All Things:

Context:

• Jesus doesn’t want His followers to fall away.
• It is to their advantage that He goes away.
• The big plus is that the Holy Spirit will be sent.

John 16:12-15 “...I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you...”

Why were there still things that Jesus hadn’t told His disciples?

• They couldn’t bear them.
• They didn’t have and couldn’t receive all truth.

Why was it beyond their ability to understand?

• Is there truth beyond what you know? Beyond what you can understand?

How were the disciples to receive all truth?

• The Spirit would guide them to all truth.

On what authority would the Spirit speak?

• The authority of heaven.
• The authority of the Godhead.
• Just as Jesus relayed what He heard from the Father.

What does the Spirit declare that is beyond current reality?

• He will declare to you the things that are to come.

What do you think this means?

What is the ultimate goal of the Spirit?

• To glorify Jesus.

What does Jesus say “...is mine...”?

• All that belongs to the Father.

What is shared with the disciples of Jesus?

• All that is His, which is all that is the Father’s.

How would you describe what Jesus offers through the Spirit?

• Full participation with the Godhead.

John 16:16-18 “...A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me.” So some of his disciples said to one another, “What is this that he says to us, ‘A little while, and you will not see me, and again a little while, and you will see me’; and, ‘because I am going to the Father’?” So they were saying, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We do not know what he is talking about...”

What sequence does Jesus describe?

• Time passes and He won’t be seen.
• Time passes and He will be seen.
• He is going the the Father.

What was confusing the disciples?

• What is ‘a little while’?

Can you describe why this would be confusing?

• Are heavenly plans difficult to understand with worldly thinking?

What would make it clear?

• His death, resurrection, and ascension.

Revelation 1:7-8 “...Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty...”

What sequence is being described in the Revelation to John on Patmos?

• He is coming with the clouds.
• Every eye will see Him.
• All tribes of the earth will wail.
• He was, He is, and He is to come.

Do you think that the current disciples of Jesus understand this clearly?

• We vaguely understand.

• 1 Corinthians 13:12 “...For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known...”

What will make it clear?

• When the event occurs.

John 16:19-24 “...Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, “Is this what you are asking yourselves, what I meant by saying, ‘A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me’? Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full...”

What was the initial emotion that Jesus knew was coming?

• Sorrow - weeping and lamenting.

How did this compare to the world’s emotion?

• The world would be rejoicing.

How do disciples of Jesus experience life differently than the world?

• Situational assessments are different for the Christ centered.

What emotion would come later?

• The unfolding of God’s perfect plan turns sorrow to joy.

How safe is that joy?

• No one will take your joy from you.

What brings fullness of joy?

• Fully embracing, and participating in God’s perfect plan.
• As it unfolds, even our asking aligns with God’s intentions.