OCTOBER 14, 2018
THE CONCLUSION OF CHRIST’S FAREWELL DISCOURSE
INTRODUCTION:
1. Our Lord concludes His farewell discourse with a promise to His disciples that, regarding the things He had been saying to them for their comfort and encouragement, plainer teaching and fuller understanding would come in due time. “The time cometh when I shall no more speak to you in proverbs, but I shall show you plainly the Father.”
2. Christ had spoken many things to them in “proverbs” (parables, as the word in translated in John 10:6), and through many figurative expressions, “but,” He says, “the time cometh when…I shall show you plainly the Father.”
a) Some see the time of which He speaks as the forty-day period between His resurrection and ascension.
b) Others believe He refers to the time of His second coming.
c) But, considering the context, and the promises He had made with respect to the Holy Spirit, it is more likely that He is speaking of the time after the pouring out of the Spirit because of those great measures of knowledge which at and after that time were given out.
3. He had before given to His disciples to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven far beyond others (Matt. 13:11), but still, it appears from Chapter 14 and other texts that they had a very confused and imperfect knowledge of the Godhead, and particularly, Christ’s oneness with the Father as the God-man.
I. THE GREAT UNDERSTANDING THAT CHRIST PROMISES TO LEAD THEM INTO IS THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD. (VERSES 23-27) Notice in Verse 25, “I shall shew you plainly of the Father.”
A. THEY WOULD NO LONGER BE INQUIRING OF JESUS, BUT WOULD ASK OF THE FATHER IN HIS NAME. (VERSE 23)
1. Hitherto they had asked questions of Him personally face to face, but the day was coming when they would no longer be able to do so. “In that day ye shall ask me nothing.”
2. This would certainly seem to be a great loss for them, however, one of the reasons why it was expedient for them that He go away (Verse 7) is this, that after the Holy Spirit comes they shall be able to ask the Father in His name.
3. The word rendered “ask” in the first sentence of Verse 23 means to inquire, or to ask for a resolution in a case of doubting. In the second sentence we have another form of the word which signifies to beg in prayer.
B. CHRIST’S MEDIATORIAL OFFICE HAD NOT BEEN EXPLICITLY ESTABLISHED BEFORE, BUT IT SOON WOULD BE. (VERSE 24)
1. Before, under the old economy, prayers were accepted upon account of the Mediator, Who was typified by the temple and the ark, but the explicit naming of Him was not known.
2. Our Lord, in the model prayer dictated to His disciples, gave no direction for addressing God in His name.
3. But now, He was ready to offer himself as a sacrifice for sin, make reconciliation for sin, and establish Himself as Mediator, and encourage His disciples to humbly pray the Father in His name for all blessings they stood in need of.
C. BY CHRIST’S ASCENSION, AND THE HOLY SPIRIT’S COMING, HE WOULD LEAD THEM INTO THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD MORE INTIMATELY. (VERSE 25)
1. This is that which Christ intends to give and which all true Christians desire to have.
2. When Christ would express the greatest favor intended for His disciples, He tells them that He will show them plainly of the Father.
3. Of this He had before spoken to them in proverbs, which are instructive, but figurative and not specific. What He had said was very dark compared with what would shortly begin to be revealed.
D. CHRIST’S ASCENSION WILL MEAN THAT THEY SHALL HAVE AN ADVOCATE WITH THE FATHER IN HEAVEN. (VERSES 26, 27)
1. When the Holy Spirit comes, they shall fully and clearly understand how to put up prayers to God in Jesus’ name.
2. He is not here denying that He will advocate for them, for we know that He does. (Rom. 8:34) He is emphasizing the fact that they shall have access directly to the Father through Him. “I say not unto you that I will pray the Father for you, but that you shall pray the Father yourselves.”
3. Here is a wonderful truth (Verse 27). Because of their love for Christ, and their faith in Him, the Father loved them, and would welcome them and hear their prayers.
