I Am Not Alone – John 16:16-33

After Shawn Doyle‘s wife died he found himself doing a lot of sad things, like letting people know she had died, cancelling credit cards, closing accounts, etc.  These things formed a “sad list” that kept him depressed.  So he created a joy list, a list of things that brought him joy or put him in a good frame of mind, to counterbalance the sad list.  Jesus has been giving the disciples a sad list as he talks about going away, but he assures them they will experience a joy list as well.

“Yet a little and you will no longer see me, and again after a little you will see me.”  So his disciples said to one another, “What is this he is saying, ‘Yet a little while you will not see me, and again after a little you will see me,’ and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?”  So they were saying, “What is this ‘a little while’?  We don’t know what he is saying.”  Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said, “Are you asking one another about this, that I said, ‘Yet a little and you won’t see me,’ and ‘Again after a little you will see me’?  Truly, truly, I say to you that you all will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice.  You will grieve, but your grief will turn into joy.  When a woman is giving birth she has sorrow because her hour has come.  But when the child is born she no longer remembers the suffering for joy that she has brought a person into the world.  So you also have grief now.  But I will see you again, and it will bring joy to your hearts and that joy no one will be able to take from you.”

“And in that day you will ask me nothing.  Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name I will do for you.  Until now you have asked for nothing in my name.  Ask and you will receive, that your joy may be full.”

“I have spoken these things to you figuratively.  An hour is coming when I will no longer speak figuratively to you, but I will tell you plainly about the Father.  In that day you will ask in my name, and I am not telling you that I will ask the Father for you.  For the Father Himself loves you, because you love me and have believed that I am from God.  I came from the Father and entered into the world.  I will leave the world again and go to the Father.”

His disciples began saying, “Look, now you are speaking plainly and no longer speaking figuratively.  Now we know that you know all things and don’t need anyone to question you.  By this we believe that you have come from God.”  Jesus answered them, “Now you believe?  An hour is coming and has come that you will each be scattered to his own home and I will be left alone.  Yet I am not alone, because my Father is with me.  I have spoken these things to you so that in me you might have peace.  In the world you will have trouble.  But take courage.  I have overcome the world.  (John 16:16-33)

It is obvious to us that Jesus is talking about his crucifixion followed by his resurrection.  We get that.  But this was such a radically new experience for the disciples that they had difficulty comprehending.  It is bizarre that the world rejoiced when Jesus was crucified, while the disciples thought it was the end of the world.  But how great was their joy when they saw him again. 

Joy is to be the hallmark of the Christian life as we find our requests made to God granted.  We ask in Jesus’ name but Jesus is careful to note that it is not as though the Father would not grant our requests unless Jesus asked for us.  He loves us as much as Jesus does because we have loved Him by believing in His Son.

Peace is another hallmark of the Christian life.  Jesus was facing the most horrendous moments of his life but he had peace because the Father was with him.  We have had and will continue to have tribulation in this world as well, but Jesus is with us and so is the Father.  Jesus has thus overcome the world by taking its greatest threat, death, and conquering it.  Now death ushers us into the rooms Jesus prepared in the Father’s house for us.

Discussion Questions

1. Who has died that you miss a lot, and what do you miss about them?
2. Why do you think the disciples were so hesitant to ask Jesus about his meaning regarding being gone for a little, etc.?
3. When Jesus is resurrected his disciples won’t have all these questions, but they will be able to ask the Father for things in Jesus’ name.  What do you think Jesus means by that, asking in his name?
4. What is Jesus’ encouragement to the disciples and us about praying to the Father?
5. Have you experienced being alone but yet not being alone because of the presence of God in your life?  Explain.
6. How would you describe your prayer life, encouraging or discouraging, and why?