It was in the closing up of the chapter before it that lead Jesus to say the words He did here.
He had just finished telling His disciples that an Advocate would be coming to them who would help them in the His absence. He was warning them that even though troubles were up ahead, they would not endure without a resource, and with those words He implores them to remember His teaching when He was no longer able to be with them in person.
John 16:5-6 says this, “But now I am going away to the One who sent Me, and not one of you is asking where I am going. Instead, you grieve because of what I have told you.”
Not one of them seemed concerned for what was really happening.
And their concentration seemed to be on the words of loss instead of gain.
The announcement of a coming Advocate was supposed to bring them peace and comfort.
But their fixation was on the wrong thing.
My commentary says this, “Nothing more hinders our joy in God, than the love of the world, and the sorrow of the world which comes from it.”
The perception of these students, who had often exhibited misunderstanding and mistaken impressions, was very limited and their response to His news was very inadequate.
He was giving His students an opportunity to trust Him at the close of a three-year mentorship season, but they were conscious only of their lack, their weakness, and their utter dependence. Absorbed by their own grief, they were prevented by their despair to inquire further into the reasoning for their Lord’s departure.
If the disciples would have taken the right precautions, they might not have sank back into their own condition of weariness and misfortune. If they would have shifted their priority of thought, if they would have traced back over His miracles of mercy, if they would have reflected upon His promises, and if they would have asked for divine revelations, they would have forgotten their personal misery and received proper strength from on high. They would have understood the plan and realized the victory that lie just up ahead for them - the Jesus people.
My commentary says this, “Experience has shown that it is a most dangerous practice to direct thought too much inwardly upon our own sorrows and perplexities, or even upon our joys and comforts.” Indeed, spiritual progress is made by fixing our gaze upon the One who loved us enough not to leave us without something even better.
The entire purpose of telling His learners all of this was, “so that {they} will not fall away.” (John 16:1) There could be no progression forward in doubt. And in His kindness He offers them a part of Him in the form of the Spirit and says, “The only way you will ever gain victory over the temptation of regression is to reflect on that which I am now telling you.”
The word reflect means this = to remember, to cast light upon, to show an image of.
We must cast light upon that which He has said, hold tightly to it, and allow it to be the filter through which we see all of worldly concerns, challenges, and unfortunate circumstances.
He has warned us throughout His word that troubles will come. Disappointments will try to overshadow promises. Discouragement will attempt to cloud our heavenly aim. Mistrust will endeavor to dominate our frame of mind.
If these.. the friends of Jesus… would have savored His Spirit when they walked with Him all those years, then they would have realized the irrationality of their perplexity when He left them. Because that which was coming ahead was a gift not promised to just anyone.
And if you belong to Jesus… if you have Him as your personal Lord and Savior… you, too, enjoin in this promise. You have the Advocate as a divine replacement for Presence this side of eternity. With Him, you have no fear in absence.
He is our Help in time of trouble. We are simply focused on the wrong things. It’s time to recalibrate our vision.
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