We Have Shared His Life (​17:1-5)

Our Lord began this prayer, praying for Himself. But in praying for Himself He was praying for us. A prayer for self is not by any means necessarily a selfish prayer. A study of Bible prayers proves this to be true. Our Lord’s burden was the glory of God, which would be realized in His completed work on the cross. The servant of God has a perfect right to ask his Father for the help that He needs to glorify his name. The first petition of the Lord’s Prayer (Matt. 6:9) is, “Hallowed be Thy name,” and this phrase is the first emphasis in this prayer.

“Father, the hour is come" reminds us of the many times in John’s gospel that “the hour” is mentioned, beginning at John 2:4. Jesus had lived on a “divine timetable” while on earth, and He knew He was in the will of the Father. “My times are in thy hand” (Psa 31:15).

The word "glory," so important, occurs five times in this passage, and we need to learn to discriminate carefully between the different "glories" of which Jesus speaks. He spoke in John 17:5 of His preincarnate glory with the Father, the glory He put aside when He came to earth to be born, to serve, to suffer, and to die. John 17:4 He told the Father that He had glorified Him on earth by finishing the work that the Father had given Him to do. In John 17:1 and 5, our Lord asks the Father to restore His preincarnate glory. The Son may glorify the Father by returning to heaven.

The word "glory" appears eight times in this prayer, making it an important theme. He did glorify the Father in His miracles (John 2:11; 11:40), but the greatest glory He brought to the Father was through His sufferings and death (see John 12:23–25; 13:31–32).

The cross was a revolting display of man's sin from the human point of view, but from the divine point of view the cross showed and magnified the grace and glory of God. When Jesus said, “I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do” (John 17:4), He knew He was going back to heaven. This “work” included His messages and miracles on earth (John 5:17-19), the training of the disciples for future service, and most of all, His sacrifice on the cross (Heb. 9:24-28; 10:11-18).

On the basis of this “finished work,” we as believers have the gift of eternal life (John 17:2–3). The prayer uses the word "give" in one form or another at least seventeen times. Seven times Jesus says that believers are given to His Son by the Father (John 17:2, 6, 9, 11-12, 24). We are used to thinking of Jesus as the Father’s gift of love to us (John 3:16), but the Lord declares that believers are the Father’s “gift of love” to His beloved Son!

“Eternal [everlasting] life” is an important theme in John’s gospel; it is mentioned at least seventeen times. His free gift is eternal life to those who believe in His Son (John 3:15–16, 36; 6:47; 10:28). The Father has given His Son authority to give eternal life to all those whom the Father has given to the Son. When we believe in Jesus Christ, we are given the gift of eternal life from the human perspective. But eternally speaking, we have already been given to the Son in the divine election. This is a mystery the human mind cannot fully understand or explain; we must accept it by faith.

What is “everlasting life”? It is knowing God intimately. Not just knowing about Him, but knowing Him personally through faith in Jesus Christ. We cannot know the Father except through the Son (John 14:6–11). It is not enough to “believe in God”; But such faith will never save a lost soul from eternal hell. “Even the devils believe, and tremble” (James 2:19). In our Lord’s dispute with the Jewish leaders (John 8:12 ff.), it is evident that people can be devoutly religious and not know God. Eternal life is not a matter of our character or conduct but a gift we receive by confessing that we are sinners, repenting, and believing in Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ alone.

The Father answered the request of His Son and glorified Him. There is a glorified Man in heaven today—the God-Man, Jesus Christ! He is glorified in heaven that sinners may be saved on earth. Whoever believes in Jesus Christ will be given the gift of eternal life.

But we are overcomers because we share His life and we share His victory! “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” (1 John 5:4). When you were born the first time, you were born “in Adam,” and you were a loser. When you are born again in Christ, born again in faith, you are born a winner!

Satan has tried to cloud the precious truth of the finished work of Jesus Christ, for he knows it is a foundation for spiritual victory. “and they overcame him [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb” (Rev. 12:11). Do not let Satan rob you of your overcoming power in the finished work of Christ.

