Read 321.) John chapters 16 through 18. With these 3 chapters, we read of Jesus' last evening with His disciples, His arrest, and His illegal trials by which He was condemned to die. Chapter 16 opens in His lengthy discourse with His remaining 11 in the Upper Room of the Last Supper; Judas already having gone out to betray Him. With chapter 16, He speaks much of the Holy Spirit again and of how that they are about to experience incredible grief, which will be turned into their great joy! All of this is told them in advance, so that they will not fall away on account of the terrible hardship to soon come. Of the Spirit, we learn that He is a person who will be sent to aid in the work of evangelism, convicting unbelievers in Jesus of their sin, their need for righteousness to be saved, and of the severe judgment they will undergo, if they will not repent toward God, and believe on Jesus. We call such people 'prepared hearts.' If you will pray for them, and look for them in your daily walk, acknowledging God in your speech, He will bring you two together that you might share your faith and the Gospel with these 'prepared hearts.' The Holy Spirit will instruct us, by way of illumination from out of God's Word! Read it, study it, and be taught by God Himself of all His precious truths for us! Jesus then forewarns of His death and burial, which will bring them unthinkable grief. But in the depth of their grief, He will rise from the dead and return unto them, resulting in incredible joy! They then note that He is no longer speaking to them in confusing figures of speech! He closes on a note of inner spiritual peace while the world gives us trouble.
Chapter 17 then goes into Jesus' prayers, first for Himself, then for His Disciples there, and finally for all who will later come to believe, such as myself… You too? With 5 verses, He prays for Himself that He might glorify God and His Father might glorify Him. Indeed, this prayer will be fully answered! Verse 3 is key for us, in that coming to know God through Jesus Christ is to possess eternal life! In praying for His Disciples, He asks that they might be protected and kept safe as well as truly set-apart unto Him. This will also be answered, until they have each completed their course and seal their testimony unto Him with their blood in martyrdom! Then, with verse 20 and following, Jesus prayed for me. It is that we may believe, be united in Him and ultimately see His Glory in Glory! He closes with this idea of a deeply loving relationship with God, whereby we understand that we are in Him!!!
It is then, with chapter 18, they leave the Upper Room, cross the valley, and enter the Garden of Gethsemane, where Judas leads a band to arrest Jesus. The record is of three illegal trials in the night, and of Peter's thrice denial of Jesus as He had told him only a few hours before. Peter had professed his fealty to Jesus, even unto death! How self-deceived we can so easily be… It's what the Book is all about!
ForeverKingdom,
Harold F Crowell
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