Sin, Righteousness & Judgment

Sin, Righteousness & Judgment

During the ministry of Jesus, often he delivered teaching to his disciples that opened before them some of the greatest mysteries of life. Though they did not always understand what he was saying, we have the benefit of hindsight and at times, I think, might even have a greater blessing in receiving his words. In my mind, our text for today presents us with this exact sort of scenario.

In John 16:8-11 Jesus is preparing the disciples for his death and departure. He explains that he's not going to leave them alone, but will send a comforter to them. "And when he comes," says Jesus, "he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment; about sin, because they do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer; about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been condemned."

Let's break down these three areas and see exactly what it is that Jesus is saying. First, he would prove "the world" wrong about sin. As we've seen before, the world under discussion here is the first-century religious world that served as contemporaries to Jesus. This is important to recall if we want to get the context of Jesus' teaching correct. It is disappointing to see how many commentators again switch from the Jewish world of just a few verses earlier in 15:25, to the secular world. When this false move is made, the words of Jesus lose their context and his teaching is obscured.

The cross and ascension of Jesus would prove the Jewish world, the world "below" as incapable of delivering the promise of life made to Israel. This is why Abraham sought the fulfillment of this promise in the world above-Hebrews 11:10. This would be the heavenly city, the New Jerusalem born of a New Covenant. The Old Covenant could not deal with sin and Jesus was about to make that point for all of history to see.

In John 16 he makes clear that in this self-sacrifice, he would prove wrong those who sought to deal with sin via the Mosaic economy or system. This was the ramifications of their not believing in Jesus, they missed the world he was about to leave (a first-century Jewish world) in order to return in and with a new one, one that would be eternal in which all their blessings would be received.

Secondly he would prove them wrong about "righteousness" by his going to the Father. Again we turn to the Book of Hebrews for a greater understanding of what Jesus is speaking about. In Hebrews the 9th chapter we gain insight into the connection between the annual work of the High Priest and the once-for-all work of Jesus. Jesus, "with his blood" enters behind the veil, the same way the Jewish High Priest entered with blood into the Holy of Holies at his yearly ministry of atonement.

The difference is that Jesus does this in his ascension back to the Father, in the heavenly places, the world "above" not "below." Once this sacrifice is accepted and the gathering together of the first-fruit body of Jesus is made complete, he returns to the waiting congregation to gather them into the new world, the new heaven and earth, the new city Jerusalem of the new covenant wherein the "all nations" promises made to Abraham are received. This is what being made righteous, or "right with God" was all about.

Finally, this was the sure sign that the first prophecy of Scripture was fulfilled. In Genesis 3:15 it was prophesied that while the serpent would strike the heel of the seed of the woman, the head of the serpent would be crushed. Shortly after this teaching in John 16, Paul spoke of this event as well by saying that "The God of peace will shortly crush Satan under your feet" (Romans 16:20).

No longer would there be an accuser against the people of God's creation. No longer would the tempter have a law to leverage. Thru the death and ascension of Jesus, the religious world of his day would fall flat. And it needed to. Why? Because it was a closed system that got in the way of the people getting to God. It was a closed system that was more concerned about its rules than the lives of its followers. It was a system dominated by a select few who benefited while the poor and oppressed remained poor and oppressed.

It was a system that focused on ritual above the state of one's heart. It was a closed system that thrived on doing away with those with whom it differed via the process of scapegoating, demonization and conspiracy theories and anyone and anything found in its path would be leveled. It was a closed system that sounded the call that anyone not a part of it was simply dispensable.

In the end, it was a closed system that suspiciously, looked very similar to the religion of our day. And when we mis-identify the "world" under discussion in John 16, we miss the very message the religious world of our day needs most. Well as always, it's been good to be with you. Until next time, God bless.

This webcast is the 26th program in a series on "The Gospel of John." Listeners are encourage to read along in the Gospel as a way to delve deeper into this study. The "Presence Today" show premiered in 2004 and has become the leading webcast of the fulfilled world. Shows are archived, so viewers can watch them anytime. See full story and instructions.

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The Gospel of John, Pt 26, Mar 23, 2005