No Illusions; Ready to Overcome

David W Palmer

(John 16:1 NLT) “I have told you these things so that you won’t abandon your faith.”

Jesus could never be disillusioned, because he did not live under any illusions—either about the future, or about the potential for his followers to fall away. Despite all that they had seen and experienced with him, Jesus knew that it was still possible for his own apprentices to “abandon” their faith. To help prevent that, he warned them very strongly about some of what could happen to them for following him. Obviously, if they were expecting life with Jesus to be continually going from one level of euphoria to another, they would be leaving themselves open to great disillusionment and discouragement:

(John 16:2–4 NLT) “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.”

This certainly is a very sobering and dire warning. Jesus leaves his friends with no doubt that they would “be expelled” from meeting places (like churches) for their faith in him. He went as far as to say that “whoever kills you will think that he is offering a service to God” (NHEB).

In recent decades, the media has reported many cold-blooded murders of Christians by those who believe they are serving God. This level of persecution doesn’t come about because we have done anything wrong; Jesus said it happens because “they have never known the Father or me.”

Next, our Lord alluded to the fact that he would be going away from them, temporarily: “I didn’t tell you earlier, because I was going to be with you for a while longer”:

(John 16:5–6 NLT) “But now I am going away to the one who sent me, and not one of you is asking where I am going. {6} Instead, you grieve because of what I’ve told you.”

To be honest, I’m not surprised that directly after telling his apprentices that they would be expelled and killed, they would be focused on themselves and their future. In contrast to their “natural” reaction, Jesus wanted them to keep their focus on him. This is the best possible advice for us all. The Holy Spirit echoed this idea:

(Hebrews 12:1–2 NLT) “... let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. {2} We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.”

Jesus is not insecure—wanting everyone’s attention on him to make him feel better. He wanted them to keep their eyes on what he was about to achieve for them:

(John 16:7 NLT) “But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you.”

Jesus’s death and resurrection would open the way for the coming of the Holy Spirit to be in them and with them—guiding, empowering, enlightening, strengthening, comforting, and interceding for them. But Jesus’s death and resurrection achieved many more great advantages for them: new birth, righteousness, grace, holy power, ministry gifts, etc. Jesus wanted his friends focused on his resurrection victory, his achievements, their new identity in him, and on the greater one living inside them. This would not only lead to praise of God, but also to faith and mind-renewal for them. In other words, the very best approach for overcoming whatever tests, trials, and persecutions that would come their way is to remain focused on Jesus’s victory and achievement, along with maintaining a close relationship with the Holy Spirit.

Today, I believe Jesus wants you with no illusions about what awaits you as you follow him. But he also wants to remind us afresh to keep our eyes fixed completely on him—the living word of God. Jesus knows the pain of persecution, and the vivid reality of tests and trials. But he also knows how to overcome them and how to triumph through them—with an eternal perspective.

Let’s keep our eyes on Jesus at all times—so we don’t sink like Peter walking out on the water; he only began to sink because he took his eyes off Jesus. Let’s keep his word as the focus of our eyes, and in the midst of our hearts—meditating on it day and night. And let’s stay focused on renewing our minds and the development of our faith. These are the life-giving, eternal perspectives that can absolutely keep us from abandoning our faith, and take us to eternal glory at Jesus’s return:

(1 Peter 1:6–9 NLT) So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. {7} These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. {8} You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. {9} The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.

(Romans 8:17–18 NLT) And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. {18} Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.