A few weeks ago, a friend invited me to go see a movie, and I knew absolutely nothing about it. I did not know the plot, I did not know what was coming, and I did not know how the story was going to end, which completely changed the experience of watching it.
Because I did not know what was going to happen, I felt the emotional roller coaster of the whole movie. When something bad happened, I felt the tension and anxiety of that moment because I had no assurance in my mind that everything was going to work out. I had no ending to hold onto, no previous knowledge to compare it to, and no sense of where the story was ultimately going. So the whole experience became a kind of roller coaster, and honestly, I loved it.
But the absence of knowledge and understanding changed my experience with the movie itself.
When we come to Scripture, though, we usually come with previous knowledge of what is in it and how everything is going to work out. If you have been in church for any length of time, you already know the story of Scripture. You know about the gospel. You know about the resurrection. You know about the ascension. You know about the second coming. You know how everything is going to end.
So when you read the Gospels, you already know where the story is going. When you hear about the crucifixion, you say, “Yes, I have heard about that.” When you hear about tribulation, you say, “Yes, I know about that too.” But for just a moment, I want you to put yourself in the situation of the disciples, because they did not yet have the whole story in their hands the way we do.
Up to this point, they had been following Jesus, and they had become more and more certain that He was the Messiah. They had watched Him do miracles, they had listened to His teaching, and they were convinced that this was the Son of God, the promised Messiah, the One who had come to establish His kingdom.
Imagine the excitement they must have felt as they followed Jesus toward Jerusalem, believing that this was the moment when everything was about to change. They watched Him enter the city while the people laid palm branches before Him, and they saw Him fulfill the Scriptures by riding in on a donkey, which was itself a prophecy concerning the Messiah. So when they saw Him riding into Jerusalem in fulfillment of Scripture, they had to be thinking, “This is it.”
What joy they must have felt. What excitement. What anticipation.
Then they entered the upper room, and as they ate the Passover together, Jesus began to tell His disciples that He was going to die. And not only did He tell them that He was going to die, but He told them that they were going to suffer too. The world was going to hate them.
That was not what they were waiting for.
They thought the world was about to bow at their feet as Jesus established Himself as King. They thought they were about to be His royal court, that people would come and humble themselves before them, that they would wear fine robes and eat fine food as they shared in the earthly glory of the kingdom. But Jesus came to them in that final hour and said, in essence, “The world is going to hate you. They will put you out of the synagogues. They will persecute you. They will kill you. And when they do it, they will think they are serving God.”
If you do not know the end of the story, how does that affect you?
Think about the words Jesus had just spoken to them: “These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended.” In other words, “I am telling you these things so that you will not stumble when they come.” Then He said, “They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.” And He continued, “These things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me.”
Jesus was not speaking hypothetically. He did not say, “If this happens.” He said, “When the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them.” He wanted them to know that this was not a possibility on the distant horizon, but a reality for which they needed to be prepared.
He told them plainly that He had not said these things to them at the beginning because He was with them. They did not need to carry the full weight of these things then because He was there, protecting them and guiding them. But now the time had come for them to understand.
Then He said, “But now I go my way to him that sent me; and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou?”
And then notice what He says: “But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart.”
You know about the resurrection. You know about the ascension. You know about the second coming. You know the end of the story, and that affects the way you hear these words. But for the disciples, when they heard Jesus say these things, it was like a punch to the gut.
Think about a time in your life when you received news that almost brought you to your knees. Remember that feeling for just a moment, because that is the kind of feeling the disciples were experiencing. Everything they thought they had been moving toward for three years seemed to crumble at their feet, and they were broken. Their hearts were full of sorrow.
And Jesus knew it.
That is why, when we come to the end of John 16, He says, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace.”
What are “these things”? They are everything Jesus says from verse 5 through verse 33. He leads them through warnings about what is coming, prepares them for the trials they are going to face, and then, throughout the chapter, gives them truths that will help them endure the circumstances ahead.
He is saying, “I am telling you these things so that, in Me, you may have peace.”
Jesus wants to replace their sorrow with peace, and He wants to replace their fear with hope and joy. Then He concludes with these words: “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
In the World, You Will Have Tribulation
Jesus does not remove the reality of tribulation. He says plainly, “In the world ye shall have tribulation,” and I think all of us understand, at least at some level, that tribulation is part of living in this world.
Your tribulation up to this point may not be persecution. You may not have been imprisoned for the sake of Christ, and you may not have been despised, hated, or rejected in the way these disciples would be. You may not have had those kinds of experiences yet, and I am not telling you that they will never come. The day may come when we face tribulation specifically for the cause of Christ.
But I do know this: every single one of us has faced the tribulation of living in a sin-cursed world.
