Why It’s Better for Jesus to Leave

Before you start today's devotional, ask the Lord to use it to grow you up in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

John 16:1-28

In John 16, Jesus finishes up His last private sermon while He and His men walk to Gethsemane. Back in John 14, Jesus promised them a glorious future with Him (v. 3), but He made it clear that to follow Him means to forsake all and sacrifice.

Read John 16:1-5.

He said all these things to strengthen them (and us) and to let them know what’s coming. Jesus loved them to the very end and identified with what they’ll suffer. He assured them He’ll be with them.

Read John 16:6-9.

This heavy talk gave the disciples a heavy heart. Jesus saw their sorrow. “It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you” (v. 7). Why was that best?

Jesus’ purpose in coming to this world was to die and “give His life a ransom for many” (see Mark 10:45). Once that was accomplished, He went back to the Father.

When Jesus became a man, He limited himself to being in one place at a time. The Holy Spirit can be in all places at once.

The Holy Spirit will be the Comforter, and He’ll come alongside us to perform several unique ministries:

* He convicts us of sin. Like a prosecuting attorney, the Spirit of God presents evidence in your heart that helps you turn from sin and leads you to faith in Jesus Christ.

* He convicts us of righteousness. Jesus’ resurrection not only subtracted our sins, it added our righteousness.

* He convicts us of judgment. The world is like a man waiting on death row.

The Holy Spirit, our teacher, guides us into truth. He takes the deep things of God and shows them to us—something He alone can do. (See 1 Corinthians 2:9, 10.)

Jesus told His disciples that they would soon be separated, but He promised He would come to them in the person of the Holy Spirit . . . and that’s where we live today. Jesus then invites us to pray to the Father in His name. God wants to answer prayer, but they must come from the heart of one who loves Jesus Christ, is in fellowship with Christ, and who is obeying Him.

The last thing He said to them is an axiom for the Christian life: Peace is found in Him alone.

Read John 16:33.

In this world, you’ll only find trouble. But be of good cheer; Jesus has overcome the world. The only one who ever lived a victorious life was Jesus Christ. His victory is our victory!

When we learn to identify ourselves with Him, come into close fellowship with Him, and make real these things that are just theories to the average Christian, then we will begin to experience the peace of God in our hearts, we’ll be of good cheer, and we’ll know real joy in our lives.

Next, the real "Lord's Prayer." …

1. If we can expect suffering and trouble in the Christian life, why would anyone trust in Jesus in the first place?

2. What does it tell us about the Holy Spirit and His role in our lives that He is called the Comforter?

3. Are there any needs or requests you have in your life right now that you need to take to Jesus as your intercessor with the Father?