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Hello my name is Jerral Campfield and this web site is dedicated to Moral Recognition Therapy using Biblical principles. Please come back often to join me in understanding Gods hands are outstretched still to forgive. |
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"SORROW WILL TURN TO JOY" |
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Contributed by Jerral Campfield
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Friday, 24 July 2020 |
Sorrow Will Turn to Joy
16 “A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me, because I go to the Father.”
17 Then some of His disciples said among themselves, “What is this that He says to us, ‘A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me’; and, ‘because I go to the Father’?” 18 They said therefore, “What is this that He says, ‘A little while’? We do not [d]know what He is saying.”
19 Now Jesus knew that they desired to ask Him, and He said to them, “Are you inquiring among yourselves about what I said, ‘A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me’? 20 Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep andlament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy. 21 A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. 22 Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.
23 “And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. 24 Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.
VERSES 16-22
Our Lord Jesus, for the comfort of his sorrowful disciples, here promises that he would visit them again.
John 16:16. Here he tells them, 1. That they should now shortly lose the sight of him: A little while, and you that have seen me so long, and still desire to see me, shall not see me; and therefore, if they had any good question to ask him, they must ask quickly, for he was now taking his leave of them. Note, It is good to consider how near to a period our seasons of grace we are in, that we may be quickened to improve them while He is still speaking to us. Now our eyes see our teachers, see the days of the Son of man; but, perhaps, yet a little while, and we shall not see them. They lost the sight of Christ, (1.) At his death, when he withdrew from this world, and never after showed himself openly in it. The most that death does to our Christian friends is to take them out of our sight, not out of being, not out of bliss, but out of all relation to us, only out of sight, and then not out of mind. (2.) At his ascension, when he withdrew from them while conversing with Him),He went out of their sight; a cloud received him, and, though they looked up steadfastly after him, they saw him no more, Acts 1:9, 10; 9 Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel. Then in the Old Testament when Elijah went to heaven in a Chariot.
2 Kgs. 2:12. 2 And Elisha saw it, and he cried out, “My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!” So he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces. We see in 2 Cor. 5:16 Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer.
2. It is hard to imagine Again a little while, and you shall see me, and therefore you ought not to sorrow as those that have no hope. His farewell was not a final farewell; they should see him again, (1.) At his resurrection, soon after his death, when he showed himself alive, by many infallible proofs, and this in a very little while, not forty hours. See Hos. 6:2 After two days He will revive us; On the third day He will raise us up,
That we may live in His sight. Then 40 days after He appeared to mankind He tells them, I am going to pour out the Spirit which is going to convict the world of wrong doing so you will have a greater insight of the mysteries of the Gospel of Christ which they had not had yet, for Jesus walked and talked to them in person.
That we may live in His sight. Then 40 days after He appeared to mankind He tells them, I am going to pour out the Spirit which is going to convict the world of wrong doing so you will have a greater insight of the mysteries of the Gospel of Christ which they had not had yet, for Jesus walked and talked to them in person.
The Spirit’s coming was Christ’s visit to his disciples, not a transient but a permanent one, and such a visit as abundantly retrieved the sight of him. (3.) At his second coming. They saw him again as they removed one by one to him at death, and they shall see him together at the end of time, when he shall come in the clouds, and every eye shall see him. It might be truly said of this that it was but a little while, and they should see him; for what are the days of time, to the days of eternity? 2 Pet. 3:8, 9. But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward [c]us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
3. He assigns the reason: “Because I go to the Father; and therefore,”(1.) “I must leave you for a time, because my business calls me to the upper world, and you must be content to spare me, for really my business is yours.” (2.) “Therefore you shall see me again shortly, for the Father will not detain me to your prejudice. If I go upon your errand, you shall see me again as soon as my business is done, as soon as is convenient.”
It should seem, all this refers rather to his going away at death, and return at his resurrection, than his going away at the ascension, and his return at the end of time; for it was his death that was their grief, not his ascension (Luke 24:52,53 ), And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple [n]praising and blessing God. [o]Amen. So between his death and resurrection it was indeed a little while. for a little while you shall not see me, namely, the three days of his lying in the grave; and again, for a little while you shall see me, namely, the forty days between his resurrection and ascension.