You have felt pain in your body because this world is broken. You have felt pain in your heart because people have let you down. You have said goodbye to people you love. You have faced uncertainty in financial situations, relational situations, occupational situations, and countless other situations where you did not know what was coming next or how everything was going to work out.
You have felt sorrow, and while it may not be the exact kind of sorrow Jesus was preparing His disciples to face, it is sorrow nonetheless; and Jesus, looking down through time, saw the sorrow that would mark your life in this broken world and gave these words so that, even there, you might have peace in Him.
Jesus does not want you to spend your life broken with no hope, and He does not want you to be a broken person for the rest of your life. The New Testament clearly testifies that God, in spite of our suffering, has given us truths meant to guide us, strengthen us, and carry us through trials, and He means for His people to live with rejoicing even in a world of sorrow.
That is why Paul can say, “Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.” The expectation of the New Testament believer is not that we walk around with our heads hanging low, but that we live as victorious and triumphant people even while we live in a world filled with tribulation and suffering.
So where does that peace come from? Where does that comfort come from?
Jesus tells us: “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace.”
In Me.
Not in the world. In the world, circumstances will not always work out in your favor. In the world, you will receive diagnoses you do not want. In the world, you will spend time at funeral homes, hospitals, and doctor’s offices. In the world, you will face pain, uncertainty, and sorrow.
But Jesus says, “In me ye might have peace.”
Then He says, “Be of good cheer.”
At first, that may almost sound callous. These disciples are sitting there with sorrow filling their hearts, and Jesus has just told them that He is going away, that they will suffer, that the world will hate them, and that some will die. Then He looks at them and says, “Be of good cheer.”
You might be tempted to say, “Jesus, do You know who You are talking to? Do You know what You just told them?”
But Jesus says, “I know. And in spite of all that, be of good cheer, because I have overcome the world.”
Yes, the world is broken, and yes, you will face tribulation in it; but Jesus has overcome the world, and because He has won the victory, your suffering does not get to have the final word over your life.
In the ultimate reality of His victory—His cross, His resurrection, His ascension, and His intercession—there is peace for His people. He has paid for our sins, He has laid death to rest, He rose again on the third day, and He ascended to the Father, where He intercedes for His people even now.
So as you feel the weight of suffering, you may be tempted to think, “Nobody has felt what I am feeling. Nobody understands the pain I am going through.” But Jesus understands, and Jesus says, “Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
In order to appreciate this fully, though, we have to look at what Jesus says between verses 5 and 33, because in these verses He promises His people realities that give us what we need to endure suffering and tribulation. These are not vague thoughts, abstract theories, or religious ideas floating somewhere above real life while our actual lives are lived down here in pain and confusion.
These truths are real.
They are as real as your hand in front of your face. You can hold your hand up, see it, touch it, and know that it is real, and the things Jesus gives His people in John 16 are just as real. So treat them that way.
Jesus Promises Us the Spirit
The first promise Jesus gives His disciples is the promise of the Spirit.
He says, “But now I go my way to him that sent me; and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou? But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart. Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away.”
That word “expedient” means necessary, beneficial, good. Jesus is saying, “It is good for you that I go away. It is good for you that I suffer. It is good for you that I ascend to the Father. It is good for you that these things happen.”
The disciples must have wondered, “What are You talking about? How can this be good for us?” And Jesus answers that question by saying, “For if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.”
If Jesus goes away, He will send the Comforter.
That title matters because “Comforter” means Helper. It means One who comes alongside to strengthen, support, and aid someone in a time of need.
When you have a health emergency or a car accident, you call 911, and you do not want the person on the phone to say, “We are praying for you. Hope everything goes well.” You may appreciate the prayers, but that is not what you need in that moment. You need them to dispatch help. You need trained and capable responders. You are looking for flashing lights.
When Jesus says the Comforter will come, that is the idea. He is saying, “You are in a time of need. There is something lacking. You need help. And I am sending One who is able to help you in your need.”
This is the reality of your existence right now as a believer. Yes, you are in tribulation, and yes, you may be hurting, suffering, lonely, and confused about what is happening in your life; but at this very moment, God Himself is with you.
He is a good Helper, and He is able to provide you with everything you need for the moment you are facing.
Jesus continues, “And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.”
That word “reprove” does not merely mean to correct. It carries the idea of convincing, exposing, and showing someone what is true. The Spirit will convince the world “of sin, because they believe not on me; of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.”
Jesus is saying to His disciples, “You are about to go into a world that hates you. They will not want to hear what you have to say. They may beat you, imprison you, cast you out of the synagogue, and even kill you. I am sending you out as sheep among wolves, but I am sending you with One who is able to change their minds.”
