“All this I have told you so that you will not go astray.”
John 16:1
In reading this verse this morning I am struck by Jesus’ concern for his disciples, not that they would would live to see another day but that they would remain faithful after he had returned to God. This is emphasized even more by his very next sentence, “They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God.”
Don’t you wonder what the disciples were thinking right about now? This might offer some explanation as to why they were so quick to flee when Jesus was arrested. Who knows. But Jesus did not say, “All this I have told you so that you would not die.” Jesus is more concerned about our faithfulness to him and his teaching than he is to our self-preservation. I don’t know about you but that is a pretty sobering thought to me.
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His concern for our faithfulness is at the root of His promise of the Spirit later in this chapter.