​THE OVERCOMER’S PRAYER

Most theologians who have attempted to harmonize the accounts of the four Gospels have the Lord Jesus saying the prayer of John 17 in the Upper Room after He had finished His instructions to the disciples. Then He and the disciples sang the traditional Passover psalms, left the Upper Room, and went to the garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus had been accustomed to meet with them and pray (see Matthew 26:30–46 and Mark 14:26–42).

Whether He prayed it in the Upper Room or on the way to the garden, one thing is certain: it is the greatest prayer ever prayed on earth and the greatest prayer recorded anywhere in Scripture. John 17 is indeed the “Holy of Holies” of the gospel record, and we need to come to this chapter with a spirit of humility and worship. Can we believe that we are privileged to overhear a conversation between God the Son and His Father just before He offers His life as a ransom for sinners?

Whatever happened later that night, this prayer demonstrates that Jesus was and is the Overcomer. He was not a “victim”; He is and was the Victor! “Be of good cheer,” He had encouraged His disciples, “I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). The word "world" appears nineteen times in this prayer, making the connection between the prayer and John 16:33 clear. If you and I heed and apply the truths revealed in this profound prayer, we too shall be overcomers.

It is not difficult to trace the current of thought in this prayer. Jesus prayed for Himself first and told the Father that His work on earth was complete (John 17:1-5). Then He prayed that the Father would keep His disciples and sanctify them (John 17:6-19). He ended His prayer by praying for you and me and the whole church that we might be one with Him and share His glory someday (John 17:20–26).

What is the purpose of Jesus’ prayer? He was surely preparing Himself for the sufferings that were to follow. He thought about the glory the Father had promised Him and received new strength for His sacrifice (Heb. 12:1-3). But He also had His disciples in mind (John 17:13). What a comfort that prayer must have been to them! He prayed for their safety, their joy, their oneness, and their future glory! And today, He prayed it for us. That we would know all He has done for us, all He has given us, and all He will do for us when we get to heaven.

In this prayer, our Lord lays down four wonderful privileges we have as children of God, privileges that help make us victors.

There is a Place to Claim (16:29-33)

The disciples suddenly emerged from their spiritual stupor and made a tremendous affirmation of faith in John 16:29–30. First, they said they knew what He had been teaching them, but that was probably presumptuous, as their subsequent actions proved. They didn’t appear to understand what He meant by the promise of resurrection. Even after His resurrection, they were uncertain about the future of Israel (Acts 1:6ff.). I am not criticizing them, for we today have just as many blind spots when it comes to understanding His Word. All I’m saying is, their affirmation was a bit presumptuous.

They confirmed their understanding and they confirmed their faith and assurance. "Now are we sure that thou knowest all things . . by this we believe." (v 30). It was quite a statement of faith, and I believe the Lord took it. In the next chapter Jesus tells the Father about His disciples in His prayer and gives a report of their spiritual condition (John 17:6-8). Of course He knew their weaknesses but was quick to approve of their growing evidence of faith and assurance.

But you can have faith, and understanding, and assurance, and still fail the Lord. If we do not live that faith, exercise that understanding, and rely upon that assurance, we shall fail in the time of testing. This is what happened to the disciples, and Jesus warned them that it would happen.

He had already told Peter that he would deny Him, but now He warns the whole band of disciples that they would all forsake Him. John does not quote the prophecy of the Old Testament (Zech. 13:7); it is quoted in Matthew 26:31. The Lord’s statement should have been a warning to Peter not to follow Him when He was taken. Our Lord’s word in the garden was “Let these go their way!” (John 18:8). He knew it was not safe to linger with them.

