“These things I have spoken to you so that you may be kept from stumbling. They will put you out of the synagogue, but an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God. These things they will do because they did not know the Father or Me. But these things I have spoken to you, so that when their hour comes, you may remember that I told you of them. These things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you.
John 16:1-15
“But now I am going to Him who sent Me; and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.
“I still have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak from Himself, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you.
Introduction
“If anyone does not love the Lord, he is to be accursed. Maranatha. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.” (1 Corinthians 16:22-24) This is how the Apostle Paul concluded his first letter to the Church in Corinth. A reiteration of our love of Jesus in the strongest terms possible, followed by a blessing. But what is that word in the middle? “Maranatha” is just stuck there in our English translations. Like the Lord’s final words on the cross (Matthew 27:46), translators have largely chosen to leave this word as it appears in the original text. That is because, also like Christ’s words on the cross, this word is actually Aramaic and not Greek.
Because Paul intentionally wrote an Aramaic word in his letter, modern translators have chosen to leave it as-is. So what does it mean? It means means, “Our Lord, come!” It is a word even used by many Christians today to signify our longing for Jesus to return and make all things new. It is an expression of our longing for Him to finally put away all unrighteousness and bring together the culmination of God’s redemptive plan.
Do not be sad Jesus is not here now
This longing is a good thing. We should desire Jesus’ return. Sin is a horrible thing, and living in a world cursed by the fall is harsh and difficult. But it is also a good thing that God has chosen to keep us in the world as it is for the time being. Martin Luther once famously stated, “Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.”
God has a purpose in putting us each in the time and place we find ourselves. It is not an accident, nor is it a mistake. We are blessed to partake in the redemptive work of God by sharing our faith with those around us. By doing so, we are storing up a treasure that will last forever (Matthew 6:20). That is why it is to our advantage that Jesus left. We have, each of us, received the gift of the Holy Spirit who intercedes for us (Romans 8:26) and guides our words.
Jesus, during His ministry, was only ever in a single place at any given moment. But the Spirit can be with all believers at all times. And He goes out into the world, testifying through us of the mighty work of God in sending the Son to die for our sins. That is why Jesus tells us that He “will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.”
God has it covered
As much as we rightly long for the return of Jesus, let us rejoice in the moment that He has chosen us to administer the spread of His gospel and the gathering together of the elect (Matthew 24:31). The gift of the Holy Spirit is truly amazing. Before the advent of Jesus, the Jewish people had the Temple. At the very center of the Temple lay the Holy of Holies where God was supposed to have dwelt with His people. And then at the birth of Christ, He also dwelt with His people, this time meeting with them face-to-face (John 1:14).
But with the Spirit, He dwells with His people everywhere. No Temple pilgrimage is needed, nor do we have to seek out the traveling Rabbi. In fact, the very body of Christ that is the Church is called the Temple of God, because that is where He resides: in us (1 Corinthians 6:19). And this blessing of the Spirit is not just for comfort, but He guides the Church into doing what He has called us to do.
Jesus tells the disciples He “will disclose to you what is to come,” which was fulfilled by the book of Revelation. He tells them, “He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you,” which was fulfilled in the spreading of the gospel and the writing of the New Testament. We reap these benefits to this very day and rejoice because the same Spirit who compelled Moses to Mount Sinai and who compelled the Apostles to write down what they knew is with us today. And His work is not complete until the Lord comes again. Maranatha.
May the Lord bless you and conform you into the image of His Son.
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