Jesus Knew All Things (Even the Weakness of the Disciples' Faith)

What Did Jesus Do?

“Now we know that you know all things...
this is why we believe that you came from God.”
Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe?”
John 16.30-31

Jesus had said that the time for straight talk was coming, the time for veiled speech was at an end (see WDJD for 6/9/11). And, to their credit, Christ disciples seemed to grasp this rather quickly (John 16.29). In fact, they understood that the One who could answer their questions before they even got to ask them did not need to be questioned about whether or not he was the Messiah, it was quite obvious that he had come from God (John 16.30). Upon this they were now prepared to declare their faith. The only problem was, Jesus knew all things, even the weakness of the disciples' faith, which would soon be revealed.

Yes, the disciples were beginning to more fully understand Jesus, but they were far from grasping everything there was to know about Jesus. In particular, the disciples remained very much in the dark, despite the several times Jesus had spoken about his death, about the troubling events that were about to overtake them all. The belief Christ's followers so confidently now claimed would be tested in a way they could not imagine, for not one of them imagined that in a few hours their teacher and friend, who they were now certain had come from God, would be seized by a mob, dragged off to a mockery of a trial, beaten, and then crucified.

In fact, the hour was now at hand when the Shepherd would be struck, and all his sheep would scatter, leaving Jesus quite alone at the time of his great passion. But the one whom the disciples were now convinced had come from God would not be completely alone. For the Father who had sent the Son into the world would be with him (John 16.32; see Zechariah 13.7 and Matthew 26.31).

The followers of Jesus still did not realize that they would witness the apparent triumph of the world over their beloved Master. They did not understand that faith in anything less than the Resurrection, in anyone less than the Risen One, is incomplete faith. Yet, we can hardly blame them from where we now stand, for on their side of the cross there was as yet no Resurrection, they had not yet encountered the Risen One. But they soon would.

Jesus talked straight with his followers, and did so that they might have peace even in the face of his terrible suffering and death. For as it would be with the Shepherd, so it would be with his sheep. Christ's flock would know great tribulation in the world, but not before the flock would witness Christ's triumph over the world (John 16.33). And, in and through the One who overcame the world, believers themselves become overcomers.

The bottom line for our faith is that, because it is in the One who has overcome the world, sin, and death, and even our incomplete faith, we can endure the worst the world can do to us. We can endure and have peace because Jesus has told us plainly that we too have in fact already overcome through him. And we can trust everything the Lord says because, after all, he knows all things, our failures, and our victory by grace through faith in him.

S.D.G.

Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4