But you cannot bear them now

Jesus tells his disciples that he has many things to say to them, but they cannot bear them now. He is referring to spiritual things that they are not ready to understand. The word of God is powerful and valuable, and it must be handled with care. The disciples are not spiritually mature enough to handle these truths. The Holy Spirit will guide them into all truth and reveal things that are to come. The Holy Spirit communicates through visions, dreams, and prophecies. Only those who are willing to seek and understand the things of God will receive revelation. The word of God is a treasure that must be discerned and appreciated. Non-Christians do not have spiritual discernment and cannot understand spiritual things. Spiritual growth happens gradually, and Jesus knows that the disciples are not ready for everything he wants to tell them. Welcome to our weekly exhortation. Thank you for joining me. Thank you for your precious time. My name is Gila Milne, Servant of God and Servant of Jesus Christ. In John chapter 16 verse 12, it is written, I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. That's what the Lord Jesus said to his disciples. What does Jesus mean, you cannot bear them now? What are those things? Praise the Lord. The relationship between God and man is a relationship that is based on love and fidelity. It is a relationship master-slave, which is characterized by the readiness of the slave to submit, to trust, and to serve the master. In a way, the attitude of the slave toward the master will determine the disposition of the master toward him. This is the general context in which Jesus, speaking to his disciples, says, I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. What is Jesus talking about, and why can't the disciples bear them now? What does Jesus mean by that? You cannot bear them now, said Jesus. Jesus' declaration suggests the idea of something variable. It also suggests the idea of power. In this passage, the group of words, many things Jesus mentioned are spiritual things. The continuation of the verse indicates that the group of words, you cannot bear them now, represents the power of God. The word of God, it represents the gospel of truth. Doesn't the Apostle Paul say that the gospel of salvation is a power of God? Romans chapter 1, verse 16. You know, Jesus is the very embodiment of God's word. The word of God is fully expressed in Jesus. The Apostle Paul writes in Colossians chapter 2, verse 3 that Christ is the one in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. See, the word of God is power and treasure all at the same time. Personally, I do think it is because His word is power and treasure that Jesus says that His disciples could not bear them. Here are the reasons. First, in the Hebrew chapter 4, verse 12, the word of God is described as quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword. Yes, the word of God is power and we all know that. Sword is a dangerous weapon. This is why it is so important to know how to handle it with care lest it hurts you. Likewise, to understand the word of God, we as disciples must be in a state of mind that allows us to discern it. That is why Jesus said in John chapter 14, verse 26, that the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my name, He shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance whatever I have said unto you. Praise the Lord. Secondly, as a thing of great value, the word of God should not be left in the possession of a person who does not know the value of it lest he rejects it and tramples it under his feet. For example, if you give a one-year-old kid a banknote and a paper, it is obvious that he cannot make a difference between both objects. He may rip them off while playing with them because he does not know which one is valuable and which one is not, isn't it? Being aware of this fact, no parent cannot afford to give a banknote to an infant knowing that he does not know its value. In Matthew chapter 7, verse 6, Jesus tells us not to give what is holy to dogs and not to throw our pills before swine. Praise the Lord. Why is Jesus so categorical on this instruction? Well, it's because dogs and swine don't know the value of these things. Why then would Jesus give something exalting and extremely valuable to someone who cannot discern it? I just want you to know that in Matthew chapter 7, verse 10 that we have just read, pill and holy thing represent the wisdom of God, his word, while dog and swine represent unbelievers. Hallelujah. Now, if we go back to our passage in John 16, verse 12, we can say that the reason why Jesus said his disciples could not bear all he had to say is that probably they were not spiritually mature. They were not ready yet. They were still carnal. So, due to this spiritual inadequacy, they cannot understand the word of God. I could say that exactly what the apostle Paul told the church in Corinth. He says, I have fed you with milk and not with meat. For, I say to you, ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. 