Interestingly, Jesus has promised He will never leave us alone (Matt. 28:20; Heb. 13:5). Yet His own disciples left Him alone. Peter, James, and John went with Him into the garden, but then they fell asleep. Jesus knew the Father would be with Him. If I judge, my judgment is true, for I am not alone, but I and the Father are with me. “He that sent me is with me. “The Father hath not left me alone” (John 8:29). How comforting it must have been for the Son to know He was doing the Father’s will and could count on His help.

But at one point Jesus did feel the absence of the Father: “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken Me?" Matt. 27:46; Ps. 22:1). When He was made sin for us, He was separated from the Father. He was alone so that we might never be alone. He was forsaken so that we might never be forsaken.

John 16:33 is the climax and summary of the Upper Room message. Why did He send this message? He sent this message so that the disciples might have peace in a world of tribulation. Note the contrast of “in me” with “in the world.” In Christ there's peace; in the world there's tribulation. This is the place we need to stand. We are in Christ, and therefore we can overcome the world and all its hatred.

As believers, we all have all the resources we need in Jesus Christ. Our peace also depends on proper relationships, since spiritual resources depend on spiritual relationships. The key is that we are in Him. We have nothing in ourselves, but "in Christ" we have all that we need.

All believers are either overcome or are overcomers. And our faith is the victory that overcometh the world (1 John 5:4). Because the world is against us, Satan uses it to persecute and pressure believers. The world wants us to be the same as it. The world doesn’t want us to be different. When we yield ourselves to Christ and trust Him, He makes us overcomers. We must take our spiritual position in Christ and believe Him for victory.

“Be of good cheer!” is one of our Lord’s repeated exhortations. There is the “good cheer” of His pardon (Matt. 9:1-8), His power (Matt. 9:18-22), and His presence (Matt. 14:22-27). Here in John 16:33, He declares the “good cheer” of His victory over the world. He first overcame for us, and therefore we are overcomers.

As we work our way back through this section, we can see how all three of these explanations our Lord gave fit together. And he announced a profound principle—God turns sorrow into joy. But this principle will not work in our lives until we believe His promise and pray. God has ordained that His work shall be done by praying in faith believing He is able. However, we cannot pray effectively unless we claim our position as conquerors in Jesus Christ.

John 16:33 is also a preface to His great High Priestly prayer. He had taught them the Word. He would now pray for them. The Word and prayer are to go together always (Acts 6:4). He uses the word "world" nineteen times in this prayer, for in it He is teaching us how to conquer the world. He was facing the hatred of the world and the devil Himself, but He would be able to bear the suffering and win the victory.

There is joy when we allow God to change sorrow into joy. When God answers a prayer, there is joy. There is joy in our triumph over the world.

Let is be of good cheer!

There is a promise to trust (16:23-28)

The main idea of this paragraph is prayer: “Ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full” (John 16:24). It is important to observe that the text uses two different words for "ask," but they can be used interchangeably.  The word used in John 16:19, 23a, and 26 means “to question” or “to make a request.” It is used when one asks a favor from one equal. The word translated “ask” in John 16:23b, 24, and 26b (“pray”) means “to request something of a superior.” Jesus never used this latter word in His prayer life because He is the same as the Father. We come as inferiors to God, asking His blessing, but He came as the very Son of God, equal with the Father.

What time did Jesus mean by “in that day” in John 16:23? I think He meant after the coming of the Spirit. He promised them in John 16:22 that He would see them again, and He did keep that promise. He was with them forty days after His resurrection, teaching them plainly the things they needed to know to take His place and minister on earth (Acts 1:3ff.). That day, when He comes again for His church, cannot be "that day," for there is no suggestion in Scripture that after we are in heaven we shall pray to Him.

Jesus knew they wanted to ask Him something (John 16:19). He promised them that the day would come soon when they would not have to ask Him questions. They’d rather pray to the Father, and He’d provide their needs. This was the promise they had to believe: the Father loved them, heard their requests, and met their needs. In His earthly ministry, Jesus met every need of His disciples. Now He would return to the Father, but the Father would meet their needs. This is the glorious privilege and promise of prayer.

