Moments to Ponder
Pondering is a lost practice today.
The idea that we might actually take a few moments to think deeply about anything seems indulgent in our busy, full schedules. Yet, our souls crave rest and space to breathe, process our lives, choices, and walk with Jesus. I invite you to join me fora few moments to take in Scripture and take away a few thoughts to ponder throughout your day.
Moments to Ponder
Episode 142: When Belief Gets Complicated, Jesus Provides Peace (John 16)
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What happens when the faith we've always known suddenly feels uncertain? Whether you call it a crisis of belief or deconstruction, these pivotal moments challenge what we've built our spiritual lives upon. But as we discover in John 16, Jesus anticipated these struggles.
Before His crucifixion, knowing His disciples would soon face their greatest faith crisis, Jesus provided extraordinary promises to carry them through. He revealed that the Holy Spirit's arrival would actually surpass having Jesus physically present—an astounding claim that would only make sense after Pentecost. This same Spirit remains our guide today, leading us into all truth when our questions multiply.
Jesus revolutionized their understanding of divine access, explaining that through Him, they could approach God directly: "The Father himself loves you dearly." No longer would they need intermediaries or special rituals—the extraordinary intimacy Jesus enjoyed with the Father would become available to all who follow Him. This privilege extends to modern believers who sometimes forget the wonder of direct communion with the Creator.
The chapter concludes with Jesus' famous words: "In this world you will have many trials and sorrows, but take heart, because I have overcome the world." His promise wasn't immunity from hardship but rather supernatural peace amid inevitable struggles. When circumstances challenge our beliefs about God—as they inevitably will—Jesus offers not simplistic answers but His presence through the Spirit and assurance of His ultimate victory. Have you experienced this paradoxical peace during your own seasons of questioning? Share your story with our community and discover how others have navigated their faith journeys.
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Hey friends, welcome to Moments to Ponder. This is a podcast designed to help you spend a few moments in God's Word, gain fresh perspectives and find meaningful takeaways to ponder throughout your week. I'm Betsy Marvin and this is Episode 142. Is episode 142.?
Speaker 1:Years ago, I did a study by Henry Blackaby called Experiencing God. In that study, the author explains the concept of a crisis of belief. It's that moment or season when what you thought you believed is challenged by new truths or old ones, and requires you to adjust your faith in some way. In our current culture, the words for this are deconstruction of faith, but it's basically the same thing. It's taking apart what you've built your faith on to discover for yourself what's true and what you believe about it. This stems from questions or situations that might well they might have come from a new perspective in theology what you think about God or a church doctrine that you're no longer sure is right, or a loss or a crisis that doesn't make sense. Whatever the spark, it ignited an unsettled, curious, even disillusionment feeling that has you wrestling with what you believe of God, jesus and the Spirit, or the church spirit or the church. I've seen a crisis of faith bring a new maturity and a sureness of faith in some people and I've seen it also send people running from the church or from God. Blackaby says that God's invitation for you to work with him always leads you to a crisis of belief. That requires faith and action. How you react in a season of deconstruction or in a crisis of faith moment matters. I say all of this because, as we enter into John 16, jesus knows the disciples are about to hit a crisis of belief moment. He's tried to help them understand so many things, including what is to come, and I feel like if there is a verse that could have been said in 2025 and be just as John 16, 1 says. Jesus knew that his disciples were going to face a moment or a season when they could falter, so he's telling them hold on, don't abandon your faith. Remember what I've told you. It's in the moments of questions that we need to lean into what we do know what we've experienced, so that we, in a season of crisis, don't abandon our faith.
Speaker 1:Jesus continues in verse 2. For you will be expelled, he tells them. You'll be expelled from the synagogues, and the time is coming when those who kill you will think they are doing a holy service for God. This is because they have never known the Father or me. Yes, I'm telling you these things now so that when they happen, you will remember my warning. I didn't tell you earlier because I was going to be with you for a while longer. But now I'm going away to the one who sent me and not one of you is asking where I'm going. Instead, you grieve because of what I've told you. But in fact, it's best for you that I go away, because if I don't, the advocate won't come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you.
Speaker 1:Well, actually, peter and another disciple did ask where Jesus was going, but they weren't really asking about where he was going. It was more about why can't we go with you? Their concerns were for themselves. But Jesus says it's best if I go away. How could his leaving be better? So take this in. So take this in.
Speaker 1:Jesus is telling them and us that the coming of the Spirit will be better than being with Jesus. It's hard for us to comprehend what this means, because we live in the post-Pentecost world, where the Spirit is among us, but for them, jesus is saying that the presence and work of the Holy Spirit will be better than the physical presence of Jesus. Why? Because the Spirit is outside of physical boundaries. The Spirit can be in us and around us, anywhere. We are Verse 8,.
Speaker 1:When he comes, meaning the Holy Spirit. When he comes, he will convict the world of its sin and of God's righteousness and of the coming judgment. The world's sin is that it refuses to believe in me. Righteousness is available because I go to the Father and you will see me. No more Judgment will come because the ruler of this world has already been judged. There's so much more I want to tell you, but you can't bear it now.
Speaker 1:When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own, but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. All that belongs to the Father is mine. This is why I said the Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me. Jesus has so much more to share, but he knows their limits and, apart from the Spirit, they won't understand. We don't know what, we don't know right, but he tells them. The Spirit will guide you in all truth, speaking of the future bringing glory by sharing what he receives from God incomprehensible things until they receive the spirit, and this skips ahead a bit, but I wonder if, when they were filled with the spirit on Pentecost, did all of these words of Jesus click into place? Did they look at each other and go, oh okay, I get it now I wonder. One thing, I think, that gets lost on us in our current time is that this is the same spirit available to us, the spirit who helps us hear his voice and understand his word, the same spirit that guides us and gives us the Spirit who helps us hear His voice and understand His Word, the same Spirit that guides us and gives us that's the one Jesus is talking about to His disciples. We can focus so much on God, the Creator and Father, or on Jesus, the one who saves us, our Redeemer, that we miss the wonder of all that comes after the Gospels the work of the Spirit within those who follow Jesus even to this day. It's through him that we live and move and have our being.
