John 12:16
When reading through this chapter recently I particularly noticed these words in verse 16, '...then remembered they...'.
The chapter is telling us of the week before Jesus was crucified when his dear friends made him a meal. One of them, Mary, anointed his feet with very expensive spikenard ointment, which Jesus said was for 'the day of my burying'(verse 7).
(My study Bible enlarges that this riding of an untrained ass by a king entering Jerusalem signified he was on a mission of peace, whereas a king entering on a mature trained horse signifies a mission of war).
We can imagine the disciples caught up in the wonderment of the occasion, praising their Lord and Master. Perhaps feeling the people's adulation and excitement, perhaps wondering when Jesus was going to be crowned King; and yet would they not have had an underlying bewilderment and sadness because Jesus had said he was going to suffer many things and die in Jerusalem, and had made that strange comment about Mary's anointing for his burying?
Verse 16 confirms 'that these things understood not his disciples at the first: but when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these things were written of him, and that they had done these things unto him.'
Jesus was doing things which were foretold of him in the Old Testament prophecies, but the disciples did not realise that they were taking part in the fulfilment of scripture:
'Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass's colt' (verse 15, quoting Zechariah 9:9).
We can imagine them later realising - much as we have an 'ah ha' moment, a 'lightbulb' moment - as suddenly things make sense, we see clearly, or have understanding - much as the disciples on the Emmaus road said in realisation after Jesus made himself known to them, 'Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us..? (Luke 24:32)
These words led me to think of times when we have these 'light bulb' moments as we suddenly realise something which we have prayed for, maybe some while ago, has come to pass, or perhaps we have a sudden realisation of why we have had to experience something.
I think of my own answered prayer - for the Lord to confirm to me my salvation in a way that I could never ascribe to imagination, never doubt again. At the time of this being answered I didn't remember how I had prayed, but some time later the Holy Spirit reminded me. How thankful such answers make us as we realise God's goodness to us!
I think of tokens I requested to know the Lord's will in a matter. When a few days later the tokens appeared, I was shocked, but obedient to then take the action I had prayed about, which was scriptural and right as I had been in a sinful path, which the Lord confirmed. It helped me realise that God really does hear and answer our prayers.
I think of various experiences I have been led through, at the time crying, 'Why?...why must I go through this?' Then later a sudden realisation of what the Lord was doing, what he was teaching me, how he was refining me.
Sometimes your prayer may be almost unconsciously whispered to the Lord - you are almost unaware that you breathed it, until when it is answered and you think, I am sure I was asking the Lord for that thing, and here it is - what a sweet answer to a prayer that was uttered almost as a child mutters when waking from a sleep. How kind the Lord is! You realise that even in these slightest things the Lord is watching over you and hearing your every thought and prayer.
Do you have these times of realisation - of understanding?
It reminds me of the command to 'remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee...' (Deuteronomy 8:2). To look back and notice these things - for how slow we are to comprehend and realise, how slow to thank him, how lax in our watchfulness.
Perhaps there are many things we still don't understand, still haven't realised regarding our lives and prayers, but we can pray that the Holy Spirit, our remembrancer (John 14;26) will show us. Then we can praise and thank him for what he has done!
In the same way we can pray that the Holy Spirit will help us understand the signs of the times we are living in.
The Pharisees and Sadducees, the religious leaders of Jesus' time, wanted Jesus to give them a sign from heaven. Jesus berated them that they could predict the weather from the colour of the sky but they couldn't discern the signs of the times (Matthew 16:1-4). They were unable to realise what was unfolding in front of their eyes. They were unable to recognise that Jesus was the long foretold Prophet, Messiah, Anointed One - the Son of God.
Does that not speak to us today of our own perception and realisation of what is happening around us in relation to the prophecies of Scripture?
A minister recently told us to pray that God would show us what he is going to do in the future, and then I came across this verse speaking of the Holy Spirit, '...he will shew you things to come' (John 16:13).
But what do all these thoughts on realising afterwards and remembering and understanding teach us?
'Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us' (Psalm 62:8)
Although right now we might be experiencing things which we cannot understand we trust there will be a time when we will realise, how and why the Lord was answering our prayers, fulfilling promises, leading and teaching us, and working out our salvation. As Jesus told his disciples at their last supper together,
'What I do thou knowest (understandeth) not now; but thou shalt know hereafter' (John 13:7).
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