Our Lord had spoken many times about prayer in His ministry and had given the example of prayer in His own life. He was, indeed, a praying man. In His Upper Room message Jesus stressed the importance of prayer (John 14:12–14; 15:7, 16; 16:23–26). He made it plain that prayer is one of the secrets of a fruitful Christian life.

In John 16:25–27, Jesus told his disciples there would be a new situation because of His resurrection and ascension and the coming of the Holy Spirit. He would not talk to them in words that required spiritual insight to be understood. He would speak to them plainly and show them the Father. There in the Upper Room He used several symbolic images to communicate His message. The washing of their feet, the “Father’s house,” the vine and branches, and the birth of a baby. In the days that followed, these images would be made clearer to the disciples as they would be taught by the Spirit of God.

The purpose of Bible study is not only to learn deep truths but also to know the Father better. “I will show you plainly of the Father” (John 16:25). If our reading and Bible study does not measure up to these standards, it does more harm than good.

There would be a new situation in teaching and a new situation in their praying. He had alluded to this before in John 16:23. Jesus would go back to heaven to be with the Father, where He would serve as our High Priest, interceding for us (Rom. 8:34; Heb. 7:25). He would also serve as our Advocate (1 John 2:1). Jesus, our High Priest, gives us grace that keeps us from sinning. When we confess our sins, He restores us as our Advocate. His ministry in heaven makes our ministry of witness on earth possible by the power of the Spirit.

If you read the book of Acts, you will find that the early church depended on prayer. They believed the promises of God and asked God for their needs.

All of God's people would be helped by a regular review of what Jesus taught about prayer in this Upper Room Discourse. There is joy indeed in prayer and in answers to prayer. There is a joy in meeting the conditions that Jesus has laid down for successful praying. I think George Müller said that the real prayer was not overcoming God's reluctance but overcoming God's willingness.
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There is joy in prayer, and there is joy in the realization of the principle of transformation. Jesus had a third kind of joy, too, the joy of sharing His victory over the world.

There Is a Principle to Understand (16:16–22)

The principle is this: God brings joy to our lives, not by substitution but by transformation. In His illustration of the woman giving birth, this principle is made clear. The same baby who brought the joy also brought the pain. In birth, God does not replace anything else to ease the mother's pain. No, He takes what’s already there; He changes it.

Every parent knows what it is to have an unhappy child because of a broken toy or a playmate who has gone home. The parent can either replace the broken toy or the missing friend or turn the situation into a new experience for the unhappy child. If a mother always replaces a new toy every time a toy is broken, that child will grow up expecting every problem to be solved by substitution. If Mother always calls another playmate and invites him or her over, the child will grow up expecting people to rescue him when there is a crisis. Either way, the result is a rotten child who cannot cope with reality.

The way of solving problems by substitution is the way of immaturity. The path of transformation is the path of faith and growth. If someone is constantly replacing our broken toys, we can never grow up emotionally or spiritually.

Jesus did not say that the sorrow (pain) of the mother was replaced by joy but that the sorrow was transformed into joy. The same baby that caused the pain also caused the joy! And so it is in Christian life; God takes what seems impossible, adds the miracle of His grace, and turns trial into triumph and sorrow into joy. “The Lord thy God hath changed the curse into a blessing” (Deut. 23:5; cp. Neh. 13:2).

Joseph’s brothers sold him as a slave, and Potiphar locked him in prison as a criminal. But God took that hopeless condition of defeat and turned it into victory. The more Egypt persecuted Israel, the more they multiplied and prospered. King Saul’s murderous pursuit of David only made him more a man of God and helped produce the psalms that encourage our hearts today. Even Jesus took the cross, a symbol of defeat and shame, and made it a symbol of victory and glory.

Knowing this principle now, we are in a better position to understand the problems and questions of the disciples.

In John 16.16 Jesus said, “A little while, and ye shall not see Me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see Me." It was a purposely confusing statement (John 16:25); Jesus spoke in proverbs ("dark sayings"). The disciples didn’t understand. This also encourages me when I read my Bible and find statements I cannot understand. Even the disciples had their times of spiritual ignorance!

