In the Beginning: The Book of John

(John 16:1-11[HCSB])

1 “I have told you these things to keep you from stumbling. 2 They will ban you from the synagogues. In fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering service to God. 3 They will do these things because they haven’t known the Father or Me. 4 But I have told you these things so that when their time comes you may remember I told them to you. I didn’t tell you these things from the beginning, because I was with you. 5 “But now I am going away to Him who sent Me, and not one of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going? ’ 6 Yet, because I have spoken these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 7 Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth. It is for your benefit that I go away, because if I don’t go away the Counselor will not come to you. If I go, I will send Him to you. 8 When He comes, He will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment: 9 About sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see Me; 11 and about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.

World convicted

So many do not know the Father or the Son. So many do not want to know the Father or the Son! At one point I thought that the reason people did not turn to Jesus was because they simply did not know Him, that they had not been introduced. It turns out that many do not want to know Him. Why?

1) People have enough challenges without the additional burden of being the follower of an unpopular leader.

2) The belief that the proper response to global terror is not love at all, but more artillery and a one world coalition.

3) Convicted hearts do not always respond positively to being called out, or cornered, especially in an age where there are so many faith alternatives.

Those who want to believe will come; those who have an enmity against God, especially in the person of Jesus Christ, will reject Him. Part of this rebellion is a function of individual maturity, while the other aspect is recorded as prophecy in the Gospel of Matthew 24:1-14 regarding the “end of days.” Hearts will grow cold and lawlessness will multiply …

The Holy Spirit, the Counselor, will be, and already is, acting as a spirit of discernment judging the sin of unbelief against the perfection and righteousness of Jesus Himself.

All are being judged including the ruler of this world; Jesus left that He might one day return for His disciples.

One day soon.