PREPARE YOUR HEARTS
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Opening Prayer
Father in Heaven, thank you for your love, for your grace and mercy. In them, I am saved; in them, I live; in them, I find victory for this life and the next.
Read JOHN 15:26–16:15
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
The Work of the Holy Spirit
26 “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me. 27 And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.
16 “All this I have told you so that you will not fall away. 2 They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God. 3 They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. 4 I have told you this, so that when their time comes you will remember that I warned you about them. I did not tell you this from the beginning because I was with you, 5 but now I am going to him who sent me. None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 Rather, you are filled with grief because I have said these things. 7 But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 about sin, because people do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11 and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.
12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”
Reflect
How do you feel about the future? Are you a planner, looking ahead and writing in detail in your diary, or do you prefer to go with the flow?The disciples had the profoundly unique privilege and responsibility of being those who walked with Jesus during his time of ministry on Earth. Now, as he prepares for his death and glory, Jesus is calling them to be his witnesses (15:27), in partnership with the Spirit. We are all called to be witnesses to Jesus and his work in our lives, but as eyewitnesses and friends of the incarnated Jesus, the disciples were given a particular commission: to be the first ones, paving the way for others.
But why is Jesus telling them about the adversity that will come (16:1, 4)? The disciples can hardly bear to look beyond the moment they are in (16:5). They are ‘filled with grief’ (16:6)—how can they possibly go on without him? What would it even mean to follow Jesus if they could no longer see or walk with him? What comfort does Jesus offer (16:7, 13)? How does this apply to you and to the church, 2,000 years after Jesus spoke these words and the text of John was written?
Jesus can see that the disciples are at their limit (16:12), but he needs to prepare their hearts (see also 13:19; 14:29; 15:11; 16:4) because of what is coming: both suffering and glory.
Apply
Bring any upcoming challenges to God, reminding yourself of his presence with you.
Closing prayer
Lord Jesus, thank you that, just as you prepared your disciples, you have prepared me for the work to which you call me.
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