This Sunday we will be reading John 16:16-33, where Jesus tells the disciples about the difficulties they will soon face. However, instead of leaving it as a bleak warning about what is to come, Jesus offers encouragement along with the warning. Jesus tells the disciples they can ask God for help in Jesus’ name, He promises abundant joy, and He assures them of his ability to help. Jesus knows that we will face many trials and sorrows, but he encourages us to hold on and to believe that He is powerful enough to make things right.

Does anyone else feel a sense of relief when they are able to acknowledge that life is hard?

There can be a pressure, especially in our culture, that everything should look perfect once we become a Christian. Certainly, there are many things in my life that are exponentially better than they were before I knew Christ, but that doesn’t mean that Christians are exempt from feeling pain.

Jesus tells us over and over, including in the verses we read this Sunday, that life is going to have challenges. It’s going to have many moments that are really hard to get through.

Wow. This Wonderwhat post is depressing.

I know! I’m sorry! My point is, if we can stick with this blog post long enough, and stick with the verses, we will find a promise of restoration. Jesus encourages us to hold on. He sees us. He knows this is hard for us, and He has promised to rescue us.

Which leaves us, in whatever situation we may find ourselves, wondering if we can trust that Jesus will rescue us? Can we trust that He does hear our prayers? Can we believe that He will redeem our suffering? Can we hold on, in steadfast faith, believing that Jesus has the power to set things right?

No one can answer those questions for us. We are all faced with the challenge of answering these questions for ourselves. We may even find that our answers fluctuate depending on our current circumstances.

We invite you to join us this Sunday at 10:00AM for our study in the book of John. Let’s see what we can learn from these verses and let’s see what Jesus wants us to hear as He journeys towards the cross.

Click here for a pdf of the teaching slideshow.