Time was moving on for Jesus, and it was drawing closer and closer to His crucifixion. If only His disciples would understand His relationship to the Father. If only they could see that He really was the Son of God.
It is true Peter and the other disciples called Him "Christ, the Son of the living God". Matthew 16:16. Yes, they accepted it, but their understanding was so limited. They believed He was the Messiah, but their faith was weak.
Now He was telling them to pray in His name when He returned to heaven. "Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, He will give it you." John 16:23.
Lovingly He adds, "These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father." John 16:25.
The disciples have heard Jesus teach in parables for over three years. How they wish He would speak plainly to them.
Jesus continues: "At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you that I will pray the Father for you: For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God. I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father." John 27.28.
The disciples look at each other, then to Jesus, "Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no proverb." John 16:29.
Listen to what the disciples say next.
"Now are we sure that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee: by this we believe that thou camest forth from God." John 16:30.
It is important we see the point, just as the disciples did. Jesus is saying two things. Look at three verses, 27, 28 and 30 together.
1. He came out/forth from God.
2. He came into the world.
Jesus is not saying the same thing in two different ways. The disciples understood that Christ came from heaven, however, they did not fully understand that He was God's true Son.
Now they understand.
Jesus' words, "I came out from God" and "I came forth from the Father" are parallel. The disciples used the second one, "we believe that thou camest forth from God."
In context, this does not refer to Jesus simply coming to this earth, otherwise the response of the disciples would not be one of such enlightenment.
The response of Jesus is also very interesting. He says, "Do ye now believe?' John 16:31.
I love to see this experience with the emotion that would have accompanied it.
The disciples would have been excited as they realised Jesus is really God's Son. No longer would they need to worry about Him not under-standing anything. He is the Son of the eternal God. He is one with His Father. Now they know why He said to Philip, 'If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father.' Of course, they are Father and Son.
Jesus is also excited.
Can you hear the emotion in His voice, "Do ye now believe?"
In the next chapter, Jesus tells His Father. Listen to His words.
"I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy words. Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me." John 17:6-8.
Again I can imagine the happiness of Jesus to be able to tell His Father that the disciples believe His words. They now know that He is God's Son and that the Father sent His Son to the world.
The disciples believed Jesus.
Do we?
Copyright © 2019 God has a Son - All Rights Reserved.
Powered by GoDaddy Website Builder