1 Corinthians chapter 3, verse 2. See, friend, this verse explains extremely well what Jesus says in John chapter 16, verse 12. Moreover, the apostle Paul even said that he spoke to them, meaning here to the church in Corinth, as if they were children, as if they were carnal because they don't have the mind of Christ. 1 Corinthians chapter 3, verse 1 to 3. The author in Hebrew gives the reason for this spiritual immaturity. He said that they were, meaning here the disciples, were become dull of hearing. Hebrew chapter 5, verse 11. We can say that this is the reason why Jesus said to his disciples, you cannot bear them now. They are, the disciples cannot understand his word. He says, if I have told you earthly things and ye believe not, how shall ye believe if I tell you of heavenly things? John chapter 3, verse 12. So it was necessary then that the Holy Spirit come and guide them, you and I, into all truth and to convince us of the truth. Praise the Lord. Furthermore, in John chapter 6, verse 12, Jesus continued and said, and he shall declare unto you the things that are to come. Jesus is referring here to the Holy Spirit and he was telling his disciples, the Holy Spirit shall declare unto you the things that are to come. It is good to understand that things that are to come are things that God shows us in advance. The Bible calls them prophecy. It is true. It is true. The Bible is clearly and indisputably the revelation per excellence of the one true God. But I will surprise some of you by saying that God does not reveal only through the Bible. Why not? Well, I'm glad you asked because the Holy Spirit does the rest by leading us into the truth. I'm just repeating what the Lord Jesus says. He said to his disciples, he shall declare unto you the things that are to come. The Holy Spirit shall declare unto you, my disciples, the things that are to come. Of course, the Bible contains things that were fulfilled already and things that will be fulfilled. Since the disciples could not bear all that Jesus planned to say, the Holy Spirit will do that instead. But only those whose hearts made them willing to know the things of God will have the revelation of God because God will reveal them to them through vision, dreams, or prophecy. Please listen to what Jesus says in Joel chapter 2 verse 28. He says, Before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes, at the end time it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. Hallelujah. Praise the Lord. This means that in this present day God is talking to his people through visions, through dreams, and through prophecies. Hallelujah. In Colossians chapter 1 verse 26, the Apostle Paul says that the Word of God is a mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations but is now disclosed to the Lord's people. He says the hidden Word of God will be made known to us, you and I. Through what? Through dreams, through visions, and through prophecies. The promise here is that God will be found by those who search for the truth with great determination. Praise the Lord. Conclusion. You give the healing and grace our hearts always hunger for. The Lord Jesus says, I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. Hallelujah. It doesn't mean by this that his disciples cannot understand them now, for it is with the Spirit of God that spiritual things can be discerned. Unfortunately, the disciples were still in carnal sins. The Word of God is a treasure that cannot be given to someone who does not know how to appreciate its value. Of all that exists in our world, there is nothing more precious than the wisdom of God, the most valuable possession one can have. The value of the Word of God has to be discerned, friend. The truth is that a non-Christian does not have that security. He doesn't have spiritual discernment and therefore cannot know spiritual things. In John chapter 16 verse 12, Jesus is talking to those whose faith with us, those whose faith is not firmly founded on him. He speaks to those who are unable to appreciate the value of the gospel. You know, one cannot entrust something of such great value to people who cannot appreciate it or to those who are not spiritually ready. However, the Holy Spirit will reveal them to those who have a certain amount of spiritual discernment and who will be able to evaluate. The Lord Jesus knows that if he gives himself all the richness contained in his Word, they will trample it under their feet. That's why he says you cannot bear them now. Hallelujah! I just want to finish this by saying that spiritual growth occurs gradually. Jesus Christ, knowing this very Word, cannot skip step in this process of spiritual maturity. We cannot go to the next step without having taken the first. Praise the Lord! Well, we have come to the end of today's message. I do hope you enjoyed and have taken your part from it. If the Lord Jesus Jesus is coming, we will be together next week. Abundant blessings. Shalom.