John 16

Persecution of Disciples Predicted

1 "I have said these [things] to you so that you will not fall away.

2 {They will expel you from the synagogue}, but an hour is coming that everyone who kills you will think they are offering service to God.

3 And they will do these [things] because they do not know the Father or me.

4 But I have said these [things] to you so that when their hour comes, you may remember that I told you about them.

Jesus’ Departure and the Coming of the Holy Spirit

5 But now I am going away to the one who sent me, and none of you is asking me, 'Where are you going?'

6 But because I have said these [things] to you, sorrow has filled your hearts.

7 But I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I go away. For if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.

8 And [when he] comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and concerning righteousness and concerning judgment:

9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me,

10 and concerning righteousness, because I am going away to the Father and you will see me no more,

11 and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.

12 I still have many [things] to say to you, but you are not able to bear [them] now.

13 But when he--the Spirit of truth--comes, he will guide you into all the truth. For he will not speak from himself, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will proclaim to you the things to come.

14 He will glorify me, because he will take from what [is] mine and will proclaim [it] to you.

15 Everything that the Father has is mine. For this [reason] I said that he takes from what [is] mine and will proclaim [it] to you.

Jesus Predicts His Return to the Disciples

16 "A little [while] and you will see me no more, and again a little [while] and you will see me.

17 So some of his disciples said to one another, "What is this that he is saying to us, 'A little [while] and you will not see me, and again a little [while] and you will see me,' and 'Because I am going away to the Father'?"

18 So they kept on saying, "What is this that he is saying, 'A little [while]'? We do not understand what he is speaking about!"

19 Jesus knew that they were wanting to ask him, and he said to them, "Are you deliberating with one another about this--that I said, 'A little [while], and you will not see me, and again a little [while] and you will see me'?

20 Truly, truly I say to you, that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will become sorrowful, but your sorrow will change to joy.

21 A woman, when she gives birth, experiences pain because her hour has come. But when [her] child is born, she no longer remembers the affliction, on account of the joy that a human being has been born into the world.

22 So you also are experiencing sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy from you.

23 And on that day you will ask me nothing. Truly, truly I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you.

24 Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.

Jesus’ Victory Over the World

25 "I have said these [things] to you in figurative sayings. An hour is coming when I will speak to you in figurative sayings no longer, but I will tell you plainly about the Father.

26 On that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf.

27 For the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.

28 I have gone out from the Father and have come into the world; again, I am leaving the world and am going to the Father."

29 His disciples said, "Behold, now you are speaking {plainly} and are telling [us] no figurative saying!

30 Now we know that you know everything and do not {need for} anyone to ask you [questions]. By this we believe that you have come from God."

31 Jesus replied to them, "Now do you believe?

32 Behold, an hour is coming--and has come--that you will be scattered each one to his own [home], and you will leave me alone. And I am not alone, because the Father is with me.

33 I have said these [things] to you so that in me you may have peace. In the world you have affliction, but have courage! I have conquered the world."

John 16 Commentary

Chapter 16

Persecution foretold. (1-6) The promise of the Holy Spirit, and his office. (7-15) Christ's departure and return. (16-22) Encouragement to prayer. (23-27) Christ's discoveries of himself. (28-33)

Verses 1-6 Our Lord Jesus, by giving his disciples notice of trouble, designed that the terror might not be a surprise to them. It is possible for those who are real enemies to God's service, to pretend zeal for it. This does not lessen the sin of the persecutors; villanies will never be changed by putting the name of God to them. As Jesus in his sufferings, so his followers in theirs, should look to the fulfilling of Scripture. He did not tell them sooner, because he was with them to teach, guide, and comfort them; they needed not then this promise of the Holy Spirit's presence. It will silence us to ask, Whence troubles come? It will satisfy us to ask, Whither go they? for we know they work for good. It is the common fault and folly of melancholy Christians to look only on the dark side of the cloud, and to turn a deaf ear to the voice of joy and gladness. That which filled the disciples' hearts with sorrow, was too great affection for this present life. Nothing more hinders our joy in God, than the love of the world, and the sorrow of the world which comes from it.