The Holy Spirit is able to convince the world of sin. He is able to convince them of the righteousness of Jesus Christ. He is able to convince them of judgment. Jesus is sending His people into a dangerous situation, but He is sending them with Someone who is able to turn the situation.
And not only is the Spirit able to work in the world around us, but He is also able to help us through the world we are in. The Holy Spirit is prepared to deal with the opposition we face in this world, whether that opposition comes because we belong to Christ or simply because we live in a sin-cursed world. The Holy Spirit has the ability to get you through what you are going through.
Then Jesus says, “I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.”
He is telling them, “I have told you as much as you are able to handle right now.” But then He says, “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth.”
The Spirit will not speak of Himself, but whatever He hears, He will speak. He will show them things to come. He will glorify Christ. He will take what belongs to Christ and show it to them.
What is Jesus promising here?
He is promising that the Spirit will come, and not only is He powerful enough to convince the world and influence the circumstances of our lives, but He also has the truth of God and brings that truth to the people of God.
One of the most difficult parts of living in this world is the uncertainty that comes with life’s circumstances. We do not always know what to do, what to say, how to handle a situation, or what the next step needs to be. But thank God, we have the Spirit within us, and He has the truth of God.
He knows what needs to happen. He knows what we need to say. He knows how to deal with everything that comes our way in a manner that glorifies the Father.
So when you come into situations that you are unsure how to handle, and when you are scared, confused, frustrated, or disappointed, what do you do? You bow before God and cry out to the Spirit who dwells within you, asking Him to give you what you need because He is the Helper, the Comforter, and the Advocate.
When we stand in the courtroom of this world, we have an Advocate, and in every situation we face, we can call on Him because He has the truth we need.
This is not a theory. This is reality. And it is available to you right now.
Jesus Promises His Personal Return
Jesus also promises His personal return.
He says, in effect, “Yes, I am giving you the Spirit in the meantime, and He will help you get through; but I am coming back Myself.”
In verse 16, Jesus says, “A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father.”
The disciples did not understand what He meant, so they asked among themselves, “What is this that he saith unto us, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me?” They were confused because they did not yet know how to process what Jesus was telling them.
Jesus knew they wanted to ask Him, so He said, “Do ye enquire among yourselves of that I said, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me?”
Then He says, “Verily, verily, I say unto you.” That means, “Truly, truly.” Jesus is saying, “Listen carefully, because reality is being spoken here.”
He says, “Ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.”
In the immediate context, Jesus is speaking of His crucifixion and resurrection. He is saying, “In a little while, you will not see Me. I will go to the cross, I will die, and I will be laid in the tomb. For a little while, you will not see Me anymore.”
But then He says, “Again, a little while, and ye shall see me.”
He is promising His resurrection. His death will not be the final outcome. Just as truly as He will die, and just as truly as they will sorrow, He will rise again. He will come to them again, they will see Him again, and their sorrow will be turned into joy.
The sorrow will not last.
As the Scripture says elsewhere, “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” The promise is that death will not last and sorrow will not have the final word.
But I believe Jesus is not only speaking of the resurrection here. He is also pointing beyond it. He says, “I go to the Father.” He is returning to where He came from, and for “a little while,” He will be gone.
Now, two thousand years does not feel like a little while to us. But Jesus says, “A little while, and ye shall see me.” The day is coming when Jesus will no longer remain in heaven, and the day is coming when we will no longer have to rely on the Spirit within us while Christ is bodily absent from us. The day is coming when Christ Himself will return.
Just as surely as He rose from the dead and the disciples saw Him face to face, He will return to His people, establish His perfect kingdom, and bring to completion everything He has promised.
This is not abstract theory. This is reality.
Jesus is coming back.
And all the sorrow we have felt in this world will be turned into joy. We will rejoice at the coming of Jesus Christ. Today, we rejoice in the resurrection; but then, we will rejoice when we see Him face to face.
Listen carefully: in the midst of your sorrow and in the midst of the difficulty of this life, you can cling to the reality that Jesus is real, that He is in heaven right now interceding for you, and that He is making preparation to come again.
When He comes, He will abolish the suffering you are facing right now. Joy is coming in the morning, and your pain, your sorrow, your suffering, and your loneliness will not last forever.
Jesus gives us a picture of this. He says, “A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come.”
Some of you know what that is like. I have only seen it secondhand.
A woman in childbirth has sorrow because her hour has come, but as soon as she is delivered of the child, “she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.” Then Jesus applies it to His disciples and says, “And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.”
That is what we have to look forward to.
Now, that time is not today. Today is the day of sorrow. Today is the day of trial. Today is the day of difficulty. But the coming day of Christ’s return is as real as what you are facing today, and because it is real, you can rejoice in it today even while facing tribulation.
