John 16:7-11 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.(NIV)
This night had been special. The Disciples had celebrated the Passover with Jesus. There had been lengthy discussions that would reverberate through the centuries about Jesus leaving them, about the meaning of the coming days, about the meaning of the vine and the branches. He wanted them to remember these words. "I am going away," he said. "But I'll send another, a Comforter, who will stay with you. I am returning to the One who sent me. The Comforter will be with you to convince the world of its sin since it does not believe in me, and of righteousness because I will be with my Father and he will forgive your sin, and the Prince of this world has been judged.
This night would take on meanings they did not see until later. Then they would understand what had happened and they would reenact it for others. They would be scattered and fearful for a time, but they would remember that he promised them peace of heart and mind. It was hard to consider all these things at once. It would take some time for them to grasp all he had said.
But this night was that promise.
This night had been special. The Disciples had celebrated the Passover with Jesus. There had been lengthy discussions that would reverberate through the centuries about Jesus leaving them, about the meaning of the coming days, about the meaning of the vine and the branches. He wanted them to remember these words. "I am going away," he said. "But I'll send another, a Comforter, who will stay with you. I am returning to the One who sent me. The Comforter will be with you to convince the world of its sin since it does not believe in me, and of righteousness because I will be with my Father and he will forgive your sin, and the Prince of this world has been judged.
This night would take on meanings they did not see until later. Then they would understand what had happened and they would reenact it for others. They would be scattered and fearful for a time, but they would remember that he promised them peace of heart and mind. It was hard to consider all these things at once. It would take some time for them to grasp all he had said.
But this night was that promise.
No comments:
Post a Comment