II. The perplexity of the disciples upon the intimation given them; they were at a loss what to make of it What is this that he saith to us? Though Christ had often spoken to this time before, yet still they were in the dark; though precept be upon precept, it is in vain, unless God gave the understanding. Now see, 1. The disciples’ weakness, in that they could not understand so plain a saying, to which Christ had already given them a key, having told them so often in plain terms that he should be killed, and the third day rise again; yet, say they, We cannot tell what he saith; for, (1.) Sorrow had filled their heart, and made them unapt to receive the impressions of comfort. The darkness of ignorance and the darkness of melancholy commonly increase and thicken one another; mistakes cause griefs, and then griefs confirm mistakes. (2.) The notion of Christ’s secular kingdom was so deeply rooted in them that they could make no sense at all of those sayings of his which they knew not how to reconcile with that notion. When we think the scripture must be made to agree with the false ideas we have imbibed, no wonder that we complain of difficulty; but when our reasonings are captivated to revelation, the matter becomes easy. (3.) It should seem, that which puzzled them was the little while. If he must go at least, yet they could not conceive how he should leave them quickly, when his stay hitherto had been so short, and so little while, comparatively. Thus it is hard for us to represent to ourselves that change as near which yet we know will come certainly, and may come suddenly. When we are told, Yet a little while and we must go hence, yet a little while and we must give up our account, we know not how to digest it; for we always took the vision to be for a great while to come, Ezek. 12:27. “Son of man, look, the house of Israel is saying, ‘The vision that he sees is for many days from now, and he prophesies of times far off.’
2. Their willingness to be instructed. When they were at a loss about the meaning of Christ’s words, they conferred together upon it, and asked help of one another. Even today when we do not understand fully we ask others what they think. Though we cannot fully solve every difficulty we meet with in scripture, yet we must not therefore throw it off, but revolve what we cannot explain, and wait till God shall reveal even this unto us. It is not my will but your will oh Lord!
III. The further explication of what Christ had said.
1. See here why Christ explained it (John 16:19); Now Jesus knew that they desired to ask Him, and He said to them, “Are you inquiring among yourselves about what I said, ‘A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me’
because he knew they were desirous to ask him, and designed it. Note, The knots we cannot untie we must bring to him who alone can give an understanding. Christ knew they were desirous to ask him, but were bashful and ashamed to ask. Note, Christ takes cognizance of pious desires, though they be not as yet offered up, the groanings that cannot be uttered, and even anticipates them with the blessings of his goodness. Christ instructed those who he knew were desirous to ask him, though they did not ask. Before we call, he answers. Another reason why Christ explained it was because he observed them canvassing this matter among themselves: “Do you enquire this among yourselves? Well, I will make it easy to you.” This intimates to us who they are that Christ will teach: (1.) The humble, that confess their ignorance, for so much their enquiry implied. (2.) The diligent, that use the means they have: “Do you enquire? You shall be taught. To him that hath shall be given.”
2. See here how he explained it; not by a nice and critical play upon the words, but by bringing the thing more closely to them; he had told them of not seeing him, and seeing him, and they did not apprehend the meaning, and therefore he explains it by their sorrowing and rejoicing, because we commonly measure things according as they affect us (John 16:20): |
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Contributed by Jerral Campfield
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Friday, 10 July 2020 |
I want you to know the truth
7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. 8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; 11 of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. 15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He [c]will take of Mine and declare it to you.
It was usual with the Old Testament prophets to comfort the church in its calamities with the promise of the Messiah being come, the promise of the Spirit was the one to empower us and is still empowering us if we let Him.
Zechariah said 3:8 New King James Version
8 ‘Hear, O Joshua, the high priest, You and your companions who sit before you, For they are a[a] wondrous sign; For behold, I am bringing forth My Servant the BRANCH.
