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For this session leading up to our Easter weekend, I want to look at what we can learn of God’s timing and how that pertains to our life’s decisions and our desire to serve Him.

1/ The apostle John records how Jesus spoke of the timing of His crucifixion… John 7:1-8  After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He would not go about in Judea, because the Jews were seeking to kill him.  (2)  Now the Jews’ Feast of Booths was at hand.  (3)  So his brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing.  (4)  For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.”  (5)  For not even his brothers believed in him.  (6)  Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always here.  (7)  The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil.  (8)  You go up to the feast. I am not going up to this feast, for my time has not yet fully come.”

a) What do you think of His brother’s comment from Vs. 3-4?

b) Why did Jesus say to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always here.” (Vs.6) SEE 7-8.~ Do you recall what awaited Jesus in Jerusalem?

2/ Later on, to explain to His disciples, Jesus spoke again of God’s timing in John 16:1-15  “I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away.  (2)  They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God.  (3)  And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me.  (4)  But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you. “I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you.  (5)  But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’  (6)  But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.  (7)  Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.  (8)  And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:  (9)  concerning sin, because they do not believe in me;  (10)  concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer;  (11)  concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.  (12)  “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.  (13)  When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.  (14)  He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.  (15)  All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

— There is so much to discover in these verses… however, out time restrains us, so I want to look at:

a) See how Vs. 1-3 speaks of a great chasm of bitterness that exists in the spiritual warfare we face in this world. (It also agrees with John 7:7) ~ Did this happen? Is it still happening?
~ Did Jesus tell us WHY this is?

b) In Vs. 4-15 Jesus follows up this prophecy of the coming of this spiritual warfare. He also tells of the God-sent antidote and overcoming power that He will send to every believer. WHAT IS IT?
~ Can we expand on what the Holy Spirit accomplishes in us?

3/ Jesus tried so very hard to bring them comfort for the time of great upheaval and grief they were about to enter into, as we read on in John 16:16-22  “A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me.”  (17)  So some of his disciples said to one another, “What is this that he says to us, ‘A little while, and you will not see me, and again a little while, and you will see me’; and, ‘because I am going to the Father’?”  (18)  So they were saying, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We do not know what he is talking about.”  (19)  Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, “Is this what you are asking yourselves, what I meant by saying, ‘A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me’?  (20)  Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy.  (21)  When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.  (22)  So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.

a) Why might these close friends of Jesus not grasp what Jesus is telling them here?

b) Let’s remember the main reason these beloved disciples struggled to understand Jesus’ words… Can you tell me what was missing in their ability to comprehend?

~ Does this say anything about Christian understanding today, and the remedy for our own struggles to comprehend God’s Word and His will in our lives?

As we read on they do claim to understand Jesus… in John 16:25-30  (As Jesus continues,) “I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech but will tell you plainly about the Father.  (26)  In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask 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.  (28)  I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father.”  (29)  His disciples said, “Ah, now you are speaking plainly and not using figurative speech!  (30)  Now we know that you know all things and do not need anyone to question you; this is why we believe that you came from God.”

— While they struggled to comprehend Jesus’ words in verses 16-22, now in Vs.29-30 they think they now understand.

a) What was the focus of what Jesus said to them in vs. 16-18? (What trauma does this contain?)

b) What is the focus of vs. 25-28? (Is there any trauma or blessing contained here? ~ Does “a spoon full of sugar help the medicine go down”?)

c) They seem to be glad to hear a good promise, and still they miss the bad news here.

~ Do we also tend to go deaf to bad news and rather listen to hear of good things?

~ Could this be a dangerous, “itching ears” tendency?

Now let’s read how Jesus responds to their claims of understanding… John 16:31-33  Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe?  (32)  Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me.  (33)  I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

— And what do we know was the result of the traumatic time to come?

We find the fulfillment of this prophecy in Matthew 26:57-75  Then those who had seized Jesus led him to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders had gathered.  (58)  And Peter was following him at a distance, as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and going inside he sat with the guards to see the end.  (59)  Now the chief priests and the whole council were seeking false testimony against Jesus that they might put him to death,  (60)  but they found none, though many false witnesses came forward. At last two came forward  (61)  and said, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to rebuild it in three days.’”  (62)  And the high priest stood up and said, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?”  (63)  But Jesus remained silent. And the high priest said to him, “I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.”  (64)  Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”  (65)  Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has uttered blasphemy. What further witnesses do we need? You have now heard his blasphemy.  (66)  What is your judgment?” They answered, “He deserves death.”  (67)  Then they spit in his face and struck him. And some slapped him,  (68)  saying, “Prophesy to us, you Christ! Who is it that struck you?”  (69)  Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came up to him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.”  (70)  But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you mean.”  (71)  And when he went out to the entrance, another servant girl saw him, and she said to the bystanders, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.”  (72)  And again he denied it with an oath: “I do not know the man.”  (73)  After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Certainly you too are one of them, for your accent betrays you.”  (74)  Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know the man.” And immediately the rooster crowed.  (75)  And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.

a) Are we quick to judge Peter?

b) Is this what Jesus wanted to see happen? ~ Or is it simply that Jesus knows our weaknesses?

c) Do you ever wonder where the rest of the disciples were during this time?

Can we be sure that we will be more faithful and true if we were accused of being a Christian?

Acts 1:1-9  In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach,  (2)  until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.  (3)  He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.  (4)  And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me;  (5)  for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”  (6)  So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”  (7)  He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.  (8)  But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”  (9)  And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.

— Was Peter a different person after he was filled with God’s Holy Spirit?

— So as we close and prepare for our Holy Easter weekend, what is the power that gives us the understanding of God’s Word and the VICTORY that we celebrate in remembering Easter?

— Is it not the great promise and POWER that fell to us on the DAY OF PENTECOST?

Acts 2:14-18  But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words.  (15)  For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day.  (16)  But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:  (17)  “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams;  (18)  even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.

Indeed this was one of the blessings that came to us because Jesus died on the cross, rose from the dead, and then ascended into heaven…

The peace and comfort we find at Easter were sent by Jesus as He told them in John 14:25-29  “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you.  (26)  But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.  (27)  Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.  (28)  You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.  (29)  And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe.

If we are believers we take the Easter weekend to: REMEMBER; REJOICE; and to BE RESOLVED to SHARE THIS GOOD NEWS with others at every opportunity ~ As the Holy Spirit leads us.

God bless, and celebrate a joy-filled, victorious Easter! (KK)