“But now I am on my way to the One who sent me. Not one of you has asked, ‘Where are you going?’
Instead, the longer I’ve talked, the sadder you’ve become.
So let me say it again, this truth: It’s better for you that I leave. If I don’t leave, the Friend won’t come.
But if I go, I’ll send him to you.”
John 16: 5-7 The Message
This stuck out to me:
“Instead, the longer I’ve talked, the sadder you’ve become.”
Why would Jesus’ followers become sad? They sat around the dinner table, eating the Passover meal and listening to Jesus talk. The longer he spoke, the sadder they became. The words they heard created negative throughs in their collective minds. These thoughts began to push against their emotions, and sadness erupted.
Words are powerful tools that can provoke powerful emotions, and the dinner-time words of Jesus that evening overwhelmed them with sadness.
1—the power of words
The Old Testament book of Proverbs tells us that words are life or death.
The Old Testament book of Genesis tells us that God spoke and created things.
–the cosmos
–landscapes, plant and animal life
–air, atmosphere, and climate
Your words carry the same ability, so speak them wisely.
2—Jesus gave them the truth
The words of Jesus were creating powerfully sad emotions among his followers.
Do you think he did this intentionally? I think he did it to inspire hope. Even though it brings pain, there is hope that God the Holy Spirit is present to comfort and guide us through the pain into a place of peace. Sometimes the truth hurts, but the truth must be told.
After the painful truth is told, the comfort of the third person of the trinity should be invited in to help you through the pain.
3—A close personal relationship with the Godhead teaches you how to hear beyond stirred emotions and find God’s heart— always love.
Jesus spoke the truth to his followers to prepare them for what was coming.
1—His suffering
Jesus told his followers these saddening things to prepare them for the suffering they were about to endure. As the satanic world rejoiced, along with all humanity following him, the kingdom of God and his Christ-followers mourned. Only the Godhead knew what was about to unfold.
The love of God the Father continues to reach out to humanity. The Christ-followers who wholeheartedly embrace him will experience the pain and turmoil along with the rest of humanity. The difference is they can see beyond it and find the heart of God the Father.
This pattern does not change. The religious—those practicing rule following without a close personal relationship—will suffer great emotional turmoil. The righteous—those practicing a close personal relationship with the Godhead—will suffer but find the comfort of God the Holy Spirit’s presence to help them through the suffering.
2—The release of God the Holy Spirit
The presence of the triune God has always been present in the earth. The plan was to release God the Holy Spirit to accompany the Christ-followers in their earthly journey.
Next week’s post will unfold some of what a Holy Spirit-inspired journey looks like.
A close personal relationship with the Godhead is a journey. I invite you to follow along. It is my hope that as you learn, you can pass it along so that I (and others) might learn. As I learn, I will pass it along so you, too, can learn.