John Chapter Sixteen
Hatred of the World - Continued
16:1 “I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. 2 They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. 3 And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. 4a But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you.
Jesus lets them know that He is telling them “all these things” to keep them from “falling away” (Greek ‘skandalisthēte’,[1] a trap, stumbling block, something to cause one to stumble). Jesus was not hiding the truth before this time, He was waiting for them to grow and mature enough to understand. He did not want their faith to stumble, maturity takes time, every Christian goes through a growth process.
As a result of being a follower of Jesus, the Jewish leadership will ban them from attending synagogues. The hatred will be so intense that some will consider killing them to eradicate their beliefs and prevent any further teaching. The leadership’s thinking being so corrupt that they will believe they are serving God by killing them. Jesus notes that they think that way because they do not know God the Father, nor Him. He tells them that the reason that He brought up this grievous and dreadful subject is so that when it does occur they will remember that He had warned them. Understanding that this opposition has been recognized by God will help them from abandoning their faith. They will not face this opposition alone, as Jesus now returns to the subject of the soon-to-come Holy Spirit.
Help is On its Way
16:4b “I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. 5 But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.
During His ministry on earth, Jesus endured all of the opposition, keeping His disciples out of the “line of fire.” But now that He is leaving, things will be different. He tells them that none of the them have asked where He is going. An interesting statement since both Peter and Thomas earlier asked that same question (see John 13:36; 14:5). Jesus is pointing out that their motivation for asking was not about the destination but that of their concern of losing Him. The thought of Jesus leaving them made them uneasy, as their hearts were filled with sorrow.
16:7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper 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 righteousness and judgment: 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
Jesus then makes a remarkable statement, that for them His leaving is to their advantage (Greek ’sumpherei’,[2] to bring together in one place, to contribute for the benefit of another). If Jesus doesn’t leave, the Helper (the Holy Spirit) will not come to them. When He does arrive, the Holy Spirit will convict the world concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment. The word ‘convict’ (Greek ‘elenxei’,[3] to prove one to be wrong, to convince of error) is not just for condemnation, it can also point to reform and repentance. Jesus explains the three areas where the Holy Spirit will convict: 1) Concerning sin, those that have rejected His offer of salvation will go to hell since they are already condemned (see John 3:18); 2) Concerning righteousness, those that recognize Jesus being truly who He said He was and came from God the Father to which He will return, they will go to Heaven; and 3) Concerning judgment, the ruler of the world is judged, Satan, the chief instigator and deceiver is going to Hell as well as all of those he has hornswoggled with his lies.
These three items are all “final destination” related. If one is not forgiven of their sins or instead seek their own self-righteousness, then when judgment comes they will go to hell. If one repents, seeks forgiveness of their sins, and accepts the righteousness of Jesus they will go to heaven.
16:12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
Jesus informs them that He desires to tell them more but they are not emotionally able to listen to more instruction, their minds were undoubtedly preoccupied with the thought of Jesus leaving them. What He needs to tell them will be later provided by the “Spirit of truth,” who will guide and teach them in His absence. The Holy Spirit will speak with authority from Him, and declare things that are to come, speaking prophecy for authentication. Jesus adds that the Holy Spirit will glorify Him. The mission of the Holy Spirit is to reveal God’s plan for salvation through Jesus. Just as Jesus glorified His Father by revealing the truth about Him, the Holy Spirit will glorify Jesus, not Himself. Everything they need to know will be provided to them.
Sorrow Will Turn into Joy
16:16 “A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me.”
Jesus tells His disciples that He will soon be going away, that they will no longer be able to see Him, but then will be back soon. From our perspective it seems that Jesus is speaking in riddles, offering some information, but leaving the details out. Why not give them a straight answer? Like many of His “thought provoking” teachings, He is engaging their minds so He can teach them something that they will remember. Being perplexed by an answer will likely result in them paying closer attention to the lesson and Jesus needs their full attention at this point. Some interpret this riddle as a reference to His second coming, while possible, it is improbable as He is clearly talking to His disciples with content that has relevance to them not someone else several thousand years later.
16:17 So some of his disciples said to one another, “What is this that he says 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 to the Father’?” 18 So they were saying, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We do not know what he is talking about.” 19 Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, “Is this what you are asking yourselves, what I meant by saying, ‘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, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. 21 When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. 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 from you.
