Found Your Strength in the Physically Absent Lord

John 16:4-15

 Jesus speaks to His disciples on the eve before his death. Jesus tells His disciples that He is going to leave them. The disciples are worried what will happen to them. Jesus needs to assure the disciples that there is help coming to allow them to overcome. Whenever there were problems, Jesus defended them and solved the problems with wisdom and miracles.

 The truth is that the disciples had also realized that Jesus was more than what they thought He was. The disciples now had to believe in someone that they did not really or completely understand. Although this was the same Jesus they first met, Jesus was not exactly who they thought he was.

 As modern day Christians, we go through experiences that we do not see Jesus or His influence in the situation. Sometimes are knowledge of God does not give us satisfactory answers and we become discouraged.

 Jesus assures the disciples that He is going to send the Holy Spirit to help the disciples.

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.

John 16:7 ESV

 During the hard times when Jesus seems to be physically absent, but we need to understand that Jesus is in Heaven and with the Father. This is the place of unlimited power. Jesus was there in the beginning and returns to the Father.

But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’

John 16:5 ESV

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.

John 1:1‭-‬3 ESV

 Even when things are bad, Jesus is in control. God has glorified Jesus and given Jesus all authority. We should rejoice that Jesus is in control and allows all things to happen.

He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.  All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

John 16:14‭-‬15 ESV

 The helper is here to help us when things are bad. Yes, Jesus allows our situations to become difficult or painful; however, Jesus will send the Holy Spirit to help the disciples to overcome. The Holy Spirit will give us counsel so that we may know what to do and how we may glorify God.

 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.

John 16:13 ESV

 God will give us strength to get over difficult times. 

He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.  Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40:29‭-‬31 ESV

 The Lord Jesus does expect us to accept His grace and be obedient. We still have to accept the guidance from the Holy Spirit. If we do not follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we will find ourselves in pain resisting the spirit. The guidance is to give us security. Moreover God will be glorified when we obediently listen to the Holy Spirit.

He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

John 16:14 ESV

If Jesus is sovereign in our lives, we need to ask ourselves what is it that Jesus is doing in our lives is. Whenever Jesus seems absent, it is a call to acknowledge Jesus' sovereign power. We need to let Jesus be in control and take comfort in the direction He leads us, so that we may glorify God in our obedience.