John 16:16

In our verse for today our Lord is desirous to give His guys a heads up to prepare them for His imminent departure and eventual return albeit all the while perplexing them with His Words. We can take heart that even the disciples – those closest to our Lord when He walked on this earth – those most accustomed to His style of teaching - could find themselves veiled from the true meaning of some of His difficult statements. Surely we should not be surprised if likewise we find ourselves stumped over the interpretation of the Master’s meanings – scratching our heads in wonder. There are many depths in them that we simply have no line to follow, no way to fathom. We must thank God for the statements for which He does give that even the simplest of minds (like mine) can clearly comprehend. It remains vastly important for us to continue to diligently use the light we have received so that more will be given. Surely spiritual growth is not most often immediate rather it occurs incrementally - one “ah-ha” moment at a time. Jesus tells His disciples in Matthew:

11 He replied, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.” Matt 13:11-12 (NIV)

We are to be diligent in our study of God’s Word – showing ourselves able to rightly divide His Truth. This is part of “growing up” in Christ. Paul tells his beloved Timothy:

15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. 2 Tim 2:15 (NIV)

We are also reminded by the prophet Jeremiah:

13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jer 29:13 (NIV)

Paul encourages the Church at Philippi to live up to the knowledge they had already attained in order to grow up in Christ:

15 All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 16 Only let us live up to what we have already attained. Phil 3:15-16 (NIV)

"Too many Christians mark their Bibles, but their Bibles never mark them!" Warren Wiersbe

Jesus wants His disciples to clearly understand that His physical presence would soon be no more. They would no longer be afforded the pleasure of gazing upon Him with their bodily eyes. He will be in heaven and they will be on earth. After their horror of the cross occurs and the dust finally settles He wants them to remember His very important and comforting Words – they will see Him again. Certainly they saw Him after the resurrection prior to His final ascension as well yet I believe His Words here refer to His second Advent when He will arrive with great power and glory and all eyes will see. It is a given. He will return and not as a suffering Servant but as the Reigning Righteous King. John writes of this in Revelation:

7 Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen. Rev 1:7 (NIV)

Jesus’ Words in our verses for today are encouraging for the modern day believers as well – He speaks here for the benefit of His whole church until His second coming not merely for the benefit of His then disciples. His Words both comfort and encourage us to persevere. It will always does us well to remember that earth is not our home rather heaven is. If we keep that focus our hearts will not be inclined to yearn for and cling to the perishing rather press on toward the eternal as Paul stated the mature in Christ will do:

12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Phil 3:12-14 (NIV)

“Most of us find it very difficult to want ‘Heaven’ at all – except in so far as ‘Heaven’ means meeting again our friends who have died. One reason for this difficulty is that we have not been trained: our whole education tends to fix our minds on this world. Another reason is that when the real want for Heaven is present in us, we do not recognize it. Most people, if they had really learned to look into their own hearts, would know that they do want, and want acutely, something that cannot be had in this world. There are all sorts of things in this world that offer to give it to you, but they never quite keep their promise.” C.S. Lewis