John 16
16:1 “I have told you all these things so that you will not fall away.
In the last chapter, the disciples were wondering why Jesus was telling them of all of the terrible things that would happen to them. Jesus knew that Satan would come against His disciples. Jesus did not want the disciples to quit their ministry.
16:2 They will put you out of the synagogue, yet a time is coming when the one who kills you will think he is offering service to God.
The disciples will be kicked out of synagogues, arrested, beaten, and killed. This happened to Stephen, James, and to others (Acts 9:1-4). Saul persecuted many of the Christians before his conversion, thinking that he was serving in the will of God.
16:3 They will do these things because they have not known the Father or me.
The Jews knew Judaism, but they did not know God the Father or God the Son.
16:4 But I have told you these things so that when their time comes, you will remember that I told you about them. “I did not tell you these things from the beginning because I was with you.
Jesus was less than 24 hours away from His crucifixion. After his ascension, Satan would pour all of his resources against the disciples, Jesus wanted to warn, prepare, and encourage His disciples for this satanic onslaught which would come against them.
16:5 But now I am going to the one who sent me, and not one of you is asking me, ‘Where are you going?’
The disciples should have asked Jesus for the destination of His trip, but their spiritual maturity was not yet at a place where they could even think to ask this question.
16:6 Instead your hearts are filled with sadness because I have said these things to you.
Jesus had just told the disciples that He was going to be betrayed and killed. This message brought great sadness to the disciples.
16:7 But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I am going 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.
If Jesus did not go away, then there would have been no atonement for sins. There would have been no Holy Spirit to help spread the gospel across all nations.
16:8 And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong concerning sin and righteousness and judgment –
The Holy Spirit works on the minds of the unsaved to show them the truth of God. He normally does this by human agents (John 15:26-27).
16:9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me;
Sin is rebellion against God. Sin can be an act, a thought, or even not doing what God wants one to do.
16:10 concerning righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer;
The Jewish people believed that Jesus was unrighteous, because only a wicked criminal would be hung on a tree. This was considered a curse under the Mosaic Law. However, the resurrection cleared the name of Jesus. The Holy Spirit convicts men of their false views of Jesus.
16:11 and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.
The death and resurrection of Jesus were a condemnation against Satan. Jesus defeated the devil, who held “the power of death.” Satan is still active, but his execution is coming at the end of the Great Tribulation.
16:12 “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.
Jesus had more to say to His disciples, but their hearts were not yet ready to hear the divine viewpoint which Jesus was to offer. The disciples desired an immediate earthly kingdom, so they saw no need for the death of Jesus.
16:13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. For he will not speak on his own authority, but will speak whatever he hears, and will tell you what is to come.
Notice that the Father would tell the Spirit what to teach the apostles about the Son. This is the triunity of the Godhead at work. The disciples would receive more illumination after the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus. This divine information would be written in the New Testament documents. The Apostle Paul would also explain many of these spiritual concepts.
16:14 He will glorify me, because he will receive from me what is mine and will tell it to you.
The Holy Spirit is the third person of the triune Godhead. He is one with the Father and Son, so He knows the mind of Christ. The Holy Spirit will give divine information to the disciples. In turn, the disciples will take this message verbally to the nations. The apostles also recorded this divine information in written form.
16:15 Everything that the Father has is mine; that is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what is mine and will tell it to you.
Everything that belongs to God the Father also belongs to God the Son. The Holy Spirit will teach the disciples the mind of God. During the apostolic age, the disciples received direct information from God, prophets, and teachers. During the church age, disciples receive information only from gifted-pastor teachers (Ephesians 4).
16:16 In a little while you will see me no longer; again after a little while, you will see me.”
Jesus will die, be buried for three days, and then be resurrected. After the resurrection, He will return from Hades with His resurrected body and teach for a forty day period.
16:17 Then some of his disciples said to one another, “What is the meaning of what he is saying, ‘In a little while you will not see me; again after a little while, you will see me,’ and, ‘because I am going to the Father’?”