What did Jesus mean? He was probably thinking of the things that would soon happen, which had to do with His death and resurrection. They would not see Him for a little while after His burial, but He would rise from the dead and they would see Him again. He had told them before that He would rise from the dead after three days, but His words did not sink into their minds and hearts.

I believe Jesus was speaking primarily of His return to the Father (“Because I go to the Father”—John 16:16). This agrees with John 16:10—“Because I go to my Father, and ye see Me no more.” The disciples did not live to see the return of Christ, but they died and saw Him when they arrived in glory. Moreover, the church has been waiting for the return of the Lord for only “a little while” compared with eternity (see 2 Cor. 4:16-18). The term “a little while” is employed in this very sense in Hebrews 10:37—“For yet a little while, and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry.”

Rather than asking Jesus to explain His words, the men began discussing among themselves, as if they were embarrassed to admit their ignorance. But you don't make it very far in exchanging your ignorance! When we come to the Lord and ask for His assistance, we learn the important lessons of life.

Egypt was glad when Israel left (Ps. 105:38), and the world was glad when Jesus Christ left the scene. The religious and political leaders of those days thought that the early believers would die out and that the “Christian movement” would disappear, but that did not happen. Jesus sent His Holy Spirit to His church, and the church is carrying the Word of His grace to the ends of the earth. The early believers even rejoiced in persecution (Acts 5:41).

To a mother in the throes of labor, every minute may feel like an hour. Our feelings alter our perception of time. It can take 30 minutes in a dentist’s chair to feel like hours, while hours spent fishing or dining with friends can seem like a very short time. The mother thinks the birth is taking a long time, when in fact it may be only “a little while.” When the baby is born, she forgets the pain, her heart full of joy.

The world today does not want Jesus Christ or His church. While we are suffering, the world rejoices, waiting for our Lord to return. All of creation is, in fact, groaning in “birth pangs” because of sin and waiting for His return (Rom. 8:22). While the bridegroom is away, the bride mourns (Matt. 9.15). But He is coming again “in a little while,” and we shall go with Him to heaven to enjoy the Father’s house.

The immediate application may have been to the sorrowful hearts of the disciples, but the ultimate application is to all of God’s people as they await the coming of Jesus Christ. It feels like a long wait to us, but God does not measure time as we do (see 2 Peter 3). But while we wait, we must face our trials and hurts with transformation rather than substitution to grow in the Christian life.

The Spirit as Teacher of the Church (16:12–15)

Our Lord was always careful to give His disciples the right measure of truth at the best time. Such wisdom is always the sign of a great teacher. Today, the Holy Spirit is our Teacher, and He follows the same principle: He teaches us the truths we need to know, when we need to know them, and when we are ready to receive them.

You can see in John 14:26 and 16:13 the wonderful way God arranged for the writing of the New Testament Scriptures. The Spirit would bring to mind what Jesus had taught them, and the result is the four Gospels. The Spirit would also “guide” them into all truth, which resulted in the New Testament Epistles. “He will show you things to come” is a reference to the prophetic scriptures, especially the book of Revelation.

It is important to see that the work of the Spirit of God is never divorced from Jesus Christ or the Word of God. “He shall bear witness of me” (John 15:26); “He shall glorify me” (John 16:14). Those who claim the Spirit of God led them to act contrary to Christ's example or the Word's teaching are wrong and deceived by Satan. Jesus is truth (John 14:6), and the Word is truth (John 17:17), and the Holy Spirit is “the Spirit of truth.” Where the Holy Spirit is working, there must be truth.

The phrase “He [the Spirit] shall not speak of Him­self” (John 16:13) does not mean that the Spirit never speaks of Himself, for when He wrote the Bible, the Spirit often spoke of Himself. It means He speaks with the Father and the Son; He does not “manufacture” a different message. You have the whole Godhead spoken of in John 16:13. The Spirit of God does not pass over either Father or Son. They work in perfect harmony.