Let’s note Three things we have here concerning the Comforter’s coming:--
I. That Christ’s departure was absolutely necessary to the Comforter’s coming, John 16:7. The disciples were so loath to believe this that Christ saw cause to assert it with a more than ordinary solemnity: I tell you the truth. We may be confident of the truth of everything that Christ told us; he has no design to impose upon us nothing but the truth. Now, to make them easy, he here tells them, 1. In general, It was expedient for them that he should go away. This was strange doctrine, but if it was true it was comfortable enough, and showed them how absurd their sorrow was. It is expedient, not only for me, but for you also, that I go away; though they did not see it, and are loath to believe it, so it is. Note, (1.) Those things often seem grievous to us that are really expedient for us; and particularly our going away when we have finished our course. (2.) Our Lord Jesus is always for that which is most expedient for us, whether we think so or not. He deals not with us according to the folly of our own choice, but graciously over-rules it, and gives us the physic we are wanting to take, because he knows it is good for us.
2. It was therefore expedient because it was in order to the sending of the Spirit. Now observe,
(1.) That Christ’s going was in order to the Comforter’s coming.
[1.] This is expressed negatively: If I go not away, the Comforter will not come. And why not? First, So it was settled in the divine counsels concerning this affair, and the measure must not be altered; shall the earth be forsaken for them? He that gives freely may recall one gift before he bestows another, while we would fondly hold all. Secondly, It is congruous enough that the ambassador extraordinary should be recalled, before the envoy come, that is constantly to reside. Thirdly,The sending of the Spirit was to be the fruit of Christ’s purchase, and that purchase was to be made by his death, which was his going away. Fourthly, It was to be an answer to his intercession within the veil. See John 14:16. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another [a]Helper, that He may abide with you forever—
That is the reason this gift be both paid for, and prayed for, by our Lord Jesus, that we might learn to put the greater value upon it. Fifthly, The great argument the Spirit was to use in convincing the world must be Christ’s ascension into heaven, and his welcome here. See John 16:10; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more;
John 7:39. 39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those [a]believing in Him would receive; for the [b]Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
Lastly, The disciples must be weaned from his bodily presence, which they were too apt to dote upon, before they were duly prepared to receive the spiritual aids and comforts of a new dispensation no more law just laws but now grace, that is built on performing the laws of Gods mercy that is just, for God gives us all life, if we accept His grace.
[2.] It is expressed positively: If I depart I will send him to you; as though he had said, “Trust me to provide effectually that you shall be no loser by my departure.” The glorified Redeemer is not unmindful of his church on earth, nor will never ever leave it without its necessary supports. Though he departs, he sends the Comforter, now, he departs on purpose to send him. Thus still, though one generation of ministers and Christians depart, another is raised up in their room, for Christ will maintain his own cause.
(2.) That the presence of Christ’s Spirit in his church is so much better, and more desirable, than his bodily presence, that it was really expedient for us that he should go away, to send the Comforter. His corporal presence could be put in one place at one time, but his Spirit is everywhere, in all places, at all times, wherever two or three are gathered in his name. Christ’s bodily presence draws men’s eyes, his Spirit draws their hearts; that was the letter which kills, his Spirit gives life.
II. That the coming of the Spirit was absolutely necessary to the carrying on of Christ’s interests on earth (John 16:8): And when he is come, elthon ekeinos. He that is sent is willing of himself to come, and at his first coming he will do this, he will reprove, or, he will convince the world, by your ministry, concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment.
1. See here what the office of the Spirit is, and on what errand he is sent. (1.) To reprove. Make right. The Spirit, by the word and conscience, is a reprover; ministers are reprovers by office, and by them the Spirit reproves. (2.) To convince. It is a law-term, and speaks the office of the judge in summing up the evidence, and setting a matter that has been long canvassed in a clear and true light. He shall convince, that is, “He shall put to silence the adversaries of Christ and his cause, by discovering and demonstrating the falsehood and fallacy of that which they have maintained, and the truth and certainty of that which they have opposed.” Note, Convincing work is the Spirit’s work; he can do it effectually, and none but he; man may open the cause, but it is the Spirit only that can open the heart. The Spirit is called the Comforter (John 16:7), and here it is said, He shall convince. One would think this were cold comfort, but it is the method the Spirit takes, first to convince, and then to comfort; first to lay open the wound, and then to apply healing medicines. Or, taking conviction more generally, for a demonstration of what is right, it intimates that the Spirit’s comforts are solid, and grounded upon truth.