4. What better encouragement could we have in prayer than to know that for sake of our faith in Christ, (which confesses that He came from the Father and that we love Him) God welcomes us into the throne room. He holds out the golden scepter to us because we know and love His Son.
II. WORDS OF COMFORT WITH WHICH CHRIST CONCLUDES HIS FAREWELL DISCOURSE.(VERSES 28-33)
A. THE ASSURANCE THAT, THOUGH HE WAS LEAVING, HE WAS, IN FACT, RETURNING TO THE FATHER FROM WHENCE HE CAME. (VERSES 28-32)
1. The plain declaration that He makes of His mission form the father and His return to Him. (Verse 28)
2. In His entrance He came as God manifested in the flesh, and in His exit He is received up into glory.(I Tim. 3:16)
3. “He that descended is the same also that ascended…that He might fill all things.” (Eph. 4:10; John 3:13)
B. THE DISCIPLES EXPRESS THEIR SATISFACTION IN THIS DECLARATION. (VERSES 29, 30)
1. It seems that this statement was better understood by them than all that was spoken before. “Lo, now speakest thou plainly.”
a) Was this statement really more plain than others, or were the eyes of their understanding being opened?
b) It is good when the Gospel is spoken plainly (I Cor. 2:4) yet until the eyes of the understanding are opened we cannot see. (I Cor. 2:14)
c) When Christ speaks plainly to our souls, it brings great joy.
2. Having heard Christ’s plain speech they boldly declared their faith. “Now we are sure.” (Verse 20) Sure of what?
a) That Jesus came forth from God.
b) That He was all-knowing.
c) That He had such complete knowledge that He knew what questions men had before they asked them. In other words, He knows our thoughts. “…and needest not that any man should ask thee.”
C. CHRIST RESPONDED TO THEIR CONFESSION WITH WORDS OF GENTLE REBUKE. (VRS. 30 31) “Do you now believe?” He asked.
1. His question is designed to cause them to give further consideration to their confident statement of faith. “Do you now believe?” (Verse 31)
a) Do you now think you are resolute, and not subject to weakness?
b) Do you now believe? If so, why not before?c) Do you now believe? If now, how about later, when the trial of your faith shall come?
2. He predicts their failure. (Verse 32; Matt. 26:56)
a) “Every man to his own…”
b) Let us not boast of our faith, but rather, let us pray that it fail not when severe trials come.
3. Jesus had assurances of His own comfort notwithstanding. “Yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.” (Verse 32b; John 8:29)
a) The Father had engaged with Him in His whole mission. (Psa. 89:21)
b) This is a privilege common to all believers by virtue of their union with Christ.
D. JESUS COMFORTS HIS DISCIPLES WITH A PROMISE OF PEACE. (VERSE 33)
1. This is the end that Christ was aiming at through this entire farewell discourse. “These things have I spoken unto you that in me ye might have peace.”
a) “These things” would include all that He had said over these last three chapters.
b) His words to us are words of peace.
c) Peace in Christ is the only true peace, for in Him we have peace with God.
d) For every believer He is our peace (Eph. 2:14), but in stark contrast, to the world there is no peace.(Isa 57:19-21)
2. He comforts them with this promise by virtue of His victory over the world.
3. He encourages His disciples to be cheerful in tribulation. (II Cor. 6:10; Rom. 5:3)
4. The grounds of this encouragement He gives. “I have overcome the world.”
a) Christ overcame the prince of this world, disarmed him, and cast him out, and still treads Satan under our feet.
b) As He sends His disciples to preach the gospel to the ends of the world, He says to them, “Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
c) Though they must expect tribulation in the world, yet they would accomplish their purpose and captivate the world. (Rev. 6:2)
(1) Because Christ has overcome the world before us, we may look upon it as a conquered enemy.
(2) He has conquered the world as Captain of our salvation. By His cross the world is crucified to us.
(3) Because of Christ’s victory, all things are ours, even the world. (3:21, 22) LET US THEREFORE “BE OF GOOD CHEER.”
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