John 16

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1“These things have I spoken to you, so that you wouldn’t be caused to stumble.

2They will put you out of the synagogues. Yes, the time comes that whoever kills you will think that he offers service to God.

3They will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me.

4But I have told you these things, so that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you about them. I didn’t tell you these things from the beginning, because I was with you.

5But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’

6But because I have told you these things, sorrow has filled your heart.

7Nevertheless I tell you the truth: It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I don’t go away, the Counselor won’t come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.

8When he has come, he will convict the world about sin, about righteousness, and about judgment;

9about sin, because they don’t believe in me;

10about righteousness, because I am going to my Father, and you won’t see me any more;

11about judgment, because the prince of this world has been judged.

12“I have yet many things to tell you, but you can’t bear them now.

13However when he, the Spirit of truth, has come, he will guide you into all truth, for he will not speak from himself; but whatever he hears, he will speak. He will declare to you things that are coming.

14He will glorify me, for he will take from what is mine, and will declare it to you.

15All things whatever the Father has are mine; therefore I said that he takes of mine, and will declare it to you.

16A little while, and you will not see me. Again a little while, and you will see me.”

17Some of his disciples therefore said to one another, “What is this that he says to us, ‘A little while, and you won’t see me, and again a little while, and you will see me;’ and, ‘Because I go to the Father’?”

18They said therefore, “What is this that he says, ‘A little while’? We don’t know what he is saying.”

19Therefore Jesus perceived that they wanted to ask him, and he said to them, “Do you inquire among yourselves concerning this, that I said, ‘A little while, and you won’t see me, and again a little while, and you will see me?’

20Most certainly I tell you, that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy.

21A woman, when she gives birth, has sorrow, because her time has come. But when she has delivered the child, she doesn’t remember the anguish any more, for the joy that a human being is born into the world.

22Therefore you now have sorrow, but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.

23“In that day you will ask me no questions. Most certainly I tell you, whatever you may ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.

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

25I have spoken these things to you in figures of speech. But the time is coming when I will no more speak to you in figures of speech, but will tell you plainly about the Father.

26In that day you will ask in my name; and I don’t say to you, that I will pray to the Father for you,

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

28I came from the Father, and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.”

29His disciples said to him, “Behold, now you speak plainly, and speak no figures of speech.

30Now we know that you know all things, and don’t need for anyone to question you. By this we believe that you came from God.”

31Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe?

32Behold, the time is coming, yes, and has now come, that you will be scattered, everyone to his own place, and you will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.

33I have told you these things, that in me you may have peace. In the world you have oppression; but cheer up! I have overcome the world.”

Commentary

16:1-6 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.

"\nThey shall put you out of the synagogues,.... The Jews had made a law already, that he that confessed that Jesus was the Messiah, should be cast out of their synagogues; and they had put it in execution upon the blind man Christ restored to sight, for his profession of faith in him; which struck such a terror upon the people, that even many of the chief rulers who believed that Jesus was the true Messiah, durst not confess him, because of this law; for it was what they could not bear the thoughts of, to be deemed and treated as heretics and apostates, and the vilest of wretches: for this putting out of the synagogue, was not the lesser excommunication, which was called \u05e0\u05d3\u05d5\u05d9 "Niddui", and was a "separation" from a particular synagogue for a while; but the greater excommunication, either by \u05d7\u05e8\u05dd, "Cherem", or \u05e9\u05de\u05ea\u05d0, "Shammatha"; when a person was cut out from the whole body of the Jewish church, called often the synagogue, or congregation of the people; and was devoted and consigned to utter destruction, which was the height of their ecclesiastical power, their rage and malice could carry them to; and this the apostles were to expect; nay, not only this, but to have their lives taken away by ruffians, under a pretence of zeal for the service of God, and interest of religion:\n\nyea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you, will think that he doth God service. For this is not to be understood of their being delivered up into the hands of civil magistrates, and of their being tried, judged, condemned, and put to death by their orders, but of their being murdered by a set of men called "zealots"; who, in imitation of Phinehas, as they pretended, took upon them, whenever they found any person guilty of a capital crime, as idolatry, blasphemy, c. or what they judged so, to fall upon him at once, and without any more ado kill him nor were they accountable to any court of judicature for such an action, and which was reckoned laudable and praiseworthy: in this way, and by the hands of such miscreants, Stephen the protomartyr lost his life; for though they had him before a council, and suborned witnesses against him, yet when in his own defence he said what these "zealots" interpreted blasphemy, they ran upon him at once, and cast him out of the city, and stoned him to death; and without any leave or authority from the sanhedrim, as appears: and these men were accounted good men, zealous, \u05e7\u05e0\u05d0\u05ea\u05d5 \u05e9\u05dc \u05de\u05e7\u05d5\u05dd {y} "with a zeal for God", his honour and glory; and valued themselves much upon such butcheries and inhumanity, and thought, as our Lord here says, that they "did God service"; or as the Syriac renders it, \u05d3\u05e7\u05d5\u05e8\u05d1\u05e0\u05d0 \u05de\u05e7\u05e8\u05d1, "offered a sacrifice to God", and so the Arabic and Ethiopic: and indeed this is a rule the Jews {z}, and which they form upon the instance and example of Phinehas;\n\n"that whoever sheds the blood of wicked men, (and such they reckoned the apostles and followers of Christ to be,)\n\u05db\u05d0\u05dc\u05d5 \u05d4\u05e7\u05e8\u05d9\u05d1 \u05e7\u05e8\u05d1\u05df, "it is all one as if he offered a sacrifice";''\n\nthey looked upon this to be a sacrifice acceptable and well pleasing to God: so the Apostle Paul, in his unregenerate state, thought he ought to do many things contrary to the name of Christ: and that he was doing God service, when he prosecuted the church, and gave his voice with these ruffians, to put the saints to death.\n\n{y} Jarchi & Bartenora in Misn. Sanhedrin, c. 9. sect. 6. {z} Bemidbar Rabbit, Parash, 21. fol. 229. 3.\n\n\n "

"\nAnd these things will they do unto you,....

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