John 16:25-33--I Have Overcome the World

John 16:25-33
English Standard Version

I Have Overcome the World
25 “I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech but will tell you plainly about the Father. 26 In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; 27 for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. 28 I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father.”

29 His disciples said, “Ah, now you are speaking plainly and not using figurative speech! 30 Now we know that you know all things and do not need anyone to question you; this is why we believe that you came from God.” 31 Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? 32 Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. 33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

---

Jesus has one final thing to say to the disciples before He reaches the spot where He is going to pray.  He tells them that He has been intentionally speaking to them in figures of speech so that things will be concealed that they are not yet to understand as it is not yet time for Him to speak clearly to them about the Father, but that hour is fast approaching.  He also tells them that when that time comes, they will no longer need to go to Jesus as mediator so that He will ask the Father on their behalf--rather, He tells them that they will speak to God the Father directly, in the name of Jesus, and the Father will listen to them and give them what they ask for.

We talked about this before, but this is not a "name it and claim it" theology that Jesus is teaching that is so prevalent in the prosperity gospel teaching of the false teachers today.  It also stands in direct opposition to anyone else acting as a mediator for us--Jesus says clearly that we will talk directly to the Father and He will hear us and answer our prayers.

Jesus says that the reason we can be sure that the Father will do this for us is that the Father loves us because we love the Son of God who came from God the Father.  Jesus then also says pretty plainly that He came into this world when He was sent from the Father and it is time for Him to depart this world and to return to the Father.

The disciples then understood what all the conversation about Him "going away" was about.  It became clear to them that Jesus knew the entire timeline of events and was preparing them for the future, and they didn't need to ask Him any more questions about what He meant about "going away," because they believed that He came from God the Father.

Jesus' response seems strange as He asks them, "Do you believe?"  He must have known that their statement of faith sounded much more solid than what they were actually convinced of in their hearts.  Jesus says that their actions to come will show their unbelief as they will all be scattered--each to his own home--and would desert Jesus and leave Him alone in His time of greatest need.  All this would be to fulfill Scripture, and we'll see that a couple of the disciples that were very close to Jesus would return, yet only one of them, the author of this book, is mentioned as being present at the crucifixion, apparently standing next to Jesus' mother.  Jesus tells them that even though they will desert Him, He will not be alone, because the Father will be with Him.

Finally, Jesus told them that His purpose in telling them all these things that were about to happen is that they would have peace.  He tells them plainly that in this world they will have trouble, but they can take heart (be of good courage or be of good cheer) because He has overcome the world.  Praise be to God that Jesus was able to do that which we were unable to do--to be the one that faced every temptation that is common to man and yet to do so without sin (See Hebrews 4:15).