Considering one verse – v12 "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now"
There are things we do not have capacity for, cannot understand, cannot bear
Examples
Spiritually – we are on a learning curve, a gradual procession,
Jesus had been with His disciples 3 years
He had spoken plain sermons
His parables were full of stories
His preaching was very illustrative
Yet His disciples had many more things to learn (v12)
They had learnt precious lessons – example
They had to understand that doubt was their greatest enemy
That suffering was part of discipleship
That He would keep them to the end
In His final discourse – Jesus is teaching them more truths
Examples
Yet there are many other things He must teach them – but they are not able to bear them
Overview:
Being a Disciple
Discipling Others
Being a Disciple
These disciples lived at an intermediate time
The old covenant was gradually ending
The new covenant was to be:
With all nations (no longer just the Israelites)
With no further temple (as with Israel)
With no further sacrifices (as with Israel)
With no further priests (as with Israel)
This system was about to pass and a new covenant was to be sealed in Jesus’ blood
Jesus would be our true High Priest
Jesus is the Temple of God
The temple was wiped out in AD70
Many things in the Old Testament were fulfilled in Jesus and no longer required (e.g. feasts)
The many things the disciples could not bear
His death and resurrection
They could not understand this
They would later understand – Acts, Romans 5-8
The Holy Spirit had not yet come
That the Gospel was for the whole world
It took a vision and persecution for the Gospel to spread to the Gentiles
Jesus knew their capacities
Jesus knew they needed to learn little by little
Biblical revelation is progressive
Example
The New Testament is the fullness of the revelation
Example of John
Jesus knew they were immature
Immaturity often means we cannot understand the deep things of God
Examples
Example of James and John, Peter, the disciples
1 Cor 3:1-3 "And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?"
An infant church, carnal and full of division
Paul had to return to elementary truths
Heb 5:11-14 "…of whom we have much to say, and hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil."
Those long in the faith – ought to be able to teach others
Jesus was being kind to them
Not to disclose further hard things – examples (16:1-2)
He knows what they can cope witih
Example
Preachers need to understand the capacity of those they are teaching
Discipling Others
We have different temperaments, personalities, characters, backgrounds, experiences in Church
We can learn a lot from each other
But we must understand each other – examples
God does not change our personality – examples
God does sanctify us and moulds us to the image of Jesus Christ – examples
We need to help one another
1 Thess 5:14 – "warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all"
Three categories of people:
Warn the unruly person
2 Thess 3:6-11 – examples
Jude 22-23 – "And on some have compassion, making a distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh."
Comfort the fainthearted – examples
If Jesus understands our capacity – we should understand the capacity of others
Examples
Encourage and do not scold them
Be gentle with them
Prov 25:20 – "Like one who takes away a garment in cold weather, And like vinegar on soda, Is one who sings songs to a heavy heart."