The Spirit taught the apostles nothing different from what the Spirit taught through Jesus Christ. Some theologians like to set the “Christianity of Christ” against the “Christianity of Paul.” They say that Paul “ruined” Christianity by making it so theological and complicating the “simple message” of Jesus Christ. What a miserable way to look at it. What Jesus said in John 14:26 and 16:13 completely refutes this false teaching. The same Holy Spirit who communicated the truths found in the four gospels, the Epistles, and the book of Revelation also wrote the history and doctrine found in Acts.

The ministry of the Spirit is to fill us with the treasures of God’s truth. He speaks the truth of God and bestows God's treasures. The Word of God is a rich mine of gold, silver, and precious stones (Prov. 3:13-15; 8:10-21). How wonderful to have the Spirit illuminate His Word.

We do not study the Word of God to “argue religion” with people or to flaunt our grasp of spiritual things. We study the Word to see Jesus Christ, to know God more, and to glorify Him in our lives. We are to share Jesus Christ with the lost as the Spirit uses the Word He has taught us. It’s our job to witness. It’s the Spirit’s job to convict.

Maybe some people need to stop playing the role of prosecuting attorneys—or judges—so that the Spirit can use us as faithful witnesses.

The Spirit as Reprover Witnesses through the Church (16:5–11)

For three years, Jesus had protected them from attack, but now He was about to leave. He had told them this earlier in the evening (John 13:33), and Peter had asked Him where He was going (John 13:36). However, Peter’s question revealed more concern about himself than about the Lord Jesus! Furthermore, his question centered on the immediate, not the ultimate. It was necessary for Jesus to explain why it was important for them that He return to the Father.

The major reason, of course, is that the Holy Spirit might come to empower the church for life and witness. Furthermore, the ascended Savior would be able to intercede for His people at the heavenly throne of grace. Despite their faults, the disciples loved their Master and struggled to grasp these new truths.

It is important to note that the Spirit comes to the church and not to the world. This means that He works in and through the church. The Holy Spirit does not minister in a vacuum. Just as the Son of God had to be embodied to do His work on earth, so the Spirit of God needs a body to accomplish His ministries, and that body is the church. Our bodies are His tools and temples, and He wants to use us to glorify Christ and to witness to a lost world.

Occasionally we hear people pray, “Lord, send Your Spirit to speak to the lost! May the Spirit go from heart to heart.” Such praying is no doubt sincere, but is it biblical? The Spirit does not “float” in some ghostly way up and down the rows of a church building, seeking to win the lost. The Holy Spirit works through the people in whom He lives. When the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost, He empowered Peter to preach, and the preaching of the Word brought conviction to those who heard.

The key word here is "reprove" (John 16:8). It is a legal word that means “to bring to light, to expose, to refute, to convict and convince.” It could be thought of as "pronouncing the verdict.” The world may think it is judging Christians, but Christians are judging the world as they witness to Jesus Christ! Believers are the witnesses, the Holy Spirit is the “prosecuting attorney,” and the unsaved are the guilty prisoners. However, the purpose of this indictment is not to condemn but to bring salvation.

The Holy Spirit convicts the world of one particular sin, the sin of unbelief. The law of God and man's conscience convict the sinner of his sins, but the Spirit, through believers' witness, exposes the lost world's unbelief. After all, it is unbelief that condemns the lost sinner (John 3:18–21), not the committing of individual sins. A person could “clean up his life” and quit his or her negative habits and still be lost and go to hell.

The Spirit also convicts the sinner of righteousness, not unrighteousness. Whose righteousness? The righteousness of Jesus Christ, the perfect Lamb of God. The world would not receive the Son of God (John 1:10), so He has returned to the Father. When He was here on earth, men accused Him of being a blasphemer, a lawbreaker, a deceiver, and even a demoniac. The Spirit of God reveals the Savior in the Word and in this way glorifies Him (John 16:13–14). The Spirit also reveals Christ in the lives of believers. The world cannot receive or see the Spirit of God, but they can see what He does as they watch the lives of dedicated believers.

