five3challenge: John 16

"Jesus was pretty demanding"

At the end of Chapter 15 Jesus is finishing up with a teaching about why the world hates him and his father. He points out that if his followers truly live and love like Jesus that they too will be hated. The reason is simple, people do not want to accept God's role as the ruler of the universe. They want to live their own way... and if God is God and Jesus is God... then as God they are the true rulers of the universe and the rest of us should submit. So with this in mind, Jesus warns his disciples:

15:26 "But I will send you the Advocate*—the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me.27 And you must also testify about me because you have been with me from the beginning of my ministry. 16:1 "I have told you these things so that you won't abandon your faith. 2 For you will be expelled from the synagogues, and the time is coming when those who kill you will think they are doing a holy service for God. 3 This is because they have never known the Father or me. 4 Yes, I'm telling you these things now, so that when they happen, you will remember my warning. I didn't tell you earlier because I was going to be with you for a while longer.

Jesus first promises his followers that they will never be alone... that the Advocate... who is the Holy Spirit will always be with them. Then he tells them that they must testify to who Jesus is... and help others to understand.

That is when it gets tricky... He tells them that, "I have told you these things so that you won't abandon your faith." Why would they you ask?

Well... remember that in only a few hours Jesus is taken from them and crucified... Plus... Jesus warns them that if they truly follow him that they too will be hated by the world... and people will try to kill them.

Isn't amazing that these first followers of Jesus kept right on telling others about God becoming Man in Jesus and saving the whole world from their sin...

Often their testimony cost them their life...

What has your faith cost you?