My Favorite Verses - Vol IV (Nov 16 to Feb 17)
A collection of brief commentaries on some of the Bible’s most beloved (and often least understood) passages, parables, verses & sayings
A collection of brief commentaries on some of the Bible’s most beloved
(and often least understood) passages, parables, verses & sayings
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
John <strong>16</strong>:22-23 … To See Him again<br />
(12/22/20<strong>16</strong>)<br />
“I will See You again, and your Heart will rejoice, and no one will be able <strong>to</strong> take<br />
your Joy from you. On that day you will ask nothing of me.” ~ Jesus (John <strong>16</strong>:22-23)<br />
On the one hand, most Christians believe that the “I will see you again” in this<br />
passage refers <strong>to</strong> Jesus literally returning from the dead after his imminent<br />
crucifixion (a la the “2nd Coming” errantly alluded <strong>to</strong> in the book of Revelation), and if<br />
this verse had been written or uttered by Paul, that belief would actually have<br />
merit … And yet this statement does not come from Paul -- it comes from Jesus<br />
Christ, a man who championed a very different view of Salvation (see John 13:15-<br />
<strong>17</strong>), a very different view of Joy (see John 15:11 & John <strong>16</strong>:24 et al), a very different<br />
view of Heaven (see Luke <strong>17</strong>:20-21), and a very different view of God (see Matthew<br />
5:48 & Luke 6:36 et al) … Indeed, if we look <strong>to</strong> the evidence of the Gospels<br />
themselves, we can see quite clearly that Jesus is in all probability speaking quite<br />
literally here – that he had in all likelihood already planned his own crucifixion,<br />
and as such knew quite well that he would be literally exiting his specially<br />
prepared <strong>to</strong>mb and would be literally visiting with his disciples again in secret<br />
thereafter (all of which did indeed take place – see Luke 24:36-49 & John 20:19-31).<br />
In addition, this verse speaks <strong>to</strong> the remarkable Faith that Jesus had in his<br />
disciples – and the remarkable Faith that he had in his Way; that even after all<br />
their repetitive ignorance and frequent bouts of bickering and fear and selfishness,<br />
he still believed that his followers would be able <strong>to</strong> truly “get it” once he departed<br />
(and once they could no longer incorrectly focus on him &/or their hopes for him being<br />
“the Messiah”, and could instead focus on his teachings and emulating the same) ... For<br />
if they were <strong>to</strong> do so – if they were <strong>to</strong> finally set aside their individual fears and<br />
personal desires long enough <strong>to</strong> set his selfless Way in motion, then they would<br />
indeed have finally come <strong>to</strong> understand what he had been teaching them all along.<br />
They would have indeed finally “gotten it”, and as such would have indeed no<br />
longer needed <strong>to</strong> ask anything of<br />
Jesus – and indeed, no one would<br />
have been able <strong>to</strong> take their Joy<br />
from them (a Joy that would certainly<br />
not come from receiving rewards in<br />
“heaven” after their deaths, but rather a<br />
Joy that would be coming from within<br />
them – from the fulfillment of the<br />
endless opportunities ever-present <strong>to</strong><br />
serve others in need – see Matthew<br />
18:3-4 & Matthew 25:35-40 et al).<br />
Amen ... Let it be so for us all.<br />
50
Change language