God Cares For Us! Series

God Cares for Us!

The Gospel of John

John 16:23-28

Sermon by Rick Crandall

Grayson Baptist Church – January 31, 2018

(Revised April 15, 2020)

BACKGROUND:

*Please open your Bibles to John 16:22. Here God's Word continues to focus on the night before the cross. Remember that by this time, Jesus and His disciples have left the Upper Room where Jesus gave us the Lord's Supper.

*In John 14:31 Jesus had said, "But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father gave Me commandment, so I do. Arise, let us go from here." Matthew 26:30 adds, "When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives."

*Scholars estimate that it is a little over a mile from the Upper Room to the Garden, and by this point, Jesus and His disciples have gotten close. (1)

*All night long the Lord had been preparing His disciples for His cross, His resurrection, His return to Heaven, and what was coming after. In tonight's Scripture Jesus shows us some of the greatest ways God cares for us. Please think about God's care as we read John 16:22-28.

MESSAGE:

*Think about the countless ways God has shown His care for us. I can think of 15 or 20 times when I would have been seriously hurt or killed, if the Lord hadn't been taking care of me.

*Let me tell you about one of those times. I was a senior in high school, lost as a goose and as foolish as can be. Two of my best friends and I had been to Atlanta for some function at Georgia Tech. And we started talking about finding a new place to have the next summer's week-long beach-party for our high school fraternities and sororities.

*On a whim, we decided to drive over to Myrtle Beach South Carolina, and check it out. Of course our parents didn't know. We were 2 or 3 hours out of Atlanta on I-20, when we looked over at the west-bound lane and saw people waving and hollering. We thought maybe it was a caravan having a party or something like that. And for no particular reason, my friend driving switched over to the right-hand lane.

*A few seconds later, we topped a big hill, and passed a man who was driving on the wrong side of the Interstate. If my friend hadn't changed lanes, we would have hit that car at a combined speed of 140 mph! We would have surely been killed. But our merciful God spared our lives.

*When we get to Heaven we will see millions of ways God has been taking care of us. But in tonight's Scripture Jesus shows us four of the greatest ways God cares for you and me.

1. FIRST: HE WILL GIVE US THE ULTIMATE UNDERSTANDING.

*The Lord points us to this truth in the first part of vs. 23. Here Jesus told His disciples, "in that day you will ask Me nothing "

*To help us understand this verse we need to know that tonight's Scripture has two different original words translated into our English word "ask." This word for "ask" was used to ask questions for information or understanding.

*It’s the same word used up in vs. 5 where Jesus said, "But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you ASKS Me, 'Where are You going?'" This word for "ask" is also the same word used in vs. 19, where God's Word says, "Now Jesus knew that they desired to ASK Him, and He said to them, 'Are you inquiring among yourselves about what I said, 'A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me'?"

*The Lord's disciples were troubled by many questions on the night before the cross. For example, listen to Jesus and Peter in John 13:33-38:

33. (Jesus said,) "Little children, I shall be with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, 'Where I am going, you cannot come,' so now I say to you.

34. A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

35. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.''

36. Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, where are You going?'' Jesus answered him, "Where I am going you cannot follow Me now, but you shall follow Me afterward.''

37. Peter said to Him, "Lord, why can I not follow You now? I will lay down my life for Your sake.''

38. Jesus answered him, "Will you lay down your life for My sake? Most assuredly, I say to you, the rooster shall not crow till you have denied Me three times."