2. See who they are whom he is to reprove and convince: The world,both Jew and Gentile. (1.) He shall give the world the most powerful means of conviction, for the apostles shall go into all the world, backed by the Spirit, to preach the gospel, fully proved. (2.) He shall sufficiently provide for the taking off and silencing of the objections and prejudices of the world against the gospel. Many an infidel was convinced of all and judged of all, 1 Cor. 14:24. 24 But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an uninformed person comes in, he is convinced by all, he is convicted by all.
(3.) He shall effectually and savingly convince many in the world, some in every age, in every place, in order to their conversion to the faith of Christ. Now this was an encouragement to the disciples, in reference to the difficulties they were likely to meet with, [1.] That they should see good done, Satan’s kingdom fall like lightning, which would be their joy, as it was his. Even this malignant world the Spirit shall work upon; and the conviction of sinners is the comfort of faithful ministers. How many times have we seen the person that was blind to the truth wake up and sees the truth that sets them free. [2.] That this would be the fruit of their services and sufferings, these should contribute very much to this good work.
3. See what the Spirit shall convince the world of.
(1.) Of sin (John 16:9), because they believe not on me. [1.] The Spirit is sent to convince sinners of sin, not barely to tell them of it; in conviction there is more than this; it is to prove it upon them, and force them to own it, as they (John 8:9) that were convicted of their own consciences. Make them to know their abominations. The Spirit convinces of the fact of sin, that we have done so and so; of the fault of sin, that we have done ill in doing so; of the folly of sin, that we have acted against right reason, and our true interest; of the filth of sin, that by it we are become odious to God; of the fountain of sin, the corrupt nature; and lastly, of the fruit of sin, that the end thereof is death. The Spirit demonstrates the depravity and degeneracy of the whole world, that all the world is guilty before God. [2.] The Spirit, in conviction, fastens especially upon the sin of unbelief, of people not believing in Christ, First, As the great reigning sin. There was, and is, a world of people, that believe not in Jesus Christ, and they are not sensible that it is their sin. Natural conscience tells them that murder and theft are sin; but it is a supernatural work of the spirit to convince them that it is a sin to suspend their belief of the gospel, and to reject the salvation offered by it. Natural religion, after it has given us its best discoveries and directions, lays and leaves us under this further obligation, that whatever divine revelation shall be made to us at any time, with sufficient evidence to prove it divine, we accept it, and submit to it. This law those transgress who, when God speaketh to us by his Son, refuse him that speaketh; and therefore it is sin. Secondly, As the great ruining sin. Every sin is so in its own nature; no sin is so to them that believe in Christ; so that it is unbelief that damns sinners. It is because of this that they cannot enter into rest, that they cannot escape the wrath of God; it is a sin against the remedy. Thirdly, As that which is at the bottom of all sin; so Calvin takes it. The Spirit shall convince the world that the true reason why sin reigns among them is because they are not by faith united to Christ. Neh. putimus vel guttam unam rectitudinis sine Christo nobis inesse—Let us not suppose that, apart from Christ, we have a drop of rectitude.—Calvin. |
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Contributed by Jerral Campfield
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Friday, 03 July 2020 |
Comfort in Peace
Thank the Lord he came to give our world the comfort needed to have peace in our world when we ask, seek and knock at the heart of God’s love, mercy and grace to minister to us all. Jesus wants to warn us and comfort us so we can rejoice in what God is doing today to bring us comfort and peace. So let look at John 16 and see what God can do in our hearts today, as we look at His word in John 16 “These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to stumble. 2 They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service. 3 And these things they will do [a]to you because they have not known the Father nor Me. 4 But these things I have told you, that when [b]the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them. “And these things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you. 5 “But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ 6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.
I like Matthew Henrys account of the Bible which I use many times.
