In reality, some people are out to get us. It always seems somewhere in the world Christians, Christian symbols and churches are attacked, robbed, injured or killed. Often those responsible are not brought to justice. Jump back 1700 – 2000 years and we are able to read how frequently persecution was a fact of life for the young church. Who was at the head of the list? – Saul of Tarsus. Reality continues: we hear terms like eradicate, persecute, behead, murder. The numbers range from 1 to 20,000, 325,000, 500,000 over a short period of time. The number is huge and so is the reality: Professing Christians face enormous and frequently violent hostility. Unfortunately, it is important to note that Christians have persecuted other peoples and faiths. The idea that the gospel of Jesus could be spread through any sort of violence is abhorrent. This does not include the Christians who have used “Jesus Christ” as an excuse to wage war on people with whom they disagree, on issues not related to Christianity. The loser in every case is the gospel. This should not detract from Jesus’ warnings. He warned of hate [v. 18-19];persecution [v. 20-21]; rejection of Jesus and the Father [v. 22-25] - this is the way of the world.
‘The world’ in Jesus’ time was not the pagan world. It was the world into which He was born and raised: the world of Galilee and Jerusalem; the world of Abraham’s children; the students of the law of Moses. It was the world thinking; we are God’s people. They saw Jesus, what He was doing and proclaimed, “No thank you.” They saw a blind man healed and remained blind; they saw Lazarus raised to life and decided to kill him properly, or, they might believe in Jesus. Who was paranoid? Was it Jesus? Was it the world that saw the prince of peace as a threat? The lord of love as someone to hate? Who is paranoid today when Christians find their churches attacked despite living quiet, peaceful lives; wanting only to witness - honesty, integrity, gentleness and love for themselves. Who is paranoid when Christians in Western Democracies speak up on behalf of the billions who suffer debt and deprivation through the policies of the elite? Who is paranoid when Christians are told to stop being disruptive and political?
Why? It is a dangerous truth – Christians, followers of Christ are, “not from this world’ [v. 19]. Like Jesus’ own kingdom [18:36] they are for the world - sent as was Jesus, to bear witness to God’s love and to bring about His victory – but they are not from the world. We are not trying to reshuffle the cards (whether political or religious), to play another hand of the same game, to achieve a different outcome - a different winner. Those who follow Jesus will find themselves in a new situation, with new dangers and opportunities. They are not alone! They have a ‘helper’ [14:16] the spirit of truth who will come from the Father and live in them, speaking to them, speaking to the world through them - who Jesus was and is. We must not be lured into talking about ourselves. We must talk about Him. The world will not like it – but - Thy will be done!
[John 16:1-11] – The Spirit and the World – How often do we see injustice or someone damaged and nothing happens? Justice deferred is justice denied. When reading the Psalms, we often see the writers calling out to God asking that He judge them. [Ps. 17, 26, 43] How many times had Israel been overrun by larger more powerful regional neighbors? They caused devastation, mayhem, and oppression on the people of Israel. Through it all they maintained a belief that their God, the world’s creator, was the God of justice. They imagined themselves in a law court. In the Hebrew system there was no public prosecutor, each case was brought by one against another. Israel would bring lawsuits against foreign nations. What right did Babylon, Syria, Rome, Egypt have to oppose God’s people? What had they done to deserve it? That was quite daring. Kak!?
However, often, certain of the prophets took the position that Israel did deserve it. Isaiah wrote, Israel had deserved it, they had rebelled against YHWH and YHWH was right to bring condem-nation against the people. Also, Jeremiah. And Daniel [Dan. 9]. Often God was seen to take His seat in judgement ruling in favor of Israel and against the arrogant attackers. God deciding the world was wrong and His people in the right. We need to understand this Jewish way of thinking, helping us understand [v. 8-11] John writes of the Holy Spirit, the ‘helper’. We met Him earlier when coming to advocate in a lawsuit, proving the ‘world’ in the wrong. The difference now is God’s people in the lawsuit are the followers of Jesus. The ‘world’ includes the pagan nations and because the bulk of the people had not believed in Jesus, the bulk of Israel as well.
Earlier verses are emphasized – persecution is on the way for Jesus’ followers. It will mean being put out of the temple [Chap. 9]. It may mean death, as Jesus was threatened, and the response to Lazarus’ death [12:10] Now Jesus is going away: His followers need to know what they face; sadness; and the Holy Spirit, the ‘helper’, will arrive. And take heart! In the lawsuit (NB: Not a court, but the heavenly lawsuit – Jesus imagines – they will be pitted against the ‘world’.)
First: The Spirit will demonstrate the ‘world’ is wrong in relation to sin. The world isguilty of sin, vis a vis, it did not believe in Jesus. He insists the ‘world’ is determined to go its own way, not God’s way.
Second: The Spirit will demonstrate the ‘world’ is wrong relative to justice. The ‘world’ thinks it has justice on its side. But – the vindication of Jesus shown by His going away and being exalted to the Father is the sign [Dan. 7] that the living God has already given a sentence on His behalf. If we want justice, we know the verdict: God decided for Jesus as the righteous one. And all who follow Jesus share that verdict. (John comes close to Paul’s meaning of justification by faith.)
Third: The Spirit will demonstrate the ‘world’ is wrong in relation to judgement, meaning con-demnation. The ‘world’ supposes it can and should pass judgement on Jesus’ followers. Jesus’ death and resurrection show they are wrong! These events show that the ‘ruler’ of this world – the dark power that has enslaved the world and humans – has been condemned. His power has been broken. Death, the weapon of tyrants and particularly of ‘the Satan’, is a beaten foe.
We can see the ‘advocate’ is the ’comforter’ too. The Holy Spirit will do this for those who suffer persecution and hatred for Jesus and know the judge of the earth will do right. Partly through the people in whom the ‘helper’ dwells and partly by our speaking out, with the Spirit’s guidance, on behalf of those who suffer injustice and oppression. Amen
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