The disciples had not yet experienced the death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ, so they did not yet understand this question.
16:18 So they kept on repeating, “What is the meaning of what he says, ‘In a little while’? We do not understand what he is talking about.”
The Greek word for “kept on repeating” is ἔλεγον (elegon), an imperfect active indicative verb, meaning that the disciples kept on asking each other what Jesus meant. They kept on asking, because they could not understand this teaching in their current spiritual state. This teaching would be understood in the future after they were illuminated by the Holy Spirit.
16:19 Jesus could see that they wanted to ask him about these things, so he said to them, “Are you asking each other about this – that I said, ‘In a little while you will not see me; again after a little while, you will see me’?
16:20 I tell you the solemn truth, you will weep and wail, but the world will rejoice; you will be sad, but your sadness will turn into joy.
Jesus did not clarify His teaching. He knew that the disciples would understand this teaching later after experience and illumination.
16:21 When a woman gives birth, she has distress because her time has come, but when her child is born, she no longer remembers the suffering because of her joy that a human being has been born into the world.
A mother experiences the birth pangs from child birth, but afterwards, she is overjoyed. The disciples were about to enter into the birth pangs of pain and suffering from delivering the gospel. Afterwards, they would be overjoyed.
16:22 So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.
The disciples will feel great sorrow when Jesus is crucified. They will be overjoyed when they see the resurrected Christ.
16:23 At that time you will ask me nothing. I tell you the solemn truth, whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you.
After Jesus ascends into heaven, the disciples will no longer be able to ask Him questions. However, they can ask the Father in the name and character of Christ. If the request agrees with the name, character, and reputation of Christ, then the request will be answered.
16:24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive it, so that your joy may be complete.
Up to this time, the disciples have never prayed in the name of Jesus. The disciples will be the ambassadors of King Jesus. The King will give them whatever they need to accomplish their mission. Many of the disciples will perform miracles to authenticate that their message is from God.
16:25 “I have told you these things in obscure figures of speech; a time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in obscure figures, but will tell you plainly about the Father.
After Jesus was rejected by the Jewish nation, He spoke in parables to them. After the resurrection, Jesus will speak plainly to the disciples, teaching them about God the Father.
16:26 At that time you will ask in my name, and I do not say that I will ask the Father on your behalf.
After the resurrection of Jesus, the disciples will now be able to pray directly to the Father, using the name of Jesus.
16:27 For the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.
The Father loves those who love the Son.
16:28 I came from the Father and entered into the world, but in turn, I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”
Jesus coming from the Father is His incarnation. Jesus entering the world is His humiliation. Jesus leaving the world was His resurrection. Jesus going back to the Father was His ascension. The incarnation, humiliation, resurrection, and ascension were taught by Jesus in one Greek sentence.
16:29 His disciples said, “Look, now you are speaking plainly and not in obscure figures of speech!
Jesus spoke to the disciples plainly and clearly about the plan of God.
16:30 Now we know that you know everything and do not need anyone to ask you anything. Because of this we believe that you have come from God.”
Jesus knew everything, meaning that He was omniscient. This was an attribute of God alone.
16:31 Jesus replied, “Do you now believe?
The disciples possessed limited knowledge and limited illumination at this time.
16:32 Look, a time is coming – and has come – when you will be scattered, each one to his own home, and I will be left alone. Yet I am not alone, because my Father is with me.
The prophet Zechariah predicted 400 years earlier that the Messiah would be struck and the sheep would scatter (Zechariah 13:7).
16:33 I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In the world you have trouble and suffering, but take courage – I have conquered the world.”
On the last night of ministry, Jesus told His disciples that they would experience some tough times after His death. They would betray Him, disown Him, run away at His arrest, suffer, but they would still give a powerful message which would change the world. Jesus would not be with them any longer, but the Holy Spirit would take His place. The disciples would be ambassadors for Christ. They could ask the Father for anything that they needed in the name of Jesus. They were not to be discouraged. Jesus had already conquered the world. It was their job to be His ambassadors in this new world order.