Speaker 1:Verse 16,. Jesus is still speaking. He says Some of the disciples asked each other. What does he mean when he says In a little while you won't see me, but then you will see me and I'm going to the Father. And what does he mean by a little while we don't understand, jesus realized that they wanted to ask him about it. So he said I tell you the truth. You will weep and mourn over what is going to happen to me, but the world will rejoice. You will grieve, but your grief will suddenly turn to wonderful joy. It will be like a woman suffering the pains of labor when her child is born. Her anguish gives way to joy because she has brought a new baby into the world. So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again. Then you will rejoice and no one can rob you of that joy. At that time you won't need to ask me for anything. I tell you the truth. You will ask the Father directly and he will grant your request because you use my name. You haven't done this before. Ask using my name and you will receive and you will have abundant joy.
Speaker 1:I have spoken of these matters in figures of speech, but soon I will stop speaking figuratively and tell you plainly all about the Father. Then you will ask in my name. I'm not saying I will ask the Father on your behalf, for the Father himself loves you dearly because you love me and believe that I came from God. Yes, I came from the Father into the world, and now I will leave the world and return to the Father. Sorrow to joy, pain to peace this is exactly what is to come for the disciples as they experience Jesus' death and his resurrection. But don't miss this Jesus is telling them that they will be able to talk to God directly and that the Father loves them dearly.
Speaker 1:Jesus is telling them that, although he has been praying to the Father on their behalf, it doesn't mean they can't talk to God themselves. Jesus is saying that those who belong to him, those connected to the vine, are granted immediate access to the Father. The extraordinary and intimate union of Jesus and his Father, which is the underlying theme in this book of John. That's what's available and what's more. When they pray in Jesus' name, they will receive whatever they ask for. Why? Because the Father loves them dearly. This is for us too. Jesus doesn't need to go to God for us, too. Jesus doesn't need to go to God for us. We have the wonder of going to God ourselves. Then Jesus said yes, I came from the Father into the world. And now I will leave the world and return to my Father, which is pretty straight up.
Speaker 1:We continue in verse 29. Then his disciples said at last you are speaking plainly and not figuratively. Now we understand that you know everything and there's no need to question you From this. We believe that you came from God. Jesus asked do you finally believe? But the time is coming Indeed, it's here now when you will be scattered, each one going his own way, leaving me alone. Yet I'm not alone, because the Father is with me. I have told you all this so that you, the Father, is with me. I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me, here on earth. You will have many trials and sorrows, but take heart, because I have overcome the world.
Speaker 1:Verse 32 brings us back to verse 1. You will be scattered, leaving me alone physically, but not spiritually. Verse 32 brings us back to verse 1. These aren't words of warning. They're words of promise that, even though terrible things will come, they could have peace that could carry them through. It's a peace that comes from being connected to the vine, abiding in him. It's not saying that hard things won't happen and that those hard things won't affect us. It's saying that we can stand in, knowing that Jesus wins.
Speaker 1:Circumstances have a way of challenging what we believe about God, don't they? For the disciples, seeing what is to come will challenge them in deep ways. How can the Son of God die? How can he save them from Rome if he's leaving? How do they follow him when he's not there to lead the way For you? It might be wondering how God can be good when bad things happen, or questioning why churches that believe in Jesus can't get along with each other, or the disillusionment of learning, of abuse in churches or the church leadership. It makes us question God. Yet when we really look, we see that our questions stem from living in a world full of sinful people that do sinful things. Even godly people fall. It's a reality.
Speaker 1:Jesus addresses this. He says that in this word, we will not might, but we will have trial and sorrow. And remember, in verse two, he told the disciples that they would be expelled from the synagogues and that there would be those. So as he closes this chapter with, but take heart, I have overcome the world, I've loved that verse for a long time. I've seen it quoted and heard it spoken on, and I've even spoken on it myself.
Speaker 1:Yet without the first part of this verse verse 33, we will struggle to take heart. The first part of this verse says I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. This doesn't mean peace as in no conflict or no challenge. It means peace as in an inner wholeness and freedom. It's life with the Spirit. Jesus has told us over and over that in him we have all we need. He told us how loved we are, that the Spirit would guide us in all truth. The opposite of peace is trouble, conflict, unrest, worry, and those are all things that we'll have in this world, but they are not found in Jesus.
Speaker 1:When Jesus says to take heart in this verse, it actually means to be of good cheer. So think encouragement or confidence. Jesus is saying have confidence in me and be encouraged. I bring you the opposite of what the world brings. Whatever you face, know that I am greater than he who is in the world, and remember the spirit. The one who is greater than the world is in us. That's why peace is possible. It's in him that we can do this.
Speaker 1:Dear one, we just celebrated Easter. We know the wonder of the truth, of the resurrection. The Holy Spirit does come, he does speak and guide, he brings comfort. May you rest in the deep peace of knowing that Jesus did overcome the world and in his spirit you can take heart and live in his peace, no matter what may come. Heart and live in his peace, no matter what may come. This doesn't make sense to the world around us. It only makes sense to those who understand through him. And how do I know? I know this because the Father deeply loves you and he is with you every single step of the way, amen.