The disciples begin to talk among themselves, as they wonder what Jesus meant. They were able to “glue together” what Jesus had said earlier (see verse ten), but they are still at a loss as to what He was now talking about. Jesus knew they wanted to ask Him so He told them that they will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. They will be sad when He is gone, but the world will be happy that Jesus, the person who was teaching something very different than what they understood to be true and made them very uncomfortable, will no longer be around to accuse them. He again tells the disciples that their sorrow will later turn to joy. Jesus explains using a quick parable. When a woman is giving birth she is in great pain, but after the birth of her child, the pain is no longer remembered. They were beginning to feel the anxiety of Him leaving, but He promised that their hearts will soon once again rejoice and no one will be able to take that joy from them.
16:23 In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. 24 Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.
The day that Jesus is referring to is another subject of debate. Some believe that He is referring to when they first see Jesus after the resurrection. But since He mentions that they will ask Him nothing, which to some seems unlikely, that He must be referring to Pentecost when the Holy Spirit comes and answers all their questions (but there is no mention of seeing Jesus on the day of Pentecost, see Acts 2:1-41). For the third time that evening Jesus tells them to ask the Father in His name and He will give it to them (see also John 14:13; 15:16). Then Jesus says that, “until now you have asked nothing in my name.” Again, often debated, Jesus either was referring to them only praying to God the Father and not to Him or had only asked Jesus directly in person. Regardless, this is an important point, not that Christians need to append their prayers with, “in the name of Jesus,” but to understand that through the completed work on the cross, He has become our intercessor. We can approach God the Father in prayer directly because Jesus removed all barriers. Jesus is telling His disciples, and us today, that we are to ask and we will receive, so that our joy may be full!
I Have Overcome the World
16:25 “I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech but will tell you plainly about the Father.
Jesus tell the disciples that He has been talking to them using figures of speech (Greek ‘paroimiais’,[4] can refer to a short discourse, a parable, a proverb, a short saying that illustrates a general principle, often something fictitious used to represent what is real, see John 10:6), but soon He will be talking to them plainly about His Father. The disciples were probably relieved to hear that. But that raises the question why did Jesus need to speak to them in figures of speech in the first place? Since Jesus was proclaiming the Kingdom of God of which was not yet available until He conquered death on the cross, He used figures of speech. Words that did not represent something fictitious but that of something “yet future.” As God, Jesus knew that He was going to offer salvation through His completed work on the cross but since it was not yet finished at that time, He spoke indirectly but yet with absolute assurance. But once the work of the cross was behind Him, He could speak plainly about Him, the gift of salvation, and especially God the Father.
16:26 In 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 came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father.”
After His resurrection, He will be able to intercede on mankind’s behalf, offering full access to God directly without any other human needed as an intermediary. Jesus explains that God the Father loves them because they love Him and believe that He came from God the Father. Soon He would be returning to His Father.
16:29 His disciples said, “Ah, now you are speaking plainly and not using figurative speech! 30 Now we know that you know all things and do not need anyone to question you; this is why we believe that you came from God.” 31 Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? 32 Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me.
The disciples now hear plainly that Jesus will be returning to His Father. The nature of their response is yet another point that is often debated in this chapter. It is likely an overreaction as they later prove that they really don’t know all things. They then claim that they believe that Jesus came from God. Jesus then asks, “Do you now believe?” Jesus is asking if they really do believe. He tells them that they will soon scatter and leave Him to be on His own. But even as they all flee from Him, He will not be alone, as His Father is with Him.
16:33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
Jesus then tells them that He told them these things so that they may have peace. Remember that the peace of God that transcends human understanding (see John 14:27; Colossians 3:15; Philippians 4:7) is available to all believers. Even though they will run away, those fears will later be replaced with peace. Jesus further warns that they (and all believers) will experience tribulation in this world (Greek ‘thlipsin’,[5] to crush, press, squeeze, referring to a time of affliction and distress, same root word Jesus used to describe a period of time in the end of days earlier that week, see Matthew 24:9, 21, 29; Mark 13:19, 24). He then tells them to “take heart” (Greek ‘tharseite’,[6] have courage, to be confident) that He has overcome the world. Again, speaking as if His victory on the cross had already occurred, which from His perspective was done and for us today, it is certainly finished. He has indeed overcome the world.
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[1] Strong’s Greek 4624.
[2] Strong’s Greek 4851.
[3] Strong’s Greek 1651.
[4] Strong’s Greek 3942.
[5] Strong’s Greek 2347.
[6] Strong’s Greek 2293.