A Father’s Love

Take a few deep breaths. Let your breath remind you that God has given you life today, that He desires you today, and that He invites you to find comfort in Him today. Take some time to let that sink in. After (and only after) you do that, read John 16:19-33. If you want extra credit, read all of chapter 16. Then reflect on the text:

• Why are the disciples seemingly anxious about Jesus leaving them?
• Can you think of other stories where Jesus provides comfort?
• How would you summarize Jesus’ response in your own words?

When I was in middle school, I remember going to a party at a friend’s house. This friend had a thrills-and-spills-on-springs machine, also known as a trampoline. On one fateful bounce, my downward-bound chin met the force of my friend’s upward-bound head and I bit straight through my lower lip. My wonderful father picked me up, realized I needed stitches, and began driving me to urgent care. My middle-school self did not like the doctor’s office. It produced worry and anxiety within me. I wasn’t sure of the pain I had to endure. I remember crying in the van, saying “I don’t want to go.” My father, though, loved me too much to listen to my anxiety, knowing true healing and comfort would only come through going to the doctor for stitches.

When I read John 16, I see the disciples in a more serious version of where I was in that story. They are beginning to recognize a few hard truths about following Jesus. They are learning that the world will reject them the way they will reject Jesus. They are learning that their Rabbi, their Messiah, their friend, will soon face unjust death. They are learning that He will no longer walk with them on earth. These are painful and hard things to swallow! Yet, in the midst of these harsh realities, Jesus provides comfort, not to escape the hard things, but to endure them and, through His power, provide healing to the world. How? Many ways, but for right now, let’s focus on just one…the Holy Spirit. God is present, even in Jesus’ physical absence, through the Holy Spirit. Taking John 15-16 together as a whole reminds us that the Holy Spirit is very much present, ready to embrace us, guide us, comfort us, convict us, and point us towards healing. There is no barrier that He can’t overcome to be present with us. He is our comfort. Much like my father on that day in middle school, Our Father is present in our pain and guides us towards Himself, where we find real healing and comfort.