The Spirit convicts the lost sinner of judgment. Do not confuse this statement with Acts 24:25 (“of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come”). Jesus referred to His judgment of Satan, which His death on the cross effected (John 12:31). Satan is the prince of this world, but he is a defeated prince. Satan has already been judged, and the verdict announced. All that must take place is the executing of the sentence, and that will occur when Jesus returns.

When a lost sinner is truly under conviction, he will see the folly and evil of unbelief; he will confess that he does not measure up to the righteousness of Christ, and he will realize that he is under condemnation because he belongs to the world and the devil (Eph. 2:1–3). The only person who can rescue him from such a horrible situation is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. There can be no conversion without conviction, and there can be no conviction apart from the Spirit of God using the Word of God and the witness of the child of God.

​Witnessing is a profound privilege, but it is also a serious responsibility. It is a matter of life or death! We need to depend on the Holy Spirit to guide us to the right people, give us the right words, and enable us to patiently glorify Jesus Christ.

The world will not be honest about its sin (15:22–24; 16:1–4).
Jesus again emphasized His words and His works. We have seen this stress throughout the Gospel of John (3:2; 5:36-38; 10:24-27; 14:10-11). The people had no “cover” for their sin. They had seen His works and heard His word, but they would not receive the truth. All the evidence was there. They weren’t honest enough to take it in and do something about it.

This statement is similar to what Jesus said to the Pharisees after He healed the blind man (John 9:39-41). They were forced to admit that Jesus healed the man born blind, but they refused to follow the evidence to its logical conclusion and trust Him. Jesus told them that it was they who were blind! But they confessed that they had seen a miracle and thus added to the guilt of their sin. They were not sinning in ignorance; they were sinning in the face of a flood of light. Why not? Because that light exposed their sin, they didn't want to face it honestly. Their attitude was much like that described in 2 Peter 3:5— “For this they willingly are ignorant."

How does the Holy Spirit comfort believers who are up against the world’s hatred and opposition? Primarily, through the Word of God. In the first place, the Spirit reminds us that this opposition is unmistakably declared by different writers of the Scriptures. In John 15:25, Jesus quotes Psalms 35:19 & 69:4. The Word told Him that the hatred of the world was not because of anything He had done to intentionally provoke such opposition. Today we can turn to passages such as Philippians 1:28–30; 2 Timothy 2:9–12; Hebrews 12:3–4; and 1 Peter 4:12ff. We also have the encouraging words of our Lord in the Gospels.

The Spirit also testifies to us and through us in times of persecution (John 15:26–27). He reminds us that what we are going through is “the fellowship of his [Christ’s] sufferings” (Philippians 3:10) and that it is a privilege to be reproached for His name. (see 1 Peter 4:12-19.)

Persecution has always been a time of proclamation and testimony for the church. When unsaved people attack us, we are to be “ready always to give an answer” (1 Peter 3:15). The Spirit testifies to us, so we can testify to the world (Mark 13:11). We cannot bear a clear testimony for Christ, except through the power of the Spirit of God (Acts 1:8).

The world heats the furnace of persecution, but there is no cause for the believer to stumble (“be offended,” John 16:1). He should expect persecution, if for no other reason than that his Lord told him it was coming. (See especially Jn. 13:19 and 14:29, where the Lord forewarned His disciples.) If this persecution is by religious people who think they are serving God, then they must not stumble. In John 16:2, the word translated “service” is referring to priestly service. This passage is certainly a description of Saul of Tarsus, who thought he was serving God by destroying the church (see Acts 7:57–8:3; 22:3–4; 26:9–12).

It is tragic when “religious” people kill and persecute in the name of God. It is true that "the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church" (Tertullian), but their blood is also a stain on history's pages.