Hi everyone. Welcome back to our exploration of the Gospels, of the literal sense of the Gospels.

We're continuing today in the farewell discourse and we've finally come to the end of the literal sense of the Gospels. We're continuing today in the farewell discourse,

and we've finally come to the end of the farewell discourse. It's taken us about three weeks

to get through this long farewell discourse. It's broken up into chunks, and there's a whole lot

of rich theology in here. So we finally come to the end of John chapter 16 versus 29 to 33,

and that's the reading for Mass today, if you go to Mass. So we'll look at the reading, as always,

and then see if we can work out what is happening on the literal level of the text. His disciples

said to Jesus,

Now you are speaking plainly and not using metaphors. Now we see that you know everything

and do not have to wait for questions to be put into words. Because of this, we believe that

you came from God. Jesus answered them, do you believe at last?

Listen, the time will come, in fact it has come already, when you will be scattered, each

going his own way and leaving me alone.

And yet I am not alone because the father is with me.

I have told you all this so that you may find peace in me.

In the world, you will have trouble, but be brave.

I have conquered the world.

So the context here is the last supper has begun and Jesus has been giving the farewell discourse

over a number of chapters and that's essentially, it's quite similar to other writings we find

from this time period where when a leader was going away, he would do a farewell speech

that had final instructions for his followers, encouragement in times of difficulty,

and all sorts of stuff like that. And that's exactly what Jesus does here. So at this point,

...