Verses 7-15 Christ's departure was necessary to the Comforter's coming. Sending the Spirit was to be the fruit of Christ's death, which was his going away. His bodily presence could be only in one place at one time, but his Spirit is every where, in all places, at all times, wherever two or three are gathered together in his name. See here the office of the Spirit, first to reprove, or to convince. Convincing work is the Spirit's work; he can do it effectually, and none but he. It is the method the Holy Spirit takes, first to convince, and then to comfort. The Spirit shall convince the world, of sin; not merely tell them of it. The Spirit convinces of the fact of sin; of the fault of sin; of the folly of sin; of the filth of sin, that by it we are become hateful to God; of the fountain of sin, the corrupt nature; and lastly, of the fruit of sin, that the end thereof is death. The Holy Spirit proves that all the world is guilty before God. He convinces the world of righteousness; that Jesus of Nazareth was Christ the righteous. Also, of Christ's righteousness, imparted to us for justification and salvation. He will show them where it is to be had, and how they may be accepted as righteous in God's sight. Christ's ascension proves the ransom was accepted, and the righteousness finished, through which believers were to be justified. Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. All will be well, when his power is broken, who made all the mischief. As Satan is subdued by Christ, this gives us confidence, for no other power can stand before him. And of the day of judgment. The coming of the Spirit would be of unspeakable advantage to the disciples. The Holy Spirit is our Guide, not only to show us the way, but to go with us by continued aids and influences. To be led into a truth is more than barely to know it; it is not only to have the notion of it in our heads, but the relish, and savour, and power of it in our hearts. He shall teach all truth, and keep back nothing profitable, for he will show things to come. All the gifts and graces of the Spirit, all the preaching, and all the writing of the apostles, under the influence of the Spirit, all the tongues, and miracles, were to glorify Christ. It behoves every one to ask, whether the Holy Spirit has begun a good work in his heart? Without clear discovery of our guilt and danger, we never shall understand the value of Christ's salvation; but when brought to know ourselves aright, we begin to see the value of the Redeemer. We should have fuller views of the Redeemer, and more lively affections to him, if we more prayed for, and depended on the Holy Spirit.

Verses 16-22 It is good to consider how near our seasons of grace are to an end, that we may be quickened to improve them. But the sorrows of the disciples would soon be turned into joy; as those of a mother, at the sight of her infant. The Holy Spirit would be their Comforter, and neither men nor devils, neither sufferings in life nor in death, would ever deprive them of their joy. Believers have joy or sorrow, according to their sight of Christ, and the tokens of his presence. Sorrow is coming on the ungodly, which nothing can lessen; the believer is an heir to joy which no one can take away. Where now is the joy of the murderers of our Lord, and the sorrow of his friends?

Verses 23-27 Asking of the Father shows a sense of spiritual wants, and a desire of spiritual blessings, with conviction that they are to be had from God only. Asking in Christ's name, is acknowledging our unworthiness to receive any favours from God, and shows full dependence upon Christ as the Lord our Righteousness. Our Lord had hitherto spoken in short and weighty sentences, or in parables, the import of which the disciples did not fully understand, but after his resurrection he intended plainly to teach them such things as related to the Father and the way to him, through his intercession. And the frequency with which our Lord enforces offering up petitions in his name, shows that the great end of the mediation of Christ is to impress us with a deep sense of our sinfulness, and of the merit and power of his death, whereby we have access to God. And let us ever remember, that to address the Father in the name of Christ, or to address the Son as God dwelling in human nature, and reconciling the world to himself, are the same, as the Father and Son are one.

Verses 28-33 Here is a plain declaration of Christ's coming from the Father, and his return to him. The Redeemer, in his entrance, was God manifest in the flesh, and in his departure was received up into glory. By this saying the disciples improved in knowledge. Also in faith; "Now are we sure." Alas! they knew not their own weakness. The Divine nature did not desert the human nature, but supported it, and put comfort and value into Christ's sufferings. And while we have God's favourable presence, we are happy, and ought to be easy, though all the world forsake us. Peace in Christ is the only true peace, in him alone believers have it. Through him we have peace with God, and so in him we have peace in our own minds. We ought to be encouraged, because Christ has overcome the world before us. But while we think we stand, let us take heed lest we fall. We know not how we should act if brought into temptation; let us watch and pray without ceasing, that we may not be left to ourselves.

Footnotes

• [a]. Literally "they will make you expelled from the synagogue"
• [b]. *Here "[when]" is supplied as a component of the participle ("comes") which is understood as temporal
• [c]. *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
• [d]. *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
• [e]. *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
• [f]. *Literally "the"; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
• [g]. Literally "with plainness"
• [h]. *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
• [i]. Literally "have need that"
• [j]. *Here the word "[questions]" is not in the Greek text but is implied
• [k]. Or "to his own things"; or "to his own people" (i.e., family); the Greek text is somewhat ambiguous here