Christ dealt faithfully with his disciples when he sent them forth on his errands, for he told them the worst of it, that they might sit down and count the cost. He had told them in the chapter before to expect the world’s hatred; now here in these verses,
I. He gives them a reason why he alarmed them thus with the expectation of trouble: These things have I spoken unto you, that you should not be offended, or scandalized, John 16:1.
Lord help us to not stumble and be offended at the cross or turn aside from following You, but keep the integrity of Your comfort in the hour of temptation we are living in today. As we are seeing the pandemic of Coronavirus and rioting tear our country apart to where we have no law and order. Not only in America, but around the world. Lawlessness is terrible for it is running rampant and not one wants to stop it.
The Christian world is being cast out, forbidden to meet as a Church body together and we are suffering from not being together. It has often been the lot of Christ’s disciples to be unjustly excommunicated. Many a good truth has been branded with the thinking, many a child of God is being delivered to Satan.
We are seeing the sword of civil power destroy Godliness, “The time cometh, the hour is come; now things are likely to be worse with you than they have been; when you are expelled as heretics, they will kill you, and think they do God service, and others will think so too.” (1.) You will find them really cruel: They will kill you. Christ’s sheep have been accounted as sheep for the slaughter; the twelve apostles (we are told) were all put to death, except John. Christ had said (John 15:27), You shall bear witness, martyreite—you shall be martyrs, shall seal the truth with your blood, your heart’s blood. (2.) You will find them seemingly conscientious; they will think they do God service; as those that cast out God’s servants of old, and said, Let the Lord be glorified, Isa. 66:5. Note, [1.] It is possible for those that are real enemies to God’s service to pretend a mighty zeal for it. The devil’s work has many a time been done in God’s presence, and one of the most mischievous enemies Christianity ever had, sits in the temple of God. Look at the Churches that deny the blood and thinks it is the Church that saves; no it is having a personal relationship to Christ.,[2.] It is common to patronize an enmity to religion with a color of duty to God, and service to his church. God’s people have suffered thegreatest hardships from conscientious persecutors. Paul verily thought he ought to do what he did against the name of Jesus. This does not at all lessen the sin of the persecutors, for villains will never be consecrated by putting the name of God to them; but it does enhance the sufferings of the persecuted, to die under the character of being enemies to God; but there will be a resurrection of names as well as of bodies at the great day of Judgement.
III. He gives them the true reason of the world’s enmity and rage against them (John 16:3): “These things will they do unto you, not because you have done them any harm, but because they have not known the Father, nor me. Let this comfort you, that none will be your enemies but the worst of men.” Note, 1. Many that pretend to know God are wretchedly ignorant of him. Those that pretend to do him service thought they knew him, but it was a wrong notion they had of him. Israel transgressed the covenant, and yet cried, My God, we know thee. Hos. 8:1, 2. Hosea 8:1-28 “Set the [a]trumpet to your mouth! He shall come like an eagle against the house of the Lord,Because they have transgressed My covenant And rebelled against My law.2 Israel will cry to Me,
‘My God, we know You!’
2. Those that are ignorant of Christ cannot have any right knowledge of God. In vain do men pretend to know God and religion, while they slight Christ and Christianity. 3. Those are very ignorant indeed of God and Christ that think it an acceptable piece of service to persecute good people. Those that know Christ know that he came not into the world to destroy men’s lives, but to save them; that he rules by the power of truth and love, not of fire and sword. Never was such a persecuting church as that which makes ignorance the mother of devotion.
1. Why he told them of it now (John 16:4), not to discourage them, or add to their present sorrow; nor did he tell them of their danger that they might contrive how to avoid it, but that “when the time shall come (and you may be sure it will come), you may remember that I told you.” Note, When suffering times come it will be of use to us to remember what Christ has told us of sufferings. (1.) That our belief of Christ’s foresight and faithfulness may be confirmed; and, (2.) That the trouble may be the less grievous, for we were told of it before, and we took up our profession in expectation of it, so that it ought not to be a surprise to us, nor looked upon as a wrong to us. As Christ in his sufferings, so his followers in theirs, should have an eye to the fulfilling of the scripture.
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