“His disciples said, ‘Ah, now you are speaking plainly and not using figurative speech! Now we know that you know all things and do not need anyone to question you; this is why we believe that you came from God.’”
John 16:29-30
At the end of John 16 there is this funny exchange as Jesus continues to talk about his impending departure. It seems to me he uses very similar language to what he said in chapters 14-15 about leaving and returning to the Father. But now the disciples express their understanding as the reason for their faith. “This is why we believe that you came from God.” Because now (we think) we understand what you’re up to.
“Jesus answered them, ‘Do you now believe? Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone.'”
John 16:31-32
This little group was about to pass out during a prayer meeting and then run for the hills when Jesus got arrested. But now, they say, they get it. Now, they believe. Jesus says, “Do you?”
What comes first: faith or understanding?
We certainly like it when we can understand some of what God is doing in our lives and in the world. But the nature of faith is trusting in the Lord even when life doesn’t make sense to us. “We walk by faith not by sight.”
“And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.”
Romans 8:23-25
This world is groaning like a woman in labor. Jesus will remake everything when he returns, but for now we join in the groaning of the world as we wait for our final redemption. We hope in this. We trust in this. “Now hope that is seen is not hope.” The whole point of hope is that we wait expectantly for something we know is coming but we cannot yet see.
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
Hebrews 11:1
Notice that faith is not the assurance of things understood. It is not the conviction of things observed.
The point is that faith comes first and later we pray for understanding. But we recognize that we may not ever fully understand God’s sovereign plans in this lifetime.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
Isaiah 55:8-9
What we know is that God is sovereign. God is good. God is loving. God is in control. God is faithful. (How many more can you name?)
The list of what we don’t know could fill books and libraries.
Why does God allow events like Hurricane Ian, Helene and then Milton, bringing devastation to the same areas over and over? We may never fully understand, but we trust in the goodness of our God.
At a funeral for a young Christian man recently we heard a pastor say, “God is too good to do wrong and He is too wise to make a mistake.” So hold on to what you do know and trust in the Lord for what you don’t yet know, waiting patiently on the Lord. And remember how John 16 concludes.
“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33