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Monday 16 February 2009

John 16:25-33

Jesus famously spoke a lot in parables, but after the cross and resurrection He would speak plainly about the Father. Why would this make a difference? Perhaps this is that sin and death would have been dealt with after the cross. Sin stops us hearing God properly, in particular the fear of punishment leads in to all sorts of evasive actions, and makes us unable to see clearly. On the cross Jesus took all our sin and the judgement it deserved, so now we are free to live.

Jesus showed us the Father and acted perfectly on His behalf, but He went to the cross so that we could approach the Father directly. The Father loves us.

The disciples thought they had got it, but Jesus knew that this was not yet the case. For very soon they would all be scattered and would abandon Jesus. After the cross this would be different. Once the Spirit had come they would be able to obey Jesus properly.

Jesus said all these things to them in order that they would have peace in Him. Note that this peace is nothing like a worldly peace. It is not based on the absence of difficulties and suffering, but on trust in the certainty of God's love, and of His ability to see us through them.

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