Listen Closely

John 16:25-30 “Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father. 26 In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. 27 No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. 28 I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.” 29 Then Jesus’ disciples said, “Now you are speaking clearly and without figures of speech. 30 Now we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God.”
 
WITH the cross quickly approaching, Jesus becomes the urgent, insistent Teacher. He needs to sharpen the disciples’ minds with sharper language, “I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father.” “Be alert.” he effectively says. “It’s really not that hard to understand.” His method is not to change his language as much as it is to awaken the disciples’ ears to listen. Here is effectively what Jesus wants them to plainly hear:
   “In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf.” Jesus is telling the disciples they all will have complete access to the Father. They will be as close to the Father as Jesus is. Jesus will still intercede for them, but they will be joined with the Father as Jesus is.
   Second, Jesus teaches, “the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.”  This is a significant change in the disciples’ view of God. Remember how Jesus has declared his love for the Father and the Father’s love for him. Jesus now says that same love from God will come to them! Third, Jesus summarizes his incarnation. “I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.” This is what the disciples witnessed. They knew him as fully man. And they knew his as fully God,  witnessing his power and watching him ascend to Heaven.
   What are the disciples going to do with this strong, personal three-point message? Of course, they will say, “Now we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God.” They want to please the Teacher. But, do they believe? The evidence will show they still don’t understand. None expected to see Jesus alive after the cross. They were emotionally strained and spiritually immature in that Upper Room. God would continue to work on them to that day when the risen Jesus and the Holy Spirit unified their minds to truly know their confession, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”  (Matthew 16:16)
   How about you? Are you confessing Jesus? Do you know what  you will do with your confession?