God's Mission

John 16:1-11

Very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.

~ Jesus,
John 16:7

1 “All this I have told you so that you will not fall away. 2 They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God. 3 They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. 4 I have told you this, so that when their time comes you will remember that I warned you about them. I did not tell you this from the beginning because I was with you, 5 but now I am going to him who sent me. None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 Rather, you are filled with grief because I have said these things. 7 But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 about sin, because people do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11 and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.

Pondering Point

Likely hard words to hear from Jesus as the disciples’ daily companion, yet they would later see His wisdom on the day of Pentecost and beyond. The Holy Spirit was going to direct the disciples in the path Jesus desired. If they were getting away from the intended path, He would remind them of what Jesus taught and encourage them to repent – i.e. change their direction. That is one of the major roles of the Spirit in our daily lives: Change us to become more like Jesus. It is for our good that the Spirit helps us daily through teaching, correction, and conviction as necessary. Let Him lead the way.