1. Lesson One of the Book of Daniel, Introduction to the Book of Daniel

Read Verses John 16:20, for review:  Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.    

John 16:21,22  A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.  And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.

So too he assures the disciples that they may have sorrow now but the joy that will come will more than compensate them for the brief duration of the travail they must now endure.

If no cross then there is no crown. 

There must be fellowship with the sufferings of Christ, before we share his glory.

As Rom 8:17 says:  And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint‑heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

John 16:23,  And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.

It is expedient for you that I go away.

Here Christ supplies another reason why his going is better for the disciples.

Look at this privilege that Christ gives his disciples in asking.

In that day that I am away from you you will be given the Comforter, my Spirit. 

I must go away otherwise my Spirit cannot come while I am here in body. 

I will no longer be with you in body for you to ask questions of me. 

When I am not with you in body you shall then ask me nothing but, of a truth, of a truth, in that day you will go to the Father and ask as if I were asking the Father. 

You come to the Father in my stead and ask for the same things that I would ask for because you are indwelt by my Spirit.

If you do that He will give you what you ask, because you ask in my name, as I would have asked.

Asking the Father shows a sense of spiritual wants, and a desire of spiritual blessings, with sure knowledge that they are to be had from God alone.

Asking in Christ's name, acknowledges our unworthiness to receive any favors from God in our name, and shows our full dependence upon Christ as our Righteousness.

John 16:24,  Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.

It was not possible for the disciples to ask the Father in the name of Jesus Christ before he ascended to the Father. 

While he was with them in body they asked him directly and he answered them directly. 

But he was about to leave and he now charges them to ask the Father in his name. 

This is new to the disciples and it indicates a change to take place in their askings.

He basically enjoins them to try it out. 

Taste and see that the Lord is good. 

Ask, and ye shall receive. 

Try me that your joy may be full.  Answered prayer brings joy to the believer. 

He not only wants them to cheer up from their despondency and troubled heart but he wants them to rise to a higher level and ask for that which advances the ministry of Jesus Christ. 

They are about to embark upon the greatest enterprise for God and he wants them to ask; go ahead an try me. 

They are to be ambassadors for Christ and to pray in Christ's stead for the reconciliation of the lost.

And as ambassadors they are to ask the Father in Christ's name and receive from the Father. 

And He desires that they pray without ceasing so that their rejoicing will be without ceasing.

God's purpose in his dealings with his children is is that our joy may be perfected!

The Spirit of Christ will bring to Paul's mind this same message as we read in:

Phil 4:6,7  Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

John 16:25,  These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall show you plainly of the Father.

Jesus Christ tells the disciples that he has been speaking to them in dark sayings, sayings not easily understood. 

They have not been plain sayings but truth spoken in parables. 

Parables are truths given and yet concealed from those who cannot or will not receive them.

But to the ready heart that can take them in, they can be made known.

The parables were not understood by his enemies and would not by his disciples but he opened them up to them in private.

Many of the parables would only be opened up to the disciples when they were indwelt by the Spirit of Christ.

Christ spoke in parables whether those that heard understood or didn't understand. 

He intended for his parables to be known by those who were born of the Spirit. 

And the Comforter would come when Christ left. 

I shall show you plainly of the Father. 

How?  Though the Spirit of Christ! 

The Holy Spirit's business is to take of the things of Christ, show them to his own and make them actually ours. 

Every parable and every dark saying of Christ was intended for those of Christ and to be shown to those of Christ by the Spirit of Christ. 

But only by abiding in Christ in close fellowship with Christ by studying his word will the dark sayings, will the parables be opened to the believer.

The Holy Spirit did not give parables to the writers of the epistles for the writers of the epistles, as inspired by the Spirit of Christ, spoke with great plainness of speech.

the time cometh, Jesus said, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall show you plainly of the Father.

And that time would come very quickly for in a little while the disciples would be indwelt by the Holy Spirit.

In fact shortly after the resurrection of Christ he spoke plainly to the two disciples on the way to Emmaus, beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded the things concerning himself.

But the complete fulfillment was given in the coming of the Spirit to guide them into all Truth.

John 16:26,27,  At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you:  For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God.

Here Christ tells his disciples that they are to rest in the Father's love for them. 

They are to realize they have access to the Father as he has access to the Father.   

Now that they may ask the Father in the name of his Son he wants them to know that they have the same privilege as he does in asking the Father. 

He speaks the phrase, I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you:. 

Which means that he will not be the one to pray to the Father instead of you. 

You can pray to the Father, for the Father loveth you, because you have loved me. 

The Son's Father loves the Son's followers and the Son's followers love the Son's father.

The child of God has access to the Father through prayer.

You don't have to depend on another to pray for you. 

You have the blessed privilege of praying for yourself, but pray using my name, Jesus says!

Jesus Christ is teaching his disciples that they have freedom to go to the Father because they love the Son and they believe that he came out from God.

Whatsoever they ask in Christ's name shall be given them is secured by the Father's love. 

The Father wants to answer requests in Christ name because that is honoring to the Son, that brings glory to the Son.

John 16:28,  I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.

This is vital for the disciples to know. 

Jesus Christ speaks plainly, not in dark sayings. 

This is what we are to believe about Christ. 

He is the heavenly one come down to Earth, sent by the Father, but coming by voluntary consent. 

He came to the world to reveal the Father. 

He is the prover of the Father's love of sinners.

He came into the world to save sinners for the Father. 

His purpose was to be the Savior of the world for the Father. 

This purpose being concluded by his death, his shed blood, he leaves the world and returns to the Father to mediate between God and man. 

Jesus Christ the God-Man. 

The only one sufficient to be the mediator between God and man.

By saying,  I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father, the disciples improved in knowledge and in faith.