In Christ, there is peace.
Jesus Promises Us an Audience with the Father
Jesus also promises us an audience.
He says, “And in that day ye shall ask me nothing.” Then He says, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.”
Up to this point, they had asked nothing in His name. But Jesus says, “Ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.”
Then He says, “These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs.” In other words, He had spoken in figures and sayings that were not always immediately plain to them. But the time was coming when He would speak plainly of the Father.
Then He says, “At that day ye shall ask in my name.”
And then He gives them an astonishing assurance: “I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you: for the Father himself loveth you.”
Let that phrase soak in.
“The Father himself loveth you.”
Because they loved Christ and believed that He came from God, they had access to the Father’s love. Jesus is saying, “I am going away. I am returning to the Father. I will not be here with you in the same visible way. But here is the good news: the Father I am going to loves you.”
God the Father loves you at this very moment.
We can become numb to that truth. We sing, “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so,” and we can sing it with the straightest face, barely even thinking about what we are saying. But let the reality sink in: a holy, righteous, powerful God loves you with an indescribable depth that you cannot begin to understand.
God loves you.
And because you are in Christ, He has promised you an audience with Him.
When you are alone and feel like you have no one to talk to, you can approach the Father in the name of Jesus Christ and speak to Him as personally and honestly as if He were sitting on the front pew in front of you.
When you are scared, waiting for test results, or facing a goodbye you are not prepared for, you can talk to Him through Jesus Christ and be confident that He cares about you. What you are going through matters to Him.
In the days we are living in, there is trial, tribulation, uncertainty, and hatred; but we have a Father who loves us beyond compare, and because of that love, we can approach Him boldly, as Scripture says, coming to His throne of grace.
We can rest in the love and care of the Father.
Jesus Promises Us Grace
Lastly, Jesus promises us grace.
This is important.
In verse 29, the disciples say, “Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no proverb.”
They are beginning to feel some hope. Things are starting to click. Things are starting to make sense. They are starting to feel a little better, and so they say, “Now are we sure that thou knowest all things.” In other words, “Now we understand. Now we know. Now we believe that You came from God.”
Their confidence is coming back.
Then Jesus answers, “Do ye now believe?”
He says, “Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone.”
Jesus has been giving them words of comfort and assurance, and as they start to feel better, their confidence starts rising up in them again. They say, “Yes, we have it now. We are back on track. We have figured it out. We know You are the One, and we know it is going to be okay.”
And Jesus says, “The hour is coming when you are going to let Me down.”
When tribulation comes, when suffering comes, when the pressure of the moment falls on them, they will scatter. They will turn away. They will leave Him alone.
Let me ask you: have you let Jesus down?
In your tribulation and disappointment, have you struggled to maintain the right attitude or keep the right perspective? Maybe you have not walked away from the faith, but have there been moments when you said, “I know I need to talk to God about this, but I do not even feel like it”?
Maybe you knew you were supposed to say something, do something, or handle a situation in a particular way, but you just were not feeling it. Your pain, tiredness, frustration, or disappointment got the better of you, and you walked away from the situation without handling it the way you knew you should.
That is the kind of thing Jesus is addressing here.
He says, “You think you have it, but when the time comes, because you are human and imperfect, you are going to let Me down.” But then He says, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace.”
You are going to fall short. Even when you think you have it figured out, you will not always get it right. But in Christ, you can still have peace because Jesus has overcome the world.
He has overcome your sinful flesh. He has overcome your weakness. He has overcome the world’s wickedness. And listen with careful confidence: even when you fall short, you can still have peace in Him.
That is what Jesus is promising His disciples, and that is what He is promising you and me.
When you fall short, do not tuck your tail and hide from Him. Come back to Him with joy, knowing that even in your mistakes, Jesus welcomes you. You can come to Him and say, “Jesus, I know I fell down. I know I did not handle that rightly. I know I could have done better. But I am glad You love me. I am glad that in You I can have peace, and I am glad You give me another opportunity to do right.”
All of this is possible through Him.
That is the operative phrase in the whole passage: “In me.”
“In me ye might have peace.”
In Christ, You Have Peace
I am not going to pretend that you are a stranger to suffering, and I am not going to pretend that suffering does not lie ahead of you. Jesus Himself said, “In the world ye shall have tribulation.”
But He also said, “Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
In spite of your suffering, you have real reasons to have peace. When the world gets dark, look to the light of Jesus Christ. Call upon His Spirit. Look to His coming. Rest in the Father and talk to Him, because He loves you.
And when you fall short, know that His love will not change. He will lift you up and give you another day to walk with Him again.
Thanks be unto God for His love, and for the promises we have in Christ, even in the midst of suffering.
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