The Counselor’s Ministry

16 ⁶ Instead, because I have said these things to you, you are overcome with grief. ⁷ But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I don’t go away, the comforting Counselor will not come to you. However, if I do go, I will send Him to you. ⁸ “When He comes, He will show that the world is wrong about sin, about righteousness and about judgment – ⁹about sin, in that people don’t put their trust in Me; 

The world is wrong … about sin, in that people don’t put their trust in Me. Instead, they have other theories about sin, theories which downgrade the horribleness of sin and upgrade their own holiness. Thus they find no need to accept for themselves Yeshua’s atoning death.

¹⁰ about righteousness, in that I am going to the Father and you will no longer see me; 

God considers sinners righteous only because Yeshua has done His work on earth and is now with the Father, alive and interceding for us (Romans 8:34, Messianic Jews 7:25, 1 Yochanan 2:1).

¹¹ about judgment, in that the ruler of this world has been judged. ¹² “I still have many things to tell you, but you can’t bear them now. ¹³ However, when the Spirit of Truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own initiative but will say only what he hears. He will also announce to you the events of the future. ¹⁴ He will glorify me, because he will receive from what is mine and announce it to you. ¹⁵ Everything the Father has is mine; this is why I said that he receives from what is mine and will announce it to you. 

The Messianic life is lived by attentiveness to the Ruach HaKodesh. Moreover, by telling His talmidim that the Spirit of Truth will guide them into all the truth and announce the events of the future (Acts 11:27, 1 Corinthians 12:8–10), Yeshua virtually pre-authenticates the Brit Hadassah Scriptures which they will write as the product of the Ruach HaKodesh.

Sorrow Turned to Joy

¹⁶ “In a little while, you will see me no more; then, a little while later, you will see me.” ¹⁷ At this, some of the talmidim said to one another, “What is this that He’s telling us, ‘In a little while, you won’t see Me; then, a little while later, you will see Me’? and, ‘I am going to the Father’?” ¹⁸ They went on saying, “What is this ‘little while’? We don’t understand what He’s talking about.” ¹⁹ Yeshua knew that they wanted to ask Him, so he said to them, “Are you asking each other what I meant by saying, ‘In a little while, you won’t see me; and then, a little while later, you will see me’? ²⁰ Yes, it’s true. I tell you that you will sob and mourn, and the world will rejoice; you will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. ²¹ When a woman is giving birth, she is in pain; because her time has come. But when the baby is born, she forgets her suffering out of joy that a child has come into the world. ²² So you do indeed feel grief now, but I am going to see you again. Then your hearts will be full of joy, and no one will take your joy away from you. 

The world of nonbelievers will rejoice at Yeshua’s death, but His return after being resurrected will turn the sorrow of the talmidim into joy.

²³ “When that day comes (referring to His resurrection), you won’t ask anything of Me! Yes, indeed! I tell you that whatever you ask from the Father, He will give you in My name. ²⁴ Till now you haven’t asked for anything in My name. Keep asking, and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete. 

Yeshua the Victor

²⁵ “I have said these things to you with the help of illustrations; however, a time is coming when I will no longer speak indirectly but will talk about the Father in plain language. ²⁶ When that day comes, you will ask in My name. I am not telling you that I will pray to the Father on your behalf, ²⁷ for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came from God. 

These things in verse 25 refer to the entire farewell discourse. A time is coming also occurs in 16:2 and 32.

²⁸ “I came from the Father and have come into the world; again, I am leaving the world and returning to the Father.” ²⁹ The talmidim said to Him, “Look, you’re talking plainly right now, you’re not speaking indirectly at all. ³⁰ Now we know that you know everything, and that you don’t need to have people put their questions into words. This makes us believe that you came from God.” ³¹ Yeshua answered, “Now you do believe. ³²But a time is coming – indeed it has come already – when you will be scattered, each one looking out for himself; and you will leave Me all alone. Yet I am not alone; because the Father is with Me. ³³ “I have said these things to you so that, united with Me, you may have shalom. In the world, you have tsuris. But be brave! I have conquered the world!”  ^[1]

The talmidim have at last come to the point of simple, childlike faith (compare Matityahu 18:3).

Nevertheless, Yeshua does not let them bask in it, but at once calls their attention to its fickleness. The moment you feel secure, certain your faith is strong, may well be the very instant when you will be scattered, each one looking out for himself; and you will leave Me (Yeshua) all alone. In the world you have tsuris. [2] 

The life of a believer in the Messiah is not the proverbial rose garden, except, perhaps, for the thorns. Nevertheless, Yeshua</span.. encourages us: Be brave! I have conquered the world!

In moments of grief or discouragement within your family, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the troubles of the world. Reflect on Yochanan 16:6-33 and Yeshua’s promise that He has overcome the world. Gather your family for a time of prayer where you can share your burdens. Encourage one another to be open about the challenges you face and then pray specifically for hope and comfort. Remind one another that even in trials, there is joy found in Yeshua despite circumstances.

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^[1] Yochanan 16:6 – 33.

^[2] Tsuris, a Yiddish adaptation of the Hebrew tzarot, meaning “troubles.”