saviour and to trust in him for salvation. The Lord Jesus says that the Father loves us because we love the Saviour. But we only love the Saviour because the Father first loved us. And because the Father loves us and sent his Son to die for us, then we’re able to come to the Father in the name of his Son and make our needs known to him.
And so, when you’re in need, when you’re worried, when you’re in trouble, when you’re upset, when you’re struggling, you should go to your Heavenly Father in the name of Christ your Saviour and you should lay your concerns before him You know what it’s like when there’s something you need to do and it’s too much for you. And so, you ask someone for help. And what a relief you feel when the person you ask agrees to help you. Well, that’s why we’re to pray. We’re facing some task which is too much for us. We’re facing some problem that we can’t cope with. And so, we should ask our Father in heaven for help. And what a relief to know that he loves us and he’s willing to help us and that we can always trust in him for the help we need.
Christ has overcome the world
And so, to to encourage his disciples, the Lord tells them about prayer. And then he tells them in verse 33 that he has overcome the world which is against them.
So, he warns them in verse 33 that in the days following the resurrection they will suffer trouble. He says to them: ‘In this world you will have trouble.’ So, the Lord is always open and honest with us. He’s not like the dodgy salesman who hides things from us. He tells us the truth. And so, he warned his disciples — and us — that in this world we will have trouble. And we know all about it, don’t we? There’s all the trouble that everyone encounters in this life: all the sorrow and sadness and heartache of this troubled life. But for believers, there’s also the added trouble that comes from an unbelieving world, which either tempts us away from Christ or persecutes us because of Christ.
So, in this world there will be trouble. However, that’s not the only thing to say. Listen to how the Lord encourages them and us. He also says in verse 33: ‘But take heart! I have overcome the world.’ So, even though the world hated him and even though the leaders of this world joined forces to destroy him, nevertheless the world was not able to crush him. The world couldn’t destroy him. And though he was now leaving the world, it’s not because the world had beaten him and he was running away from the world. No, he has overcome the world. He has triumphed over an unbelieving world.
And therefore the Lord Jesus was able to help his disciples to overcome the world and to stand firm against all their threats. And the Lord Jesus is able to help us today to stand firm against the world and to overcome it. Whenever we feel under pressure from the world around us to turn away from the Lord and to give up the faith, we ought to remember and believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, who overcame the world, is able to help us to overcome it as well. And he’s able to give us peace. Do you see that in verse 33? And when he refers to peace, he’s talking about that feeling God gives us deep down inside that all will be well. Despite everything I’m going through, all will be well and everything will turn out for my good because of Christ my Saviour and God my Father who are looking after me.
Conclusion
And so, in this world, we have the joy of knowing that our Saviour is alive forevermore and we will live because of him. And in this world, we have the great privilege of prayer and of being able to go to our Heavenly Father and seek from him all that we need. And in this world, we have the knowledge that our Saviour has overcome his enemies and he’s able to help us to overcome to stand firm and he